DC LABOR FILMFEST SCREENINGS AT THE AFL-CIO, BUSBOYS AND POETS, CAPITAL FRINGE, GOETHE-INSTITUT, GREENBELT THEATRE, NEW DEAL CAFE
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Organized and presented by the Metropolitan Washington Council of the AFL-CIO, the 18th annual DC Labor FilmFest features a wide-ranging selection of films about work, workers and workers’ issues.
MARX RELOADED: Thu, April 26, 6:30p COMRADE, WHERE ARE YOU TODAY? Thu, May 3, 6:30p; 6:30p DICTIONARY OF MARX: Sat, May 5, 6p HARVEST OF EMPIRE Sun, May 6, 12:30pm FREE LUNCH SOCIETY: Thu, May 10, 6:30p A STRIKE AND AN UPRISING (IN TEXAS): Fri, May 11, 12 noon ZERO WEEKS: Tues, May 15, 6p SHORT FILMS ABOUT KARL MARX FROM EAST GERMANY: Thu, May 17, 6:30 pm SHORT FILMS ABOUT LABOR: Fri, May 18, 12 noon DOLORES: Mon, May 21, 7p AMERICAN SOCIALIST: EUGENE VICTOR DEBS: Tue, May 22, 6p: TWO LOCATIONS! Takoma Busboys AND Shirlington Busboys! COMPANY TOWN: Thu, May 24, 8p HEATHER BOOTH: CHANGING THE WORLD: TU, May 8, 6p, & FR, May 25 (with Paul Booth Tribute), 12p See below for detailed film write-ups and trailers, dates, times and links to RSVP. These screenings are all FREE except as noted. |
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MARX RELOADED
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Thu, April 26, 6:30p; Goethe-Institut Washington. 1990 K St. NW, Suite 03 (entrance on 20th St. NW, lower level) Washington, DC 20006. Part of Goethe DC's series CINEMARX: Films about Marx from the GDR to the present day. FREE
Marx Reloaded is a cultural-economic documentary, which examines Karl Marx’s ideas and their relevance in understanding the global economic and financial crisis of 2008-2009. Both leading Marx experts and critics of the current Marx-Renaissance are interviewed for this documentary, which questions whether communism can provide solutions to the growing economic and environmental challenges facing the planet. Germany, France, Belgium 2011, 52m, DIR Jason Barker |
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COMRADE, WHERE ARE YOU TODAY?
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Thu, May 3, 6:30p; Goethe-Institut Washington. 1990 K St. NW, Suite 03 (entrance on 20th St. NW, lower level) Washington, DC 20006
FREE, Part of Goethe DC's series CINEMARX: Films about Marx from the GDR to the present day. FREE In the 1980s, Kirsi Marie Liimatainen from Finland goes to the GDR to study the teachings of Marx and Lenin. There she went to school with like-minded people from more than 80 countries – students united in their hopes for a better world. However, just after finishing her schooling, the Berlin Wall comes down in fall 1989. Over twenty years later, Kirsi goes searching for her comrades from school. Having received training as an actor in Finland and as a director in Germany, Kirsi Marie Liimatainen (b. 1968, Tampere) delves into her personal history, turning her attention to her year at the Jugendhochschule “Wilhelm Pieck” in Bogensee. Germany, Finland 2008, 112 Min., DIR Kirsi Marie Liimatainen |
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DICTIONARY OF MARX
Sat, May 5, 6p; Capital Fringe space at 1358 Florida Ave NE, Washington DC
$10; order tickets here
A one-night-only multimedia extravaganza and exploration of what Karl Marx means today in America and the world, Dictionary of Marx will take place on Marx’s 200th birthday, which coincides with the Cinco de Mayo celebration of Mexican culture. A dozen of Washington, DC’s most engaging presenter-performers will provide their brief interpretations of key words in the lexicon of Marx in less than 15 minutes. There will be theater, poetry, film, monologues, mini-lectures, and happenings. The event will also feature live music from Joe Uehlein, Magpie, and Elena & Los Fulanos, and interactive experiences, including board games, bartender conversations, and writing workshops.
The event is organized by the Goethe Institut Washington DC as part of an international series, and curated by John Feffer.
Includes the short film Creative Feds, a documentary project which explores federal employees who are as far from the stereotypical “faceless bureaucrats” as you can get. They are government employees by day who also pursue a creative calling by night and weekend. Whether they consider their creative work a hobby or a second career, they don’t see their federal work as a day job. Instead they bring their creative spirit into their federal work, and are equally dedicated to serving their country and their craft.
