Documenting Hate: Charlottesville

press release:

FRI., 9/7, 5 p.m.

DOCUMENTING HATE: CHARLOTTESVILLE

USA | 2018 | HD Projection | 60 min.; Director: Richard Rowley, A.C. Thompson

The violence perpetrated by white supremacist and neo-Nazi demonstrators at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia seized national attention in August 2017. PBS’ renowned Frontline program expands the story beyond the shocking rally, investigating demonstrators and confronting them about their unacknowledged, unpunished participation in racist violence. Co-produced with ProPublica as part of a major project tracking hate crimes and bias incidents in America, a second Documenting Hate film will be released later this fall. The Executive Producer is Frontline veteran and UW Madison alum Raney Aronson-Rath.

FRI., 9/7, 7 p.m.

THE PRICE OF GOLD

USA | 2014 | Blu-ray | 78 min.

Director: Nanette Burstein

Twenty years after “the whack heard around the world,”  ESPN’s 30 for 30 series revisits the infamous figure skating scandal that dominated coverage of the 1994 Winter Olympics, when an associate of Tonya Harding’s ex-husband attacked her rival, Nancy Kerrigan. With a trove of archival footage and candid new interviews, including a riveting account from Harding, director Burstein confronts the harsh treatment of Harding and her continued contradictions, evasions, and excuses. The Price of Gold unearths a complex story within a media frenzy, inspiring the screenplay for the 2017 biopic I, Tonya. Produced by UW Madison alum Libby Geist, vice president of ESPN Films.

In conjunction with UW Madison’s Spotlight on Documentary, September 6-7, the Cinematheque will present films from major documentary production companies that are led by UW Madison alums. Whether investigating political and social issues around the world, sharing outstanding stories with unique perspectives, or contextualizing the accomplishments and controversies of the sports industry, these producers continually expand the definitions and possibilities of non-fiction filmmaking. The screenings in this series accompany roundtable discussions on Friday, September 7, with guests Justine Nagan (POV), Raney-Aronson Rath (Frontline), and Libby Geist (ESPN Films). The 10am roundtable, geared toward students, will focus on the experience of working in the documentary industry, and the 2pm discussion will consider the state of the contemporary industry and examine the contributions of the guests and their respective companies. The roundtables will be moderated by fellow UW alums and documentary scholars David Resha and Nora Stone. All screenings and roundtables take place in our regular venue, 4070 Vilas Hall.

All Cinematheque screenings are free and open to the public.