Hello to the 15,000,

The national tragedy we are now witnessing in New Orleans, Mississippi, and throught the South dwarfs any concerns mentioned in this letter. I guess I expected to see a fleet of helicopters, boats, busses, and thousands of organized squadrons of military on the scene and in action, almost from the moment Katrina blew northwards. Watching on TV, it seemed to me things were slow in developing, and now there’s a growing consensus that the responsible people were slow to respond for whatever reason: lack of coordination, confusion, and a certain stagnation setting in when swift, decisive action was what was needed. Still, in a massive tragedy like this, we’re lucky if the right people are in the right place at the opportune time. It seems that bureaucracies move slowly, awkwardly, reluctantly.

Only in the best of times do we have an Alexander present who simply steps up to the convoluted knot, and cuts through to clarity. Such a person, or such a group, or such an opportunity did not seem to be present in New Orleans and along the Gulf Coast during the last few days. Let’s all hope that whatever was missing then, can now be found and the many sufferers find relief from their affliction. Many of us have sent what monetary assistance we can afford and I hope everyone out there will do so. I am thinking about what we, individually or as a group, might further do to help. Please send any suggestions you may have.

And so back to our cinema world, where we hope our work will be worthy of the opportunity good people and lucky circumstance have enabled us to pursue.

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9 @ Night is shot! Amazing.

Don’t forget to get the troops out for SECURITY, at the Pacific Film Archive on Sunday, Sept. 11, 5:30. If everyone either came or brought another person we’d have 30,000 people at the screening. I think that’d make a statement.

Seriously though, we need to fill the house, 200 souls. This might not seem like much, but people have a lot to do these days. Please give it your best effort to call folks and get them down. If they buy tickets in advance we can keep track of our progress and give you reports. Please encourage advance sales! We’re going to have a wine reception at the theatre after the show. A chance to show the 15,000 can bend elbows with the best of them.

Aim High,

Rob

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PACIFIC FILM ARCHIVE THEATER: 2575 BANCROFT WAY @ BOWDITCH, BERKELEY/ INFO: 510-642-6883 / ADVANCE TICKETS: 510-642-5249

SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 11 5:30 Security Rob Nilsson (U.S., 2005)

Artists in Person

We’re taking back 9/11 with a flashy, forceful feature that surveys safety in a time of orange alerts. Security began with an unforeseen death on the streets of Berkeley that provoked dismay in a band of student actors. Activated by this unexpected turn, the actors looked outward, improvising interlaced stories that examine vulnerability in dangerous times. From the fragility of emotional exposure to the very real threat to life and limb in Iraq, Security follows a path that is both personal and political. The unusual project is the product of Rob Nilsson’s Direct Action Cinema, an unvarnished method of ensemble acting that coaxes the raw material of story directly from its active participants. In 2002, Nilsson was a resident artist at PFA (and Berkeley’s Film and Art Practice Departments) with the expressed intention of making a movie. An unrepentant film renegade, he mustered seventeen students and immersed them in his risky but inspiriting improv process. Distilling twenty-five hours of bold footage, Security is the miraculous outcome of that challenging experiment.

* Aspects of writing, directing, sound recording, and cinematography were shared collectively by Deniz Demirer, Laura Deutch, Rob Nilsson, and the students of the Fall 2002 Nilsson Internship: Nima Bassiri, Josh Cereghino, Michael Duignan, Maryam Gharavi, Debbie Heimowitz, David Herrera, Kiersten Johnson, Ian Kibbey, Jeff Lowe, Xiao Niu, Allegra Pickett, Gerasimos Rigas, Brett Simon, Jose Luis Solis, Sara Vessal, Stan Yan. Principal photography by Chikara Motomura. (76 mins, Color, Mini-DV, From the artist)

http://www.robnilsson.com http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/pfa_programs/premiere/index.html

– Laura Deutch Outreach Coordinator Pacific Film Archive 2625 Durant Avenue Berkeley, CA 94720-2250 510/642-6883