"...breathtaking and exceptionally well-crafted documentary about Russian-Jewish photographer Roman Vishniac (1897–1990) captures his transformation from a free-spirited scientist in Berlin to one of the world’s greatest photographers." San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
From the cosmopolitan streets of pre-war Berlin to the shtetls in Poland and Lithuania to the Princeton offices of Albert Einstein, Vishniac takes viewers on a journey, through the lens of one of the foremost photographers of the 20th century. Roman Vishniac is best known for having traversed Eastern Europe from 1935 through 1938, on assignment for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, to photograph Jewish life in Eastern Europe. Few predicted that less than a decade later, these communities would be wiped out, and that Vishniac’s photographs would provide the last visual records of an entire world.
The 90-minute documentary screens on Sunday, November 19th at 4:00 p.m. at the Figge Art Museum Theater, 225 W. 2nd Street in Davenport, Iowa. Admission: Adults - $7; Seniors (60+) & Military - $6; Students - FREE. For info call (309) 793-1300.
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Truth First Film Alliance, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that supports and encourages the production and exhibition of documentary films, and narrative films based on true stories, through public presentations and educational programs in the Quad Cities region. For more information, visit TruthFirstFilmAlliance.org.
Don't miss this special opportunity to meet Emmy award-winning filmmakers Kevin Kelley and Marie Wilkes, of New Mile Media Arts, when they present their Emmy-nominated documentary Standing Strong: Elizabeth Catlett at the Figge Art Museum on Thursday, November 9th at 6:30 p.m. The event is hosted by the Azubuike African American Council for the Arts. This special FREE screening of Elizabeth Catlett's inspiring art and life story includes a Q&A with the filmmakers following the film.
Read more about the event in a story by WHBF journalist Jonathan Turner below.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmakers Kevin Kelley and Marie Wilkes of New Mile Media Arts.
A groundbreaking documentary chronicling the life of a renowned artist and activist with an Iowa connection will premiere in the Quad Cities at the Figge Art Museum (225 W. 2nd St., Davenport) on Thursday, Nov. 9, 2023.
“Standing Strong: Elizabeth Catlett,” produced by Marie Wilkes and directed by Kevin Kelley of Iowa City-based New Mile Media Arts, tells the remarkable story of Elizabeth Catlett’s journey to earning an advanced graduate degree from the University of Iowa during a time when African-Americans were denied the right to live on campus.
Catlett’s life and legacy have long been a source of inspiration for Black artists, art enthusiasts, activists, and history buffs alike, according to the Figge screening host, Davenport-based Azubuike Arts. “This documentary promises to provide an in-depth exploration of her struggles, triumphs, and the indomitable spirit that made her a trailblazer in the art world and the fight for civil rights,” says an event release.
The event is free and open to the public, and the schedule is as follows:
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Film screening: 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Q&A with the filmmakers (Marie Wilkes and Kevin Kelley): Immediately following the screening.
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
Tickets available at the door. Adults $7; Seniors (60+) and Military $6; Students Free. For more information contact [email protected] or (309) 793-1300.
Resistance
Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 4PM
He saved their lives in silence. Before he was the world-famous mime Marcel Marceau, he was Marcel Mangel, an aspiring Jewish actor who joined the French Resistance to save the lives of thousands of children orphaned at the hands of the Nazis. Jesse Eisenberg, Clémence Poésy, Ed Harris (Top Gun: Maverick), and Édgar Ramírez star in this compelling drama about a group of unsung heroes who put themselves in harm's way to rise above hatred and oppression during World War II. As a young man growing up in Nazi-occupied Europe, Marcel has no intention of getting involved in the war—his pursuits include impersonating Charlie Chaplin in burlesque clubs, painting backdrops for his plays, and antagonizing his obstinate father. His life is thrown into upheaval when he is recruited into the French Resistance, putting his acting skills to the ultimate test in teaching orphaned Jewish children how to survive in the horrifying reality of the Holocaust. Based on the inspiring true story, Resistance follows the revolutionary tale of a selfless act that would forever change countless lives.
