Profit Motive and the Whispering Wind Preceded by Observando el cielo

"At a time when most attempts at political cinema result in the equivalent of hastily xeroxed leaflets, Gianvito has produced a document, one that we will no doubt be examining for years to come."—Cinema Scope

Inspired by Howard Zinn’s landmark book A People’s History of the United States, John Gianvito’s radical (in form and content) documentary provides a portrait of America as seen through the gravesites of activists (such as Mother Jones, César Chávez, and Malcolm X) who helped build the nation. The meditational tone increasingly incorporates poetic interludes of the larger natural and cultural forces at play, climaxing in an invigorating finale sure to stir minds and spirits. A surprise hit at film festivals around the world, the film has received a number of notable awards and prizes including the National Society of Film Critics’ award for Best Experimental Film of the Year. (58 mins., video)

The evening opens with the short film Observando el cielo (Jeanne Liotta, 2007), a serenely jarring materialist view of the cosmos using the Earth as a tripod. (19 mins., 16mm)