Port Jefferson Doc Series Starts Monday

I have been photographing the events for the Port Jefferson Documentary Film Series since September 2005, see the archive. This is a purely volunteer service although I do get to meet some interesting people; the other volunteers as well as those connected with the film.

The photographic passion of my life is impromptu street photography and photographing these events is good practice. I do expect to blog more on street photography, especially with street photographs taken in Port Jefferson. This season I have decided to try my hand at blogging the documentary series.

Sponsored by the Greater Port Jefferson - Northern Brookhaven Arts Council, the series features about six films every Spring and Fall, with four usually showing at in Port Jefferson and two shown at the Charles B. Wang Center at Stony Brook University. There is always a guest speaker, one associated with either the production of the film or the theme of the film, occasionally there are two speakers. The speaker(s) will lead the audience in a, frequently spirited, discussion after the showing and I have been privileged to be there for almost all events since the Fog of War showed on September 19, 2005.

 I have found the topics to be widely interesting and never boring. On one occasion, for a showing of The Power of Good. a film about the rescuing of children from the Nazi onslaught in the 1930‘s the was powerful and joyful. The rescued Jewish children were placed in foster homes in England. One of the guest speakers, who was living in Smithown, is one of the rescued children. She talked about her memories of the time. Totally unplanned, another one of the children, a woman from Texas, stepped up to join the discussion. It was a wonderful night and very powerful.

I have loaded a photograph of a flyer for all of this Fall’s events and I expect to be reporting, on this blog, on all but the last film in the series.

Come on down on Monday, September 12, 2011, Theatre Three at 7 p.m. The series will start with a showing of Buck. Quoting from the flyer “...follows Buck Brannarman from his abusive childhood to his phenomenally successful approach to horses. ...he overcomes the violence of his upbringing and teaches people to communicate with their horses through leadership and sensitivity, not punishment.”

The film's Director, Cindy Meehl, is the speaker for the event.

Bob Kelly, Impromptu Street Photographer.