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Show Wed/Thurs/Fri, February 6-8, 2019 C-3 The Park Record Park City Film resumes with ‘Green Book’ LIZY MICHELLE JA N E L L E Oscar-nominated film examines racial prejudices SCOTT IWASAKI The Park Record Although Sundance and Slamdance have wrapped their festivals in Park City for the year, film lovers still can catch screenings of acclaimed movies with Park City Film. The nonprofit will start up its weekend screenings with Peter Farrelly’s 2019 Golden Globe-winning biopic, “Green Book,” which will screen from Friday to Sunday at the Park City Library’s Jim Santy Auditorium. The film is about Tony Lip, a working-class Italian-American bouncer, played by Viggo Mortensen, and Dr. Don Shirley, an African-American classical pianist portrayed by Mahershala Ali. The movie gets its title from a travel guide known as “The Green Book,” which was first published by New York City mailman Victor Hugo Green in 1936, and was revised through 1966. The book listed places that were safe for black people to visit while visiting the American South. “It included restaurants, hotels to gas stations,” said Katharine Wang, Park City Film executive director. “It’s horrifying to think it was so bad at the time that there were certain parts of the country where it wasn’t safe for a non-white person.” In the film, Shirley realizes his travels are still dangerous with the guide, so he hires Lip, a white bouncer from the Bronx. “Tony is this stereotypical tough guy that drives Don around and a protects him,” Wang said. Lip is a man of his time and not aware of race relations, according to Wang. “The film is about them developing a mutual respect and understanding of each other,” she said. “Tony got to experience what it was like to be black in America in the 1960s, which also opened his eyes to his own prejudices. He also realized how harmful these prej- Continued from C-1 Chorus makes it ‘Better’ gnettes that run between four to eight minutes long. Thehistory of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus is the thread that ties the stories together, Verdugo said. The chorus formed in 1978, and on the day of its fourth rehearsal, Mayor George Moscone and city supervisor Harvey Milk, who were both openly gay, were assassinated by former official Dan White. The chorus’ first public performance was during a candlelight vigil that followed the shootings. “What’s important about the (It Gets Better) performances is that the show is based on stories and videos of real people,” Verdugo said. “These stories are about the challenges that young people and adults have had when they or their children come out and get bullied. The show is about the subsequent journey of acceptance, empowerment and love.” Verdugo, who greenlit the project in 2012, knows first hand how important it is to perform in Utah. “Our third stop on the tour that year was in Ogden, and while we had an amazing experience, we also saw first hand what LGBTQ youth in Utah go through,” he said. At that time, Utah had one of the highest LGBTQ homeless rates in the country, and one of the highest LGBTQ adolescent suicide rates, according to Verdugo. “That is part of the reason we really made a concerted effort to launch this revamped production in Utah,” he said. “We feel we have roots in Utah and it made sense for us to return there.” Deer Creek TITLE INSURANCE, INC. Confidence to close! MICHELLE HUGGINS 4 35 . 6 59. 4 4 07 PHOTO COURTESY OF DREAMWORKS Mahershala Ali, left, and Viggo Mortensen portray Dr. Don Shirley and Tony Lip, respectively, in Peter Farrelly’s Academy Award-nominated “Green Book,” which will be screened by Park City Film this weekend. udices were.” Wang had her eye on screening “Green Book” since its release last November. “We talked with our booker, and said if we could get this film, we would like to show it when (Park City Film) started up after Sundance,” she said. “We really wanted to bring in a film that people want to see, certainly, something that is considered one of the best pictures of the year fit that bill nicely.” “Green Book” has been nominated for five Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay and Best Film Editing. It has already won Golden Globes for Best Picture, Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.“When we get to award season, and there is a game to be played,” she said. “We look at the whole scoop of our season and try to program the highest quality of films and the best films we can get throughout the year.” Since Park City Film is a small arthouse theatre organization, the staff and programmers have to guess which of these films will be nominated for awards and book them During the week leading up to the Eccles Center performance, members of the chorus and cast will facilitate round-table discussions with Gay-Straight Alliance student groups from area schools, an anti-bullying assembly at Park City High School, share their personal stories with members of the community and facilitate a World Cafe conversation about creating greater connections and support for the LGBTQIA community, according to a Park City Institute press release. The cast and singers will also host an LGBTQ allyship workshop for adults that will aim to help them understand the differences between gender and sexuality and how to be effective allies from 10-11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb 7. For information about the workshop, contact, Taylor Flanders by emailing tflanders@ parkcityinstitute.org. Vedugo hopes these outreach programs will shed light on LGBTQ and bullying issues, especially during the divided state of the world. “What it’s going to take (to make a change) is really an acknowledgment that our young people are whole and that there is nothing wrong with them,” he said. “I’m a man of faith who speaks with God every morning, and I truly believe that we are born perfectly the way we are. “It took me a long time to take that journey, and I don’t want young people to have to take that long,” Verdugo said. He said the resolution to the division is a matter of respect, acceptance and love. “These sentiments start at home, and the adults need to rise up,” Verdugo said. “I don’t know how certain adults can live with the fact that a young person gets thrown out of their home because of who they love. The fact that they love should be more than enough for anyone. “We don’t have to agree, but we can accept.” before the nominations come out. “We do this because we get blocked out from booking these films if we can’t get them in advance,” she said. “Since Sundance was so late this year, we really only had a couple of weeks to show the films that we think will win Best Picture, and ‘Green Book’ is one of them.” Wang looks forward to hearing the discourse around the film after local audiences have a chance to see it. “It surely brings to light a dark time in our country’s history,” she said. “Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are such great actors, and the interplay between them brings the film to life, and makes the story believable.” Park City Film: “Green Book” When: 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, and Saturday, Feb. 9; 6 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 10 Where: Park City Library’s Jim Santy Auditorium, 1255 Park Ave. Cost: $8 for general admission; $7 for students and senior citizens Web: parkcityfilm.org It Gets Better Project and the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus When: 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9 Where: Eccles Center for the Performing Arts, 1750 Kearns Blvd. Cost: $29 Phone: 435-655-3114 Web: parkcityinstitute.org ‘It Gets Better’ events • ‘It Gets Better’ journey Before it’s performed on the Eccles Center stage on Saturday, the Park City Institute and San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, invites the public to a behind-thescenes look at the theatrical production of “It Gets Better” on Wednesday, Feb. 6. Attendees will learn about the development of the live stage work with members of the troupe who will share the brief but powerful history of the It Gets Better Project. The event will run from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Mega-Genius Supply Store and IQHQ, 435 Swede Alley. Space is limited. RSVP by emailing ssayers@parkcityinsitute.org. • LGBTQ+ Empowerment The cast of “It Gets Better” invites the public to a a safe workshop on Thursday, Feb. 7, to help participants of all experience levels understand the difference between gender and sexuality toward being effective allies and ally role models for others. Attendees will also learn more about the mission of the It Gets Better Project, and how it can impact the community. The event will run from 1011:30 a.m. at J Go Gallery in the Rockwell Room, 268 Main St. Space is limited. RSVP by emailing ssayers@ parkcityinsitute.org. 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