As a political movement, Occupy Wall Street has attracted plenty of headlines, buzz and creative energy. Now, this being New York, it has its own film series. Rooftop Films, in partnership with several movie houses throughout the city, is presenting a free series of four films from Dec. 13 to 16 featuring issues that ignited the demonstrations.
Rooftop Films is a nonprofit best known for showing movies outdoors (hence the name). In a statement released on Monday, Dan Nuxoll, the program director for Rooftop, said the series was prompted by a public outpouring over the events surrounding Occupy Wall Street.
“As the situation in Zuccotti Park unfolded the last few months, Rooftop Films received countless e-mails and phone calls from filmmakers, activists and organizations who felt that it was important to put together screenings of films that focus on the issues that instigated the protests,” Mr. Nuxoll said in the a news release. “We were never able to do a screening in the park, unfortunately, but we believe strongly that the discussion must continue, and we think these screenings can help sustain that conversation.”
In that spirit the first film in the series is “Just Do It: A Tale of Modern-Day Outlaws,” which is billed as a “sneak preview,” scheduled for 7 p.m. next Tuesday, Dec. 13, at reRun Gastropub Theater in the Dumbo section of Brooklyn. Directed by Emily James, it is a look at “climate activists” in Britain.
On Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. the screening will be “Battle for Brooklyn” at the Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture in Park Slope. The directors Michael Galinksy and Suki Hawley will be available for a Q. and A. session about their 2012 Oscar-nominated documentary film about families and businesses uprooted in Brooklyn by the construction at Atlantic Yards of the Barclays Center, the new home for the New Jersey Nets (as they morph into the Brooklyn Nets).
At 7:30 on Dec. 15 “The Flaw,” an examination of the causes behind the recent financial crisis, will be shown at the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Elinor Bunin Monroe Film Center. It will run ith Matthew Modine’s 2011 short “Jesus Was a Commie,” which presents provocative ideas about Jesus Christ and his political views. The series ends at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 16 at UnionDocs in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with a series of short films and multimedia projects documenting Occupy Wall Street and other social movements.
Seating for the films will be on a first-come-first-served basis.