June 3: Film – "Gift to Winter, the Story of the Winter Solstice Puppet Collective" @ Hollywood Theater
Related: Our Portland Event List
Portland media artists Jodi Darby and Erin Yanke are pleased to announce the premier of their film Gift to Winter, the Story of the Winter Solstice Puppet Collective, Thursday June 3rd at 7:00 pm at the Hollywood Theater – 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR
Using nearly a decade of archival footage, the film documents the history of the Winter Solstice Puppet Collective, a Portland-based group that creates and performs elaborate shadow puppet shows every year, free of charge, on December 21st.
The film introduces the collective members, explores their history and creative involvement in the project, while showing the process of story creation, puppet and set construction, and the composition of an original musical score for each show.
Inspired by the original Saturnalia story, the group's original vision was to create a performance as a gift to the god Saturn, an offering that would ensure the arrival of spring. Since then, the performance has become an inspiring and much-anticipated community event.
About the filmmakers:
Jodi Darby is a Portland-based media artist who has worked in audio production, photography, design, film and video for nearly twenty years. Her work has been published and shown nationally. She currently teaches audio and video production at Portland YouthBuilders a program she helped develop to teach media and computer technology skills to low-income youth.
Erin Yanke is a media artist who specializes in audio documentaries. She is currently a member of the Circle A Radio Collective, and also produces the Life During Wartime audiozine, the podcasts of the Dil Pickle Club, and occasional print publications.
She is currently the Youth Advocate at KBOO Community Radio, where she supervises the KBOO Youth Collective and their production of monthly public affairs and music programming. She facilitates youth media partnerships with Portland Public Schools and other community groups.
June 3, 2010 at 12:35
[...] Gift to Winter Documentary Screening @ Hollywood Theater (FREE – doc on the Winter Solstice Collective, a group that does shadow puppet shows every Dec. 21st) [...]