120 minutes - English - Biography/Drama (2020)
Baltic Truth
Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 4PM
Hosted by award-winning Israeli performer Dudu Fisher (Les Misérables), "Baltic Truth" exposes the tragic events of the first months of WW2 in the Baltic States and how almost the entire Jewish community of the occupied Baltic Nations was eliminated by face to face executions, one bullet at a time with assistance of local population, before the Final Solution, before Auschwitz, and before gas chambers. The film reflects the need for accuracy of Holocaust history, and does not allow the shifting of blame simply onto Nazis, and the exculpation of Latvian and Lithuanian perpetrators. Lithuania is the most egregious historical revisionist today. That government’s well-organized and systematic campaign to rewrite the history of Holocaust criminals seriously jeopardizes the international community's efforts to preserve the truth of this dark period in history and thereby undermines efforts to prevent future genocide around the world. This film reveals the truth about the collaboration with the Nazi regime in the Baltic States; how neighbor turned on neighbor without hesitation, prompting a massacre of great proportions. Baltic Truth exposes how some national heroes involved in Holocaust crimes are being celebrated by their fellow countrymen to this very day.
90 minutes - English - Documentary (2022)
SHTTL
Sunday, March 26, 2023 at 4PM
This ambitious and technically astonishing film tells the expansive, multi-character story of a Jewish village in Ukraine on the border with Poland 24 hours before Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union. Shot in a single take in Ukraine, the film unspools with our knowledge of imminent terror and destruction looming, while at the same time focusing on the vitality of lives about to be destroyed. Featuring a remarkable cast that includes Moshe Lobel (who appeared in Broadway’s Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof revival) and Yiddish-fluent actor Saul Rubinek, this is a ruminative, philosophical work of naturalism that insightfully depicts a place brimming with vibrancy and the romance, politics, and intrigue of everyday life.
114 minutes - Yiddish & Ukrainian with English Subtitles - Drama (2022)
Reckonings: The First Reparations
Sunday, April 30 at 4PM
They met in secret to negotiate the unthinkable — compensation for the survivors of the largest mass genocide in history. Survivors were in urgent need of help, but how could reparations be determined for the unprecedented destruction and suffering of a people? Reckonings explores this untold true story set in the aftermath of the Holocaust. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Roberta Grossman, Reckonings recounts the tense negotiations between Jewish and German leaders. Under the constant threat of violence, they forged ahead, knowing it would never be enough but hoping it could at least be an acknowledgement and a step towards healing.
84 minutes -- English/ German with English subtitles -- Documentary (2022)
Presenting sponsor for this film series is:
The Joyce and Tony Singh Family Foundation (FYI - Lloyd Burstein was Tony Singh's mentor)
Additional sponsors include:
**Rauch Family Foundation II, Inc.
** Wheelan-Pressley Funeral Homes
**Quad City Bank & Trust
**Stanley and Bernice Harris Memorial Endowment Fund
**Bernard and Irene Goldstein Memorial Endowment Fund
**Louis & Ida-Fox Rich Fund
**Gary and Randi Segal Family
**Marlyne and David Weiner Family
**Glenn Peterson
**Friendship Manor, Rock Island, IL
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
One of the most celebrated films of our time, CASABLANCA was directed by Michael Curtiz and stars Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Raines. The film tells the story of Rick Blaine who owns a nightclub in Vichy-controlled Casablanca, frequented by refugees desperate to escape German domination. Despite the ever-present human misery, Rick manages to remain uninvolved in World War II now raging across Europe and Northern Africa. But all that changes when Ilsa Lund walks through the front door of Rick's club--Rick must now choose between a life with the woman he loves and becoming the hero that both she and the world need.
Cinemark Davenport 18 and IMAX is located at 3601 E. 53rd St, Davenport, IA.
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
Celebrating 30 years - Snowed in during a trip to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities, television weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) finds himself stuck in time, endlessly repeating February 2nd. His world is inhabited by the same people every day, but they don't know Groundhog Day is repeating itself. That gives him a certain advantage: He can find out what a woman is looking for in a man, and then the “next” day behave in exactly the right way to impress her. Luckily there is a woman closeby to practice on. She's Rita (Andie MacDowell), Phil's long-suffering producer, who has had to put up with his tantrums, demands and surliness. Gradually Phil is able to see the error of his ways and improve his behavior until, finally, a Groundhog Day dawns when she finally likes him.
Cinemark Davenport 18 and IMAX is located at 3601 E. 53rd St, Davenport, IA.
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
Was the first electronic digital computer invented in downtown Rock Island?
That mystery has never been clearly solved, but the fateful 1937 winter night — when John Vincent Atanasoff drove from Iowa State in Ames to the Quad Cities — is a key part of a documentary that will be shown at Rock Island’s Augustana College.