$10; order tickets here
A one-night-only multimedia extravaganza and exploration of what Karl Marx means today in America and the world, Dictionary of Marx will take place on Marx’s 200th birthday, which coincides with the Cinco de Mayo celebration of Mexican culture. A dozen of Washington, DC’s most engaging presenter-performers will provide their brief interpretations of key words in the lexicon of Marx in less than 15 minutes. There will be theater, poetry, film, monologues, mini-lectures, and happenings. The event will also feature live music from Joe Uehlein, Magpie, and Elena & Los Fulanos, and interactive experiences, including board games, bartender conversations, and writing workshops.
The event is organized by the Goethe Institut Washington DC as part of an international series, and curated by John Feffer.
Includes the short film Creative Feds, a documentary project which explores federal employees who are as far from the stereotypical “faceless bureaucrats” as you can get. They are government employees by day who also pursue a creative calling by night and weekend. Whether they consider their creative work a hobby or a second career, they don’t see their federal work as a day job. Instead they bring their creative spirit into their federal work, and are equally dedicated to serving their country and their craft.
harvest of empire (with director)
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Sun, May 6, 12:30pm – 2:00pm; FREE
River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817 (Riverside Room); Entrance on Whittier Road Presented by the River Road Immigration & Refugee Committee and the Immigration Film Festival. How did we get to a policy of separating children from parents at the border? Come to this special free screening of Harvest of Empire to get a better grip on immigration issues, especially how we got to this place of historic disfunction with our Southern neighbors. This film takes an unflinching look at our relationship over time with Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba and other Latin American countries. Consider the US takeover of traditional farmlands of Spanish-speaking Americans. The covert operations that led to military dictatorships. Discover US history they didn’t teach in school. Following this epic human saga, you will have a chance to ask questions of the director, Eduardo Gonzales, and Charlotte Jones-Carroll, a South American scholar, who will join us for this one-time event as we attempt to answer the key question: Why have so many Latinos come…and continue to come to the US? In figuring out the future this film points to the future by taking a look back. |
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FREE LUNCH SOCIETY
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Thu, May 10, 6:30p; Goethe-Institut Washington. 1990 K St. NW, Suite 03 (entrance on 20th St. NW, lower level) Washington, DC 20006.
Part of Goethe DC's series CINEMARX: Films about Marx from the GDR to the present day. Universal Basic Income means money for everyone – a human right without trade-offs! A visionary reform project, a neo-liberal axe to the roots of the social state, or a socio-romantic leftist utopia? Free Lunch Society, as the first feature film in the world on the topic of Universal Basic Income, addresses one of the most significant questions of our time. In creating this detailed film on the subject of Universal Basic Income, the Austrian economist Christian Tod (b. 1977, Linz) has become one of the strongest voices for this major economic reform. Austria 2017, 95 Min., DIR Christian Tod |
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A STRIKE AND AN UPRISING (IN TEXAS); with director Anne Lewis!
Fri, May 11, 12 noon; AFL-CIO, 815 16th Street NW, WDC 20006
FREE; RSVP here
WITH DIRECTOR ANNE LEWIS!
Documentary based on the telling of two events: the San Antonio pecan shellers’ strike of 1938 and the Jobs with Justice march led by Nacogdoches cafeteria workers, groundskeepers, and housekeepers in 1987. Instead of attempting to place us in the past or make comparisons between now and the good (or bad) old days, Lewis includes narration based mainly on conversations with the crew as well as contemporary scenes: pecan gathering in Austin, the MLK Day March in San Antonio, the Texas Tea Party statewide gathering at the Capitol, Juneteenth in Nacogdoches, and the removal of the Jefferson Davis statue at UT-Austin. “These document a specific present and allow the audience an opportunity to compare contemporary relationships of labor and protest with past struggles,” Lewis says.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH TRAILER
DIR Anne Lewis; 65m, US
FREE; RSVP here
WITH DIRECTOR ANNE LEWIS!
