| Theme: PERSUASION |
| Jan 12, 2017 Blossoms in the Dust (1941) Greer Garson received her second Oscar nomination for her moving portrayal of Edna Gladney, a woman who defies social convention to lend aid to foundling children after the Depression. She successfully petitions the state to overturn laws that discriminate against children born to unwed mothers, and establishes the Gladney Center for Adoption. |
Feb 9, 2017 Battleship Potemkin (1925) Intended as propaganda to encourage Russian unity after the Revolution, this silent film establishes a lasting foundation in the use of imagery to communicate in films. |
Mar 9, 2017 Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2004) This documentary investigates the SLA, a group of domestic terrorist/criminals that kidnapped Patty Hearst, the daughter of publisher Randolph Hearst. Robert Stone directs this riveting account of her assimilation into the group. Includes interviews with SLA founder Russ Little. |
| Apr 13, 2017 Gaslight (1948) In this atmospheric murder mystery, beautiful, naïve socialite Paula (Ingrid Bergman) disintegrates into madness in the home in which her aunt was murdered. Director George Cukor’s mystery garnered two Oscar wins and remains a film classic. |
May 11, 2017 The Witness (2015) More than 10 years in the making, this affecting documentary follows Bill Genovese on his personal crusade to learn the truth about the 1964 death of his sister Kitty, who was raped and murdered. NY Times reported that dozens of witnesses did nothing to help her. |
| Sep 14, 2017 Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015) Filmmaker Alex Gibney interviews former members of the Church of Scientology and reveals abuses and strange practices within the controversial organization. |
Oct 19, 2017 Martin Luther (1953) During the early 16th Century, Dr. Martin Luther, Professor of Theology and Augustinian Priest, disgusted by the materialism in the Catholic church, begins the dialogue that leads to the Protestant Reformation. |
Nov 9, 2017 12 Angry Men (1957) A jury holdout attempts to prevent a miscarriage of justice by forcing his colleagues to reconsider the evidence. |
| Dec 14, 2017 Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) The documentary film based on the best-selling 2003 book of the same name by Fortune reporters Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind, a study of one of the largest business organization scandals in American history. |
