For the fifth consecutive year, the prestigious Robert Flaherty Film Seminar will come to Colgate, offering insightful discussions and free public film screenings in the Hamilton Theater.
Presented in honor of Robert Flaherty (1884-1951), creator of classic films including Nanook of the North, Man of Aran, and Louisiana Story, the seminar highlights innovative cinematic works.
The films My McQueen, directed by Lourdes Portillo, and The Double Steps, directed by director Isaki Lacuesta, will be screened for free at 8:45 p.m. Tuesday, June 19, as part of the seminar. Both Portillo and Lacuesta will be in attendance at the Hamilton Theater to lead discussions about the films.
The Flaherty, which runs June 16-22, coordinates activities for 160 registered participants — filmmakers, film scholars, film programmers, film archivists, artists, and graduate students – coming from all over the United States and 16 countries.
This year’s theme, Open Wounds, will look at how belief systems and varying perspectives regarding ethics, technology, and culture, have changed over the past century, while also investigating how filmmakers contribute to cinema by lending their own heritage to their projects.
Programmed by Josetxo Cerdán, seminar discussions will delve into how filmmakers are keeping in step with representing the ever-changing and often tense global climate.
Flaherty organizers cite Colgate’s setting and its facilities as some of the reasons the seminar keeps coming back to campus.
“In addition to Colgate having dual 35-millimeter projectors — which is one of the hardest things to find on a college campus — and enough seats in a theater, it’s also great to be in upstate New York,” Mary Kerr, executive director of the Flaherty, said at the close of last year’s seminar. “We have people from all over the country and the world attending, and we’re excited to be able to expose them to this kind of setting.”