Documentary based on the telling of two events: the San Antonio pecan shellers’ strike of 1938 and the Jobs with Justice march led by Nacogdoches cafeteria workers, groundskeepers, and housekeepers in 1987. Instead of attempting to place us in the past or make comparisons between now and the good (or bad) old days, Lewis includes narration based mainly on conversations with the crew as well as contemporary scenes: pecan gathering in Austin, the MLK Day March in San Antonio, the Texas Tea Party statewide gathering at the Capitol, Juneteenth in Nacogdoches, and the removal of the Jefferson Davis statue at UT-Austin. “These document a specific present and allow the audience an opportunity to compare contemporary relationships of labor and protest with past struggles,” Lewis says.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH TRAILER
DIR Anne Lewis; 65m, US
ZERO WEEKS
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Tues, May 15, 6p, Busboys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St NW, Washington, DC 20012
FREE but you must RSVP Co-sponsored by Jews United for Justice Weaving powerful stories together with insightful interviews with leading policymakers, economists, researchers, and activists, ZERO WEEKS lays out a compelling argument for guaranteed paid leave for every American worker. The film looks at paid leave from an emotional, medical, financial and global perspective. Once a fringe issue, paid leave is now central to the national debate. The issue is not just political, it’s smart economics. Three states that have implemented their own policies — California, New Jersey and Rhode Island— have experienced greater economic stability. Companies like Google, which provide over 16 weeks of paid leave, have seen their rates of attrition fall by 50%. Paid leave is not just good for families, relationships, and the health of seniors, parents and children, but it is beneficial for business and our nation’s ability to compete on a global scale. DIR Ky Dickens; 2017, US |
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SHORT FILMS ABOUT KARL MARX FROM EAST GERMANY
Thu, May 17, 6:30 pm; Goethe-Institut Washington. 1990 K St. NW, Suite 03 (entrance on 20th St. NW, lower level) Washington, DC 20006.
Part of Goethe DC's series CINEMARX: Films about Marx from the GDR to the present day. FREE
Marx Familie: A moving short portrait of Karl Marx’s family and their living conditions during their time in London. GDR, 1988, 18m. DIR Helke Misselwitz, Color, Documentary
Dear Mohr – Personal Memories of Karl Marx from Paul Lafargue: A humorous take on moments from the life of Karl Marx over the course of a quarter century. GDR, 1972, ca. 20m. DIR Bruno J. Böttge, Color, Animation
Love Letters: Citations from love letters and poems written between Karl Marx and his fiancée Jenny von Westphalen during their teenage years are combined with images, paintings, and beautiful, atmospheric landscapes of places connected to Marx. GDR, 1982, 21m. DIR Uwe Belz, 21 Min., Color, Documentary
A Young Man Named Engel – A Portrait in Letters: With the young Friedrich Engel’s letters and drawings from the years between 1838 and 1842, a unique cinematic portrait is created. The viewer thus gets to know the young Engels personally, learning about the significant moments of his development from a bourgeois-liberal upbringing to the theoretical partner of Karl Marx. GDR, 1970, ca. 20m. DIR Katja Georgi, Color, Animation
Part of Goethe DC's series CINEMARX: Films about Marx from the GDR to the present day. FREE
Marx Familie: A moving short portrait of Karl Marx’s family and their living conditions during their time in London. GDR, 1988, 18m. DIR Helke Misselwitz, Color, Documentary
Dear Mohr – Personal Memories of Karl Marx from Paul Lafargue: A humorous take on moments from the life of Karl Marx over the course of a quarter century. GDR, 1972, ca. 20m. DIR Bruno J. Böttge, Color, Animation
Love Letters: Citations from love letters and poems written between Karl Marx and his fiancée Jenny von Westphalen during their teenage years are combined with images, paintings, and beautiful, atmospheric landscapes of places connected to Marx. GDR, 1982, 21m. DIR Uwe Belz, 21 Min., Color, Documentary
A Young Man Named Engel – A Portrait in Letters: With the young Friedrich Engel’s letters and drawings from the years between 1838 and 1842, a unique cinematic portrait is created. The viewer thus gets to know the young Engels personally, learning about the significant moments of his development from a bourgeois-liberal upbringing to the theoretical partner of Karl Marx. GDR, 1970, ca. 20m. DIR Katja Georgi, Color, Animation
SHORT FILMS ABOUT LABOR
Fri, May 18, 12 noon, AFL-CIO, 815 16th Street NW, Washington
FREE; RSVP here
With directors James Tedrow and Erica Ginsberg!
Grab your lunch and join us for an hour-long program of short films about our working life! Features two short films by local filmmakers and some great short shorts:
Side Hustle: While many ridesharing companies promote their model as an easy way for people with full-time jobs to make some extra cash, there are some drivers that rely on these apps as their sole source of income. "Side Hustle" follows a weekend in the working life of one such driver, as he grinds out hours in Philadelphia to support himself and his baby son.
21m; Directed by James Tedrow
Creative Feds: Documentary explores federal employees who are as far from the stereotypical “faceless bureaucrats” as you can get. They are government employees by day who also pursue a creative calling by night and weekend. Whether they consider their creative work a hobby or a second career, they don’t see their federal work as a day job. Instead they bring their creative spirit into their federal work, and are equally dedicated to serving their country and their craft.
