MIDDLETOWN — Coyote Film Festival presents two screenings of “Coming to Light,” a film by Anne Makepeace, 1:30 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Calpine”s Cartwright Geothermal Visitors Center, 15500 Central Park Road in Middletown.
“Coming to Light” tells the story of Edward S. Curtis, an artist who set out in 1900 to document traditional Indian life before it was gone. He created an astonishing body of work: thousands of wax recordings, a full-length motion picture with Kwakiutl people, 20 volumes of text and 40,000 photographs.
“Coming to Light” explores the nature of Curtis” romantic images and the meaning they have for American Indians today. In the documentary, Hopi, Navajo, Cupig, Blackfeet, Piegan, Crow, Suquamish, Kwakiutl and Gros Ventre people, descendents of Curtis” photographic subjects, tell stories about the people in the pictures and describe ways in which they are using the photographs to revive their own traditions in the modern world.
Though not highlighted in the film, Curtis came to Lake County in 1923 and documented the indigenous Pomo. His images include portraits, clothing, ornaments, basketry, and other aspects of American Indian life. He recorded the oral traditions and creation stories as well.
The screenings also feature the tapestries of Sheila O”Hara, an internationally acclaimed fiber artist. O”Hara will be on hand for the afternoon matinee to discuss her translation of Curtis”s photos to a fiber medium. The tapestries will be up through the evening screening.
Admission is $10 at the door, $5 for children 16 and younger.
Coyote Film Festival is the fundraising arm of EcoArts of Lake County, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization dedicated to providing visual art opportunities to the residents and visitors of Lake County. Contact Karen Turcotte at Karenturcotte@yahoo.com for more information.
