Free Screening of Wendell Berry Documentary July 20th with Community Q&A Celebrating Michigan Farmers
Hosted by the Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology and the Au Sable Institute. Supported by the Elk Rapids Cinema and MyNorthMedia.
Several local organizations will join forces on Friday July 20th, 2018 to present a free community screening of “Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry” at 7:00 PM at the Elk Rapids Cinema in Elk Rapids, Michigan. The award-winning film is a moving exploration of the world as lensed through the works of farmer, writer and activist Wendell Berry.
Guests will be welcomed on a first-come first-served basis and RSVPs and information can be found at mynorth.com/filmclub
The 80-minute documentary will be followed by a live discussion with Brad Kik (Co-Founder of the Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology), Steven Bouma-Prediger (Professor of Religion at Hope College), Adam Brown and Haley Breniser (Founders of UnderToe Farm) and moderated by Joseph Beyer (Director of Audience Engagement and Brand Strategy for MyNorthMedia).
“Rural communities have a powerful story to tell in this moment,” said Crosshatch co-founder Brad Kik. “I believe arts and agriculture are key pieces of what makes these places thrive. Wendell Berry has been a powerful voice on behalf of farmers for a long time, and we’re excited to host a film that tells that story,” he added.
In more than 50 works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry, evangelist Berry has painted rural life with complexity, insight and beauty. In 2010 President Obama bestowed him with the National Medal for Arts and Humanities.
Filmed across four seasons in the farming cycle, “Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry” is a documentary film that blends observations, interviews, and evocative photography into an exploration of the spirit of Berry’s agrarian philosophy. It’s directed, produced and edited by Laura Dunn and co-directed and produced by Jef Sewell.
Additional producers include Robert Redford, Terrence Malick and Nick Offerman. This tribute to a uniquely American artist appeared at the Sundance, Berlin, HotDocs and SXSW Film Festivals.
“We found the themes in the film around life in rural America to be uniquely relevant to our work and we’re thrilled to have a chance to gather in hopes of exploring and fostering common purposes in restoring God’s earth,” said Au Sable Institute’s Director of Community Development and Alumni Relations Jon Terry.
MyNorthMedia founder Deborah Wyatt Fellows added, “Through Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine and our other products, we’ve been both celebrating our agricultural community and helping our audience understand the need to protect our farmland for over 35 years. From farmer profiles to local foods, from connecting people to farmland preservation efforts to promoting educational events, we have been so proud to be a part of this critical effort and it continues to be a key part of our vision for the future.”
“The traditional farmer, that is the farmer who was first independent, who first fed himself off his farm and then fed other people, who farmed with his family and who passed the land on down to people who knew it and had the best reasons to take care of it… that farmer stood at the convergence of traditional values… our values.” — Wendell Berry
The Crosshatch Center for Art & Ecology is a non-profit organization founded in 2005 to build strong communities that are grounded in place where people connect through stories, music, art, word and food, and where the economy and culture are rooted in restoration of the earth and its people. They are based in Bellaire, Michigan.
The Au Sable Institute is a Mancelona, Michigan-based non-profit organization that has created a global community inspiring and educating people to serve, protect and fearlessly pursue a Christian vision of a flourishing earth. Au Sable offers environmental science programs for students and adults of all ages.
UnderToe Farm is a project to serve the local community by supplying high quality, certified organically grown produce while enhancing soil ecology. Volunteer opportunities and events in Kewadin, Michigan allow the community to get to know their growers, and their growing practices. Their produce is available through their farm-share program, the Elk Rapids Farmer’s Market, Village Market Grocers, and also distributed via Cherry Capital Foods.
MyNorthMedia is a creative multimedia agency based in Traverse City dedicated to finding and sharing inspiring local stories. They highlight architecture, food and drink culture, history, people and the great outdoors. From gorgeous magazines to websites to tickets for events, they have been committed to the celebration of Northern Michigan since founding in 1981.
The Elk Rapids Cinema is a historic 300-seat single-screen arthouse movie theatre dating back to 1940. They are passionate and committed to protecting the architecture of the unique Art Deco building and presenting affordable, dynamic and world-class movies and events in their Michigan community. Owned and operated by Joe Yuchasz.
