OCTOBER 19, 2017 // 11
James Andrew Beard
“A Man Called Ove” (2015)
is a dramedy about an
unexpected friendship.
“Whiplash” (2014), about
an aspiring drummer and
his intense teacher, won
J.K. Simmons an Oscar for
Best Supporting Actor.
At the time of his death in 1987, Baldwin
had only completed 30 pages of a book meant
to be his personal account of the lives and
assassinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther
King Jr. and Medgar Evers, three of Bald-
win’s close friends. “I Am Not Your Negro” is
filmmaker Raoul Peck’s approach to finishing
the story Baldwin was unable to.
The film will be followed by a one-hour
forum for viewers to dialogue about the
events, people and truths it portrays.
Astoria resident Elaine Bauer, who has
attended the festival several times and volun-
teers on occasion, said Craig typically hosts
a forum of this sort “after his most profound
offering of the season.”
Craig will sometimes pose a question,
but largely allows the audience to drive the
discussion, share their views and make their
own discoveries.
“It’s fun — it’s very dynamic,” Bauer said.
The forums are “not nearly as well-attended
as they deserve to be,” she added, but atten-
dance seems to have grown over the years.
Also on the marquee
Other films showing Friday and Saturday
include the 2015 Swedish comedy-drama “A
Man Called Ove,” written and directed by
Hannes Holm; the 2014 drama “Whiplash,”
directed by Damien Chazelle; the documen-
tary “Dina,” by Dan Sickles and Antonio
Challenging worldviews
Santini; a collection of 1998 shorts
Some viewers may be unaware
by the Portland Oregon Women’s
of events and people that shaped
Film Festival; and “The Noble Spir-
past and present social movements
it,” a documentary about Fred Noble
and have forced critical change in
directed by Dane Henry.
the country.
The final social event of the fes-
Craig does not condemn them for
tival will be a croissants-and-coffee
their ignorance of certain bench-
gathering Sunday morning, where
marks in human rights or other
revolutionary movements. Rather,
The film festival festivalgoers can enjoy pastries
he believes he owes it “to them and will present a col- provided by Blue Scorcher Bakery
myself to have a forum so they can
lection of 1998 & Café and coffee from Columbia
discuss those social issues.”
shorts by the Port- River Coffee Roasters.
Craig includes this because he’s
Another film at this year’s festi-
land Oregon Wom-
found that “the people who started
val that addresses racial and cultural en’s Film Festival.
at 5 o’clock on Friday, they’ve seen
segregation is “Neither Wolf Nor
enough films they feel that they would like to
Dog,” which will be shown Saturday after-
discuss them.”
noon and again Sunday morning.
From there, out-of-towners may head
An adaptation of Kent Nerburn’s book of
home or stick around with locals to catch the
the same name, the film follows Nerburn, a
final features: a second showing of “Neither
white American writer, as he travels to the
Wolf Nor Dog,” and “The Defiant Ones,”
Dakotas to transcribe an oral history preserved
a 1958 crime drama starring Sidney Poitier
by Dan, a 95-year-old Lakota elder. A social
and Tony Curtis that won Academy Awards
clash ensues, as the writer struggles to connect
for cinematography (black and white) and
with Dan’s story. The experience forces
original screenplay.
Neburn to come to a new understanding of
events and a history he thought he knew.
In memory of James Beard
“Dina,”
a
comedy
documentary about an
eccentric couple.
the area. It’s an honor for me to be able to
honor him.”
After the screening, festival-goers are
encouraged to stop by Baked Alaska, where
12th Street meets the Riverwalk, to pay tribute
to Beard. They can share their favorite story
about the renowned chef and foodie, even if
they did not know him personally.
Craig’s personal, and brief, encounter
with Beard took place in Paris in the 1970s.
Heading back to a hotel with his wife to relax
for the evening, the couple crossed paths with
Beard, whom Craig recognized on sight.
Craig remembers telling Beard how much
he appreciated his work and that he was a
big fan. Perusing Craig’s grocery bag full of
cheap French beer and potato chips, Beard
joked, “Yeah, it looks like you are.”
For a local subject, there will be a screen-
ing of the 2017 documentary “James Beard:
America’s First Foodie,” directed by Beth
Federici.
Beard, who was born in Portland and died
in 1985, was a chef, a pioneer of the food
media industry and an early champion for the
importance of sustainability and localism. He
spent many childhood summers in Gearhart.
“We always try to do something connected
to this region,” Craig said. “James Beard was
one of the creative and talented people from
ABOVE: “Neither Wolf
Nor Dog” (2016) follows
a white American writer
who travels to the Dako-
tas to transcribe an oral
history preserved by a
95-year-old Lakota elder.
BELOW: “The Defiant
Ones,” Stanley Kram-
er’s 1958 crime drama
starring Tony Curtis and
Sidney Poitier, will be
the last film of the 2017
festival.
Social significance
Bauer, who typically attends as many
of the films as she can in any given season,
said she is impressed by the caliber and sin-
cerity of the festival under Craig’s direction.
“Almost everything he does has some
very important social significance to it,” she
said, adding that, over the years, the event
has exposed her to several thought-provok-
ing films she might not otherwise have seen.
The cost for admission is $10 per film or
$80 for a full festival pass. Tickets can be
purchased at the door. For more informa-
tion, visit goaiff.com/ CW
“The Noble Spirit” (2014)
is a short documentary
about Fred Noble, an or-
phan who became an ex-
treme skier, windsurfer and
paraglider, and continued
living life to the fullest even
after being diagnosed with
Lou Gehrig’s Disease.