A free program, “The Birth of the Computer,” will be presented Feb. 23, 2023 at 6 p.m. at Wallenberg Hall, 3520 7th Ave., Rock Island. In addition to showing of the 2013 film “Atanasoff: Father of the Computer,” featuring an introduction by Truth First Film Alliance Co-Executive Director Kelly Rundle, scheduled speakers will include:
Dr. Ashfaq Khokar, chairman of Iowa State University’s electrical and computer engineering department.
Shawn Beattie, Augustana’s Information Technology manager.
Mark Ridolfi, managing editor of the North Scott Press.
In the winter months of 1937, Atanasoff — then an assistant professor in mathematics and physics at Iowa State College in Ames — traveled to Rock Island, where he conceptualized the first digital computer, according to a Rock Island Library event summary. The Wallenberg Hall event will “retrace Dr. Atanasoff’s road trip to destiny that fateful night,” it says.
READ THE REST OF THE STORY at OurQuadCities.com Here!
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
"A Q&A session will follow the screening to spark meaningful conversations about how the messages in the film relate to our current day struggles in our daily lives whether it be in the workplace, in our schools or in our community with regards to racial discrimination will follow each showing," according to the production company website.
The film screening and Q&A are FREE and open to the public.
Synopsis: At a time when it was uncommon for college basketball teams to play more than three Black players at any one time, the 1963 Loyola University Chicago Ramblers started four Black players and won the NCAA championship. This team not only revolutionized the way college basketball was played, but also battled and overcame extreme racism both on and off the court. "The Loyola Project", is a documentary film by O’Malley Creadon Productions.
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
Celebrating 70 years - ROMAN HOLIDAY features a legendary, Oscar®-winning performance from Audrey Hepburn (in her first starring role). Nominated for a total of 10 Oscars®, including Best Picture, it’s the story of a modern-day princess who, rebelling against the royal obligations, explores Rome on her own. She soon meets an American newspaperman (Gregory Peck) who pretends ignorance of her true identity, in the hopes of obtaining an exclusive story. Naturally, his plan falters as they inevitably fall in love. Featuring Eddie Albert as a carefree cameraman pal, a classic Dalton Trumbo screenplay, expert direction from William Wyler, and featuring Edith Head’s Oscar®-winning costumes, it’s a timeless romantic comedy considered to be one of the greatest films from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Cinemark Davenport 18 and IMAX is located at 3601 E. 53rd St, Davenport, IA.
When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
RiverAction's 2023 QC Environmental Film Series begins in January and will run through March 5th, with screening events hosted at various venues in the Quad Cities region. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://riveraction.org/filmseries.
January 22 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. "The Seeds of Vandana Shiva" Hosted by QCEFS at the Figge Art Museum, 225 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA
The Seeds of Vandana Shiva tells the remarkable life story of Gandhian eco-activist Dr. Vandana Shiva, how she stood up to the corporate Goliaths of industrial agriculture, rose to prominence in the food justice movement, and inspired an international crusade for change.
January 29 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. "My Garden of a Thousand Bees" Hosted by St. Ambrose Green Life at St. Ambrose University, 518 W Locust St, Davenport, IA
A wildlife filmmaker spends his time during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown filming the bees in his urban garden and discovers the many diverse species and personalities that exist in this insect family.
Reflection Speaker is Kraig McPeek, Field Office Supervisor for the Illinois-Iowa Ecological Services Field Office, U.S. Fish And Wildlife Service.
February 5 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. "Youth Unstoppable" Hosted by North High School Green Team at North High School Auditorium, 626 W 53rd St, Davenport, IA
YOUTH UNSTOPPABLE takes us inside the rise of the Global Youth Climate Movement. Slater Jewell-Kemker was 15 when she began documenting the untold stories of youth on the front lines of climate change refusing to let their futures slip away.
February 12 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. "The Ground Between Us" Hosted by Augustana College Student Sierra Club at Olin Hall Auditorium, Augustana College, 820 38th St, Rock Island, IL
Since 2017, public lands throughout America have faced unprecedented threats. Bears Ears National Monument was shrunk by 85 percent, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was opened to oil exploration, and the Elliott State Forest in Oregon was nearly privatized. Throughout this, Americans from both sides of the political spectrum have stood up and made their voices heard in support of protecting these areas. The Ground Between Us presents these public lands debates alongside the day-to-day realities of three families who hold vastly different connections and perspectives on public lands.
