Bermuda Docs Weekend Film Series returns

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A documentary about a civil rights activist whose bravery led to his murder will screen as part of the Bermuda Documentary Film Festival’s Weekend Film Series.

Also on offer will be a heartfelt comedy starring actresses Jane Fonda, Catherine Keener and Elizabeth Olsen.

Both films will screen Sunday at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

‘Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story’ tells the story of Booker Wright, an African-American restaurant owner who also served double-duty as a waiter in a whites-only restaurant, located in the Ku Klux Klan stronghold of Greenwood, Mississippi in the 1960s.

Mr Wright’s shocking and heartfelt account to network TV set off a chain of events that eventually led to his murder.

Duncan Hall, the programming director for the Weekend Film Series, said: “‘Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story’ follows director Raymond De Felitta, whose father directed the original 1966 documentary, as he journeys through past and present-day Mississippi with Booker’s granddaughter.

“[They go] searching for details around Booker’s courageous life and shocking murder, while also exploring the impact the film had not only on the local community but also on Raymond’s father.”

The more lighthearted ‘Peace Love and Misunderstanding’ is described as “a charming, crowd-pleasing comedy”. It was directed by two-time Academy Award-nominee Bruce Beresford, also known for ‘Driving Miss Daisy’.

Mr Hall said: “For uptight Manhattan lawyer Diane, crazy means driving her teenage son Jake and daughter Zoe to Woodstock to visit their grandmother Grace.

“The crazy part is that the kids have never met Grace. In fact, Diane hasn’t spoken to her mother in 20 years.

“Grace is the epitome of the term ‘hippie’. She stages protests and hootenannies in the town square, smokes (and sells) a lot of dope, and howls at the moon once a month with her goddess-worshipping girlfriends.

“But what’s meant to be a weekend getaway turns into a summer adventure of romance, music, family secrets, and self-discovery. ‘Peace, Love and Misunderstanding’ is a heartfelt comedy and a story about second chances and the things that divide and reunite families.”

‘Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story’ will screen at 3pm; ‘Love and Misunderstanding’ will screen at 5.15pm.

Tickets, $15, can be purchased at the BUEI giftshop or by calling 297-7314. Trailers of the films can be viewed at www.bermudadocs.com.

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