Last weekend I went to the Film Forum, a non-profit movie-theatre in the middle of Greenwich Village. Its amazing 70’s lobby with vintage postures and sketches from well-known artists such as Richard Serra, invite you to at least sit there and enjoy the caramel popcorns and a coke. I entered without fully realizing its potential I might confess. But once I got in and saw the available movies and documentaries in the brochure, I felt that this would be my favorite place to watch movies from then on. The selection is super curated; as the surrounding space, it has a retro vibe. The movies are all recorded on 35 mm film, which for a lover like me of old movies is kind of awesome. After a few minutes, I had decided which one I wanted to watch: «Toni Morrison: the pieces I am». The brochure described it as being a documentary on the life and works of the writer and Nobel prize winner.
The documentary starts with Morrison explaining how her childhood in the small town of Ohio was determinant for her writing. Her voice and the way that she speaks to the camera make you believe that she’s actually talking directly to you. She goes on explaining how she documents racism, from a feminine perspective, in America. While she explains how her life inspired her to talk about her narrative, we can also hear the amazing opinions of remarkable figures such as Angela Davis and Oprah Winfrey about her as a human being and a storyteller. I haven’t read any of her books – after discussing it with some of my American colleagues, I decided to start by reading «The Bluest Eye» or «Beloved»- but I will definitely buy some of them. Every person interviewed in this documentary described how Morrison writes about private and collective trauma in a tender way that has some hints of comedy. I found it very inspiring for all foreigners that truly want to understand American History and culture.
I will definitely come back to the Film Forum, and I advise everyone that came to New York to do the same. You will find the most amazing indie masterpieces and classic movies in a way that only a special place like this one can provide.
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