February 26 (Sunday), 2:00 p.m. "Black Ice" Hosted by Black Hawk College's Clean Sphere at the Figge Art Museum, 225 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA
Told through the eyes of Malik Martin and Chris Dean, Black Ice follows a crew of aspiring ice climbers from the Memphis Rox gym travels to the frozen wilds of Montana, where mentors Manoah Ainuu, Conrad Anker and Fred Campbell share their love of winter adventure in the mountains.
March 5 (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. "Dead Sea Guardians" Hosted by the Jewish Federation of the QC at the Figge Art Museum, 225 W 2nd St, Davenport, IA
The Dead Sea - the lowest place on earth and one of the wonders of the world - is dying. Three historic enemies join forces on a heroic journey to stop this catastrophe and save the Dead Sea from disappearing.
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When you want to see great documentaries, independent, foreign, classic and other noteworthy films in the Quad-Cities area, visit QCFilmBlog.com for the latest screenings and special film events.
Two short Oscar-winning films will screen free in the GIANT Screen Theater at the Putnam Museum and Science Center on October 9th beginning at 3pm as part of the Out of Darkness: Holocaust Messages for Today fall program. Truth First Film Alliance has partnered with the Putnam Museum to bring One Survivor Remembers, and Visas and Virtue to the Quad Cities.
One Survivor Remembers is an Academy Award® winning documentary that tells the story of Gerda Weissman Klein and her six-year ordeal as a victim of Nazi cruelty.
“One Survivor Remembers is the first film we thought of for this special Out of Darkness screening event,” said Kelly Rundle, co-executive director of Truth First Film Alliance. “We originally saw it in Los Angeles the day before it won an Academy Award. The film is a great example of the power of a personal story.”
Visas and Virtue, an Academy Award® winning docudrama, will also be shown. Inspired by the true story of Holocaust rescuer Chiune "Sempo" Sugihara, who is known as "The Japanese Schindler," this film portrays his experience issuing illegal transit visas to Polish and Lithuanian Jews enabling thousands to escape the Holocaust.
Free Event: One Survivor Remembers and Visas and Virtue with a virtual Q&A with Oscar-winning director and star Chris Tashima
The films will be followed by a virtual Q&A with the director and star of Visas and Virtue, Chris Tashima.
According to Rundle, both films tell unforgettable and important stories about the Holocaust that will likely be new to those who attend.
The community-wide project, Out of Darkness: Holocaust Messages for Today, is a collaborative effort to promote programming to combat the damages that persecution and discrimination have on the community and the individual. Across the community, over 20 organizations are partnering to educate the leaders of today on these lessons from history and how they remain relevant. The goal of the project is to build a more vibrant, tolerant, and inclusive community.
The films and the special Q&A will be from 3-4:30 pm on Sunday, October 9th. These screenings are FREE to the public. Both films contain adult themes and are not recommended for children under the age of 12. The Putnam Museum and Science Center is a safe space where education and the creation of meaningful dialogue is a focus.
Out of Darkness is made possible with support from the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities, Scott County Regional Authority, Regional Development Authority, Rauch Family Foundation II, Inc., KWQC, and the Joyce and Tony Singh Family Foundation.
About the Putnam: The Putnam Museum brings to life a sense of place, time and purpose to ignite human potential and inspire our diverse community to learn about and care for our world and all its people. For more than 150 years, guests have experienced the Putnam’s permanent exhibits ranging from Unearthing Ancient Egypt to our family-favorite science galleries, as well as an array of programs and internationally recognized traveling exhibits. The Putnam is dedicated to helping guests discover and explore in a friendly and engaging atmosphere, including wheelchair access throughout the museum and theater, sensory friendly maps and backpacks, and wheelchairs available to borrow upon request. For more information about events, exhibits, and accessibility visit putnam.org.
About Truth First Film Alliance: Truth First Film Alliance is a non-profit organization that promotes, supports, and encourages the production and exhibition of documentary and narrative films based on true stories through public presentations and educational programs in the Quad Cities region. For more information about this organization, visit https://truthfirstfilmalliance.org/.
About Out of Darkness: Holocaust Messages for Today: Out of Darkness: Holocaust Messages for Today is community-wide collaborative project that provides programming to counter the damaging issues of persecution and discrimination that surrounded the Holocaust but are also still prevalent today. Out of Darkness programs promote dignity, diversity, equity, democratic values, human rights, and the power of the human spirit within their community. For more information about this project, visit https://www.outofdarknessqc.com.
RiverAction's 2023 QC Environmental Film Series begins in January and will run through March 5th, with screening events hosted at various venues in the Quad Cities region. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit 