15m; Directed by Erica Ginsberg & Leon Gerskovic
PLUS: The Simpsons “Power Plant Strike”; Superstore “Union,” “Strike Breakers” & The Foreigner’s Home: TONI MORRISON AT THE LOUVRE
FREE; RSVP here
With directors James Tedrow and Erica Ginsberg!
Grab your lunch and join us for an hour-long program of short films about our working life! Features two short films by local filmmakers and some great short shorts:
Side Hustle: While many ridesharing companies promote their model as an easy way for people with full-time jobs to make some extra cash, there are some drivers that rely on these apps as their sole source of income. "Side Hustle" follows a weekend in the working life of one such driver, as he grinds out hours in Philadelphia to support himself and his baby son.
21m; Directed by James Tedrow
Creative Feds: Documentary explores federal employees who are as far from the stereotypical “faceless bureaucrats” as you can get. They are government employees by day who also pursue a creative calling by night and weekend. Whether they consider their creative work a hobby or a second career, they don’t see their federal work as a day job. Instead they bring their creative spirit into their federal work, and are equally dedicated to serving their country and their craft.
15m; Directed by Erica Ginsberg & Leon Gerskovic
PLUS: The Simpsons “Power Plant Strike”; Superstore “Union,” “Strike Breakers” & The Foreigner’s Home: TONI MORRISON AT THE LOUVRE
DOLORES
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Mon, May 21, 7p, New Deal Café, 113 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD 20770
FREE; click here to rsvp; optional buffet for $14 served from 6:30 pm Dolores Huerta is among the most important, yet least known, activists in American history. An equal partner in co-founding the first farm workers unions with Cesar Chavez, her enormous contributions have gone largely unrecognized. Dolores tirelessly led the fight for racial and labor justice alongside Chavez, becoming one of the most defiant feminists of the twentieth century—and she continues the fight to this day, at 87. “Exuberantly inspiring… makes you want to march and dance,” says the San Francisco Chronicle. With intimate and unprecedented access to this intensely private mother to eleven, the film reveals the raw, personal stakes involved in committing one’s life to social change. DIR Peter Bratt; 2017, 95m, US Hosted by the Prince George's County Peace & Justice Coalition as part of its "Reel & Meal at the New Deal" film series; 301-441-9377 or [email protected]. |
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AMERICAN SOCIALIST: EUGENE VICTOR DEBS (Two screenings!)
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Tue, May 22, 6p; Busboys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St NW, Washington, DC 20012
FREE but you must RSVP Screening followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Yale Strom Tue, May 22, 6p; Busboys and Poets Shirlington, 4251 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA 22206 FREE but you must RSVP Bernie Sanders inspired a generation – but who inspired him? American Socialist: The Life and Times of Eugene Victor Debs is the culmination of five years of research and production. Its inspiration was the use of the word “socialist” as a political epithet, and director Yale Strom wanted to define and contextualize the term. Most people in America do not know that the contemporary political movement to address income inequality began over 100 years ago with Eugene Victor Debs. This film traces the history of American populism, with the man who inspired progressive ideas – from FDR’s New Deal to Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign. This is an objective but passionate history of the movement as championed and founded by Eugene Victor Debs, a movement that continues to have an impact on our daily lives today. DIR Yale Strom | 98 min; Documentary, United States, 2017 |
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COMPANY TOWN
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Thu, May 24, 8p, Greenbelt Theatre, 129 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD 20770
FREE but you must RSVP here What do you do when the company you work for, and live near, is making you sick? Company Town is a groundbreaking investigative documentary that tells the story of a modern day David vs. Goliath, or, in this case, pastor David Bouie vs. the Koch brothers. A rare look inside one American town, where the company rules and the government’s negligence pushes them to stand up and fight for justice. Crossett, Arkansas represents all towns across America polluted by big business. DIR Natalie Kottke, Erica Sardarian; 90m, 2017, US |
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HEATHER BOOTH: CHANGING THE WORLD
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TU, May 8, 6p & FR, May 25 (with Paul Booth Tribute), 12p, AFL-CIO, 815 16th Street NW, Wash DC 20006; FREE, RSVP here
Introduced by AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride! The newest film by critically acclaimed filmmaker Lilly Rivlin is an inspiring look at how social change happens. Booth, a renowned organizer and activist, began her remarkable career at the height of the Civil Rights movement. Looking at Booth’s life, work and personal relationship with respected leaders such as Julian Bond and Senator Elizabeth Warren, the film explores the most pivotal moments in progressive movements that altered our history over the last fifty years. “Heather Booth: Changing the World” blends archival and contemporary footage with interviews with close friends, clients, political colleagues, students and others to understand this one person's legacy in progressive politics, organizing and empowering each of us to create change. Dir Lilly Rivlin, 2017, 60m, US |
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