As I write this, I have only seen five movies in the Dietrich’s Fall Film Festival. I have so many more to fit in. Thank goodness the festival is three weeks long. How many have you caught thus far? The five films I saw were all good, but I would have to say my two favorites were “Testament of Youth” and “Infinitely Polar Bear.”
“Testament of Youth” is based on a memoir with the same title by Vera Brittain and tells the story of her experiences during World War I. It was beautifully told, and the costumes and cinematography are absolutely stunning. It is one of those movies that makes your heart ache a little.
And Mark Ruffalo’s performance in “Infinitely Polar Bear” is spectacular. This is a story about a father who suffers from bipolar disorder and is trying to win back his wife as he takes on the responsibility of raising their two daughters. In fact, it was so good I want to see it again. Luckily, we still have another week of festival to enjoy.
For a full listing of festival films and showtimes, visit dietrichtheater.com.
The Dietrich will also take part in the festivities associated with the first-ever Tunkhannock Quilt and Artisan Walk set for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. We will host two quilt-related events at the theater.
Dr. Cassandra Gunkel will give a presentation entitled “The Underground Railroad in Quilts?” at 11 a.m. During this talk, she will discuss one of the ongoing mysteries of the Civil War period which is whether or not escaped slaves used quilts as signals to help in their escape. Though it is well documented that enslaved African Americans traveled clandestine paths in their attempt to reach freedom, it has been difficult to determine the part quilts may have played in helping to send secrets to aid others on their way along the “Underground Railroad.”
Admission to Dr. Gunkel’s presentation is free, thanks to the generosity of the Rotary Club of Tunkhannock.
Then at 1 p.m. the same day, the Dietrich will show the quilt documentary “Stitched” that follows three competitive art quilts as they prepare to compete in the nation’s largest quilt show, a fast-paced event that attracts more than 50,000 devoted artists annually. It follows Caryl Bryer Fallert, Hollis Chatelain and Randall Cook, each of whom has caused a stir with their work. Caryl was the first to win a $10,000 prize at a major quilt show with a machine-made quilt at a time when hand work was the norm. Hollis won Best of Show with a painted quilt and Randall often makes quilts of male nudes.
Admission is free. This movie event is also sponsored by the Tunkhannock Rotary Club.
We will have variety of exhibits, including a quilt exhibit, the Glass Freedom Quilt, the American Hands photography exhibit by Sally Wiener Grotta of artisans and the stories of their work, as well as paintings by the Monday artists.
We invite you to join us for an afternoon of Spanish Guitar Masterpieces at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 4. Classical guitarist Jay Steveskey will be back at the Dietrich to take us on a musical journey through Spain with some of classical guitar’s most beloved masterpieces. He will perform the music of Spain’s great virtuoso guitarists and master composers including Fernando Sor, Francisco Tarrega, Isaac Albeniz, Manuel de Falla, Joaquin Turina, Frederico Moreno Torroba and more.
The concert is free and a light reception will follow. We would like to thank John P. Keker for sponsoring this event in memory of Jessie Reppy Keker. For more information or to reserve tickets for any of these upcoming events, call the Dietrich at 570-996-1500.
As you can see, the Dietrich is so much more than the movies!
