Arkansas PBS > Engage > Pressroom > Indie Lens Pop-Up, AETN to host free screening of 'I Am Not Your Negro' in Pine Bluff
Posted 04 Jan 2018
Indie Lens Pop-Up, presented by ITVS, Independent Lens and the Arkansas PBS, will host a free screening of Raoul Peck's "I Am Not Your Negro," a 2017 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary, Saturday, Jan. 13, at 1 p.m. at the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, 701 S. Main St., Pine Bluff. The event is free and open to the public.
Immediately following the film will be a panel discussion with Dr. John Kirk, director for the UALR Anderson Institute for Race and Ethnicity; Rep. Vivian Flowers; and Dr. John Foster, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff associate professor of sociology. Gabe Mayhan, director of the AETN documentary "Dream Land: Little Rock's West 9th Street," will moderate.
In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, to be called "Remember This House." The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends – Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. But, at the time of Baldwin's death in 1987, he left behind only 30 completed pages of his manuscript.
Now, in this incendiary documentary, filmmaker Peck envisions the book Baldwin never finished. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin's original words, spoken by Samuel L. Jackson, and a flood of rich archival material. "I Am Not Your Negro" is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. Ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassinations of these three leaders, Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.
"I Am Not Your Negro" will premiere Monday, Jan. 15, at 8 p.m. on AETN.
Indie Lens Pop-Up is a neighborhood series that brings people together for film screenings and community-driven conversations. Featuring documentaries seen on PBS's "Independent Lens," Indie Lens Pop-Up draws local residents, leaders and organizations together to discuss what matters most, from newsworthy topics to family and relationships. For those unable to attend in person, "Independent Lens" shares information on Facebook about online Pop-Up events.
The Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas was founded in 1968, made a commission of the City of Pine Bluff in 1971, and accredited with the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) in 2001. ASC presents programming in the visual arts, performing arts and the sciences through exhibits, performances, classes and local partnerships. More information is available online at asc701.org or by phone at 870-536-3375.
The Arkansas PBS is Arkansas's only statewide public media network, which enhances lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people from all walks of life. AETN delivers local, award-winning productions and classic, trusted PBS programs aimed at sharing Arkansas and the world with viewers through the distinct channels AETN PBS, AETN Create, AETN PBS KIDS, AETN World and AETN AIRS on SAP. Audiences can also watch on several digital platforms, and members with AETN Passport have extended on-demand access to a rich library of public television programming. AETN depends on the generosity of Arkansans and the State of Arkansas to continue offering quality programming. Additional information is available at aetn.org. AETN is broadcast on KETS (Little Rock), KEMV (Mountain View), KETG (Arkadelphia), KAFT (Fayetteville), KTEJ (Jonesboro) and KETZ (El Dorado).