This July, the North Fork Arts Center will hold its second annual documentary series on Thursday evenings, screening docs that make larger-than-life issues intimate for audiences.
The screenings will be followed by discussions with the directors.
A still from “Out There: A National Parks Story.”
The series kicks off on July 9 with “Out There: A National Parks Story,” a journey into the lives of the people at the center of national parks in the U.S.
“Out There” follows a young filmmaker, Brendan Hall, and his childhood friend on a 10,000-mile road trip through America’s national parks during the centennial of the National Park Service. What begins as a search for awe-inspiring landscapes evolves into a journey that uncovers the human stories embedded in these wild places.
Along the way, they meet rangers, conservationists, and everyday visitors whose lives have been shaped by the parks. They share personal stories of healing, transformation, and connection, and a tapestry of the national park experience begins to emerge, reflecting not just the beauty of the land, but the spirit of the people who love and protect it.
“Out There: A National Parks Story beautifully captures and shares the emotions friends, family and visitors feel watching a Grand Canyon sunset, a walk amongst the Redwood giants, or a cold dip in a mountain stream,” says Jon Jarvis, 18th Director of the U.S. National Parks Service. “Through their eyes and voices, and superb visuals, you will share their sense of awe. It reminds us that these national park experiences are there for us all.”
The series continues July 16 with director Vanessa Gould’s “Obit,” the story behind the craft of obituary writing.”
“Every morning, a small staff of obituary writers at The New York Times deposits the details of three or four extraordinary lives into the cultural memory – each life’s story spun amid the daily beat of war, politics, and football scores,” according to the filmmakers. “There are only a handful of editorial obituary writers in the world, and none are better than at The Times, where obits have become some of the best writing in journalism.”
Obits are documentary storytelling in print, first drafts of contemporary history, mirrors of life’s great variety, humor and pathos and neatly framed vignettes of worlds that will vanish along with their notable stars, according to the filmmakers.
On July 23, the Arts Center will screen “Eat Drink Laugh: The Story of the Comic Strip,” director Abby Russell’s look at the history of New York’s famous comedy club Comic Strip Live, where many of the most famous comedians of our time honed their craft including Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, and Adam Sandler.
on July 30, the series concludes with “Janis Ian: Breaking Silence,” directed by Varda Bar-Kar, about the groundbreaking singer-songwriter.
“In the mid-60s, Janis Ian, a teenage singer-songwriter from New Jersey, scores a controversial hit single called “Society’s Child,” about an interracial love relationship,” say the filmmakers. “The song launches her illustrious career but also ignites death threats, plunging her into an emotional tailspin — only to emerge from the ashes in the 1970s with an even bigger hit, “At Seventeen,” ahead of its time in confronting lookism and bullying. Janis overcomes significant obstacles — embezzlement, record industry misogyny, and heartbreak — to find love and produce an indelible body of searingly honest songs that earn her a devoted following and critical acclaim.
“These are some of the most amazing documentaries,” Arts Center Executive Director Tony Spiridakis told us this winter.
To find out more, visit northfork-artscenter.org
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