The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, in partnership with the Capri Theater and the Minnesota Historical Society, opens the 2019-20 season of First Thursday Films with the 30th Anniversary Edition of Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 5 at North Community High School, 1500 James Avenue North. North High serves as the alternate location for this film series while the Capri Theater is closed for expansion and renovation. Tickets to First Thursday Films are $5; purchase in advance at mspfilm.org or at the door the night of the show.
Do the Right Thing is an absorbing tale of inner-city life that heats up with vivid images and unforgettable performances. The action takes place on a block in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn on the hottest day of the year – a scorching 24-hour period that changes the lives of its residents forever.
Unanimous critical acclaim embraced this inventive and extraordinary film from Spike Lee when it was first released in 1989. (USA Today called it “1989’s best film.”) 30 years later, Do the Right Thing is more relevant than ever. Audience members are encouraged to join in the post-film conversation which is sure to touch on that relevancy.
MSP Film’s Craig Laurence Rice leads the discussion. Rice has a long-established career as an educator, diverse entertainment executive, and award-winning producer and director. He’s also been nationally recognized for his distinguished career in the television and film industries, and his work has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards, an NAACP Award, and several other honors.
The First Thursdays series continues in October with Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am on October 3, with conversation leader Duchess Harris; Marshall on November 7; Amazing Grace on December 5; and Love Them First: Lessons from Lucy Laney Elementary on January 2, 2020.
First Thursday Films is part of Black Cinema: Under the Skin, a program of films exploring Black culture and experience. Topical and relevant in these turbulent times, Black Cinema aims to create a space for dialogue and better understanding.
More info: thecapritheater.org, mspfilm.org. Capri programs are generously supported by Target.