March 22 – Nomadland (2020), 108 minutes, directed by Chloé Zhao, starring Frances McDormand and David Strathairn.
Nomadland takes the restless wanderer trope of the Western film genre and reimagines it in a contemporary feminist context. When the widowed Fern (another great performance by Frances McDormand) loses her job in Nevada, she downsizes, buys a van, and takes to the road. She - and we - are soon acquainted with the world of American nomadism. Nomadland is that film rarity that captured the Zeitgeist, with the promise of historic significance as time moves on. It emerged the big winner at the 2020 Academy Awards, picking up trophies for Best Actress, Director, and Picture.
March 2024 CinemaLit - Women Screenwriter-Directors on Women’s Lives
March at CinemaLit features a series of five startlingly fresh and visionary films written and directed by women. Each focuses on women’s lives with an emphasis on displacement, both geographic and emotional. In an industry dominated by finding the next billion dollar franchise and breakthrough technology, these films offer other ways of appreciating the expanding potential of motion picture story and content. Join us for Jane Campion’s The Piano (1993), Nora Ephron’s Julie & Julia (2009), Lulu Wang’s The Farewell (2018), Chloé Zhao’s Nomadland (2020), and Sarah Polley’s Women Talking (2022).
March is Women's History Month and Mechanics' Institute is proud to feature works of cinematic importance, vision, and gravity by Women Screenwriters and Directors.
Matthew Kennedy, CinemaLit’s curator, has written biographies of Marie Dressler, Joan Blondell, and Edmund Goulding. His book Roadshow! The Fall of Film Musicals in the 1960s, was the basis of a film series on Turner Classic Movies. His most recent book, On Elizabeth Taylor: An Opinionated Guide, examines the screen legend's entire career.
“I don't have a favorite film,” Matthew says. "I find that my relationships to films, actors, genres, and directors change as I change over the years. Some don't hold up. Some look more profound, as though I've caught up with their artistry. I feel that way about Garbo, Cary Grant, director John Cassavetes, and others."
“Classic films have historical context, something only time can provide,” Matt observes. “They become these great cultural artifacts, so revealing of tastes, attitudes, and assumptions.”
Mechanics' Institute Members Free
Non-Members $10
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Please note: Photos and/or video may be taken during this event.
CinemaLit Films
