Power of Film to Create Social Change Panel Discussion USC, Feb 7 at 7:30 p.m.
There is a vibrant tradition in American cinema of films that tackle compelling social issues. Seminal films, including “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “In the Heat of the Night,” “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner” and “Norma Rae” remind everyone that the smallest acts of courage can inspire social change. This tradition continues with the recent film “The Help,” which examines the relationships between black maids and their white employers in 1960s Mississippi. The film reminds audiences that popular culture has the power to affect change and illuminate the plight of those without a voice.
USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS PRESENTS “The Power of Film to Create Social Change” Panel Discussion
Tuesday, February 7, 2012; 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Landmark Theatre, 10850 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064
PANELISTS:
• Reverend James Lawson – Pastor Emeritus Holman United Methodist Church, Legendary Civil Rights activist
• Rabbi Allen I. Freehling – Rabbi Emeritus, University Synagogue. Former Exec. Director Human Relations Commission, City of Los Angeles, and longtime social justice advocate
• Ai-jen Poo – Director, Co-Founder, National Domestic Workers Alliance
• Michael Taylor, Producer, Chair of Film and Television Production, USC
· Octavia Spencer (Actress, “The Help”)
• Tate Taylor (Writer/Director, “The Help”)
Moderator: Cari Beauchamp. Beauchamp is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Scholar, and award-winning author of “Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and The Powerful Women of Early Hollywood.”
About the film: Based on one of the most talked about books in years and a #1 New York Times best-selling phenomenon, “The Help” stars Emma Stone (“Easy A”) as Skeeter, Academy Award®–nominated Viola Davis (“Doubt”) as Aibileen and Octavia Spencer as Minny—three very different, extraordinary women in Mississippi during the 1960s, who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. From their improbable alliance a remarkable sisterhood emerges, instilling all of them with the courage to transcend the lines that define them, and the realization that sometimes those lines are made to be crossed—even if it means bringing everyone in town face-to-face with the changing times. Deeply moving, filled with poignancy, humor and hope, “The Help” is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.
The ensemble cast also features Jessica Chastain, Bryce Dallas Howard, Emmy® Award winner Allison Janney, Chris Lowell, Oscar® winner Sissy Spacek, Academy Award® nominee Cicely Tyson and Mike Vogel.
ABOUT USC SCHOOL OF CINEMATIC ARTS: The mission of the USC School of Cinematic Arts is to develop and articulate the creative, scholarly and entrepreneurial principles and practices of film, television and interactive media, and in doing so inspire and prepare the women and men who will become leaders in the field.
