EVENT: Film Screening of ‘Open Country’ at Cinemapolis, Monday July 14
WRFI Community Radio & PM Press present a screening of 'Open Country' at Cinemapolis on Monday July 14 at 6:30pm.
Open Country is a journey into the roots of American Country music, reclaiming it as the creative musical expression of working people of all colors.
Through archival clips, contemporary interviews, performances, and animated graphics, Open Country repositions country music into its rightful place as a people’s music.
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SCHEDULE OF EVENT
6:30pm - Music by Gerard Burke
Hailing from Elmira, Delta bluesman Gerard Burke has entertained listeners across New York's Southern Tier and Central New York regions with his unique brand of acoustic blues, played in the style of the old masters, such as Son House, Charley Patton, and Robert Johnson.
7:00pm - Film Screening
8:30pm - Q&A with Filmmakers
GLENDA DREW is an interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose work lies at the intersection of visual culture and social change, with a strong emphasis on working-class narratives. Her multifaceted practice — spanning film, video, motion graphics, photography, interactivity, and audience participation — centers on subjects such as country musicians, waitresses, feminists, and precarious workers.
JESSE DREW’s research and practice centers on alternative and community media and their strategic use in building movements for democracy and justice, particularly among the global working class.
Gerard Burke will open for the film, with music beginning at 6:30pm in the theatre. Hailing from Elmira, Delta bluesman Gerard Burke has entertained listeners across New York's Southern Tier and Central New York regions with his unique brand of acoustic blues, played in the style of the old masters, such as Son House, Charley Patton, and Robert Johnson.
This event is a benefit for WRFI Community Radio and PM Press.
This event is sponsored by Ithaca Guitar Works.
What People are Saying About OPEN COUNTRY
"Open Country is an absolute revelation, pulling back the curtain on the real, working- class roots of country music. This film brilliantly uncovers the transatlantic influences and the rich, multicultural contributions that have shaped the genre. As a Brit with a deep appreciation for genuine storytelling, I was utterly amazed by how it challenges the sanitized, corporate version of country music we've been fed. It's an eye-opening journey that reminds us of the true spirit of the people's music, rooted in struggle, solidarity, and resistance. This is a must-see for anyone who cares about the authentic
history of country music and its powerful impact on our collective culture.”
– Jack Clarke is an independent Manchester (UK) based film producer, photographer, and host of the UK desk for Arts Express on NYC’s WBAI 99.5FM
"This film is an antidote to the right-winging of country music, reminding us of the multicultural contributions, labor struggles, and resistance to oppression and grinding poverty that was the crucible of country music. It makes many of today's good 'ol boys whining about drinking and losing the lover they misbehaved with (and being forced to travel in $250,000 tour busses) seem more like a collection of commodified brands pretending to be representing a romanticized past."
– Peter Coyote is an accomplished actor who has appeared in more than 160 films. He is also a distinguished writer, a songwriter, a musician and an Emmy Award- winning narrator of over 200 documentaries including the recent 8-part series on Country Music that aired on PBS.
"Open Country tells the real history of the people's music in an un-slick and authentic style that matches the true working-class origins of country music. Get ready to see the whole corporate notion of country music get blown up!"
– Bill Daniel, is an artist; author; Guggenheim recipient; and filmmaker of Who Is Boxo Texino?, a documentary on railworker and hobo gramiti
"Open Country omers a fresh take on received truths about country music. The film is a thoughtful, provocative and entertaining journey through an alternative narrative revealing where one of American popular culture's biggest industries came from."
– Fred Glass is the author of From Mission to Microchip: A History of the California Labor Movement
"Through the lens of folk music vs. country music, Open Country brilliantly explains the corporate and cultural forces that have worked to obscure natural alliances among poor whites and poor blacks in the US South and elsewhere.”
– Constance Penley is a feminist film and media theorist, a professor, a Rednecks for Black Lives supporter, a founding editor of Camera Obscura: Feminism, Culture, and Media Studies and a contributor to White Trash: Race and Class in America
"Inspiring! Finally, a film that dispels the long-held myth that country music is the music
of bigots and racists.”
– Hy Thurman is the author of Revolutionary Hillbilly; founder of the Northern
Alabama School for Organizers and Blues to Bluegrass, Inc; and co-founder of the
Young Patriots Organization, a group that organized urban communities in Chicago
with the Black Panthers and the Young Lords as part of the First Rainbow Coalition
"Open Country raises a beautiful middle finger to the rich and reminds us that the roots of Country music spring from working-class solidarity!”
– James Tracy is the author of Hillbilly Nationalists, Urban Race Rebels and Black Power: Community Organizing in Radical Times
"This film shows us how radical old-time country, gospel, country and protest songs have shaped the heart and soul of this country. We need to tap into this radical inspiration again NOW! A beautiful, powerful and extremely moving film."
– Beth Stephens is an artist; educator; co-producer/director with performance artist Annie Sprinkle; and creator of the film Goodbye Gauley Mountain, An Ecosexual Love Story, about environmental destruction in West Virginia
FOR MORE INFORMATION: OPENCOUNTRYFILM.COM