Summer movie season is in full swing, and Spartans are beating the heat in local movie theatres. Ticket prices being what they are, however, it seems one needs a Swiss Bank account to take the whole family.
That’s why Spartanburg Art Museum (SAM) is showing free movies on July 30 and August 27 at Chapman Cultural Center.
The museum’s staff has selected two feature-length movies, Spirited Away and Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry, and a number of short films. The films will be projected onto the gallery’s 15-foot-high walls, and will be introduced by the members of the museum’s curatorial staff who selected them for screening. Attendees can also enjoy inexpensive, freshly-popped popcorn and a cash bar.
“Summer movies are a fun activity for families and students,” Mat Duncan, Curator of Collections at SAM said. “But who can afford movie theater prices? Plus the movies we’re showing at SAM, while entertaining, also have some genuinely interesting and educative content. For kids it’s a great way to avoid the brain drain, and parents will find it more entertaining than the standard princess/superhero flick. For artists and students, it’s a great way to get some ideas and stay informed. Plus there’s no sticky floor or crushed candy bars in the seats.”
The first film in the series, Spirited Away, was hailed by famous movie critic Roger Ebert as, “surely one of the finest of all animated films” and grossed more than Titanic in Japan. “The film’s director, Hayao Miyazaki, hand-drew the entire film frame-by-frame, and this shows in the beauty of the way it is animated. Everything in the film, whether it’s a person’s nose or a door, seems to have its own story to tell,” Duncan said. “It’s geared towards kids, and it’s great for them because the main character, a 10-year old girl, is a really strong and good-natured character, with a sense of adventure. But adults will be able to appreciate it as well. And don’t worry, it’s in English.” Both Spirited Away and the second film in the series, Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry, received 97/100 ratings from popular movie review site “RottenTomatoes.com.
Ai Wei Wei: Never Sorry is a documentary on Chinese contemporary artist Ai Wei Wei. Director Alyson Klayman created a detailed, nuanced portrait of the artist in a series of intimate interviews and recordings of his artistic output and political activism. “Ai Wei Wei is sort of a rock star-like character in China and contemporary art right now. He lives in a notoriously authoritarian state, but he’s constantly pushing the boundaries, asking hard questions, making challenging artwork – and just barely getting away with it. He’s also a very entertaining person in his own right,” Duncan said. For the final installment of the three-part film series, the museum staff will be presenting a surprise selection of artistic short films.
Admission is free. For more information please visit spartanburgartmuseum.org or call (864)582-7616.