In May and June, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center in New York will feature two signature film screenings as part of its 2017 lineup in the “At the Movies” series. The first, Mele Murals, will screen in honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Thursday, May 18. The museum’s summer selection, Angry Inuk, will screen Friday, June 16, in cooperation with the closing night of The Americas Film Festival New York. Admission to both screenings is free.
In Mele Murals, two world-famous graffiti artists, Estria Miyashiro (Kanaka Maoli), aka Estria, and John Hina (Kanaka Maoli), aka Prime, are tasked with teaching the art of ‘writing’ to a group of students at Kanu o ka ʻĀina New Century Public Charter School in Waimea on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Together, the sharing of traditional and contemporary cultures, mo’olelo ‘aina (stories of a place) and mele (song), create a new form of expressive art that is purely Hawaiian. The film is presented in English and ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi with English subtitles.
The screening takes place Thursday, May 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the museum’s lower-level auditorium. Discussion follows with director Tadashi Nakamura.
In her award-winning documentary, director Alethea Arnaquq-Baril (Inuk) takes on misconceptions of commercial seal hunting, introducing viewers to the individual Inuit hunters and communities fighting to retain their ancestral rights and earn a living in today’s international monetary economy. The film is presented in English and Inuktitut.
The screening shows as part of the closing night of The Americas Film Festival New York Friday, June 16, at 6 p.m.; online preregistration is required at http://s.si.edu/2pXRnIt. Discussion follows with Arnaquq-Baril and will be moderated by Jason Ryle (Saulteaux), artistic director, imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival.
“At the Movies” is made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.
The National Museum of the American Indian, George Gustav Heye Center is located in the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House at One Bowling Green in New York City. For additional information, including hours and directions, visit AmericanIndian.si.edu. Follow the museum via social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
The Americas Film Festival New York is a project of the Division of Interdisciplinary Studies at the Center for Worker Education of City College of New York (The City University of New York—CUNY), in collaboration with the National Museum of the American Indian. TAFFNY aims to create a new culture of cinematography appreciation by providing a dynamic space for the public and artists to meet and reflect on multiculturalism and diversity in society while promoting the work of new and emerging filmmakers.
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