The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul and the Capri Theater present Ava DuVernay’s Selma, the award-winning drama about the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.-led march from Selma to Montgomery, followed by a discussion led by lecturer, author and commentator Mahmoud El-Kati. The screening begins at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 1 at the Capri Theater, 2027 West Broadway. Tickets to First Thursday Films are $5; purchase in advance at mspfilm.org or at the door the night of the show.
Selma is the story of a movement. The film chronicles the tumultuous three-month period in 1965, when Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led a dangerous campaign to secure equal voting rights in the face of violent opposition. The epic march from Selma to Montgomery culminated in President Johnson (Tom Wilkinson) signing the Voting Rights Act of 1965, one of the most significant victories for the civil rights movement.
Director Ava DuVernay’s Selma tells the real story of how the revered leader and visionary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) and his brothers and sisters in the movement prompted change that forever altered history.
Each First Thursday Films screening at the Capri is followed by a passionate discussion of the movie. For Selma we welcome Mahmoud El-Kati. El-Kati is Professor Emeritus of History at Macalester College in St. Paul and is the author of a number of books including Politically Considered: 50th Commemoration of the Supreme Court Decision of 1954; The Hiptionary: A Survey of African American Speech Patterns with Critical Commentary and A Digest of Key Words and Phrases; and, to be released, Towards an African Education, a series of essays by local Minnesotans about the education of African American people and children. El-Kati was also recently honored with a 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32nd Annual MLK Celebration organized by the Governor’s Council.
And coming to First Thursday Films on March 1, Step, an engaging documentary about a Baltimore girls’ high school step team that’s chasing their dream of winning a step championship – and whose members are striving to achieve the goal of being accepted into college. On April 5, First Thursdays presents the documentary Quest, a decade-long project that follows the life of one close-knit North Philadelphia family. And be sure to mark your calendars for the 37th Annual Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival (MSPIFF), April 12-28. MSPIFF screenings will be held at the Capri on April 13, 14, 15, 26 and 27.
More info: thecapritheater.org and www.mspfilm.org. Capri programs are generously supported by the Best Buy Foundation and Target.