PROGRAM

Screening of the Film: "By George "

After a screening of the one-hour film "By George", filmmaker H. Paul Moon (Docs In Progress alumnus) will present an informative presentation on the creative and technical process of converting his film into an immersive version playing at Dupont Underground (every hour on the hour June 12 through July 5, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 11-5, free tickets to that at dc.july9th.com). "By George: It All Comes Down" is an expansion of this same documentary that surrounds chairs with large projection screens, expanding choices for what to focus on. Somewhere between a movie screening and an immersive art exhibition, it's a case study in evolving options for engagement and "inside-the-box" distribution for documentary filmmakers.

ABOUT THE FILM

Timed with America turning 250, "By George" tells the true story of our first real moment of declaring independence, when we toppled the statue of King George III after a first public reading of the freshly inked document on July 9, 1776.

The documentary follows the extraordinary afterlife of the monument: the iron statue was melted down into musket balls by a young woman in Connecticut to support the revolutionary cause, while the decapitated head got smuggled back to England, where it may remain hidden to this day.

Set against contemporary debates around monuments, memory, and public space, "By George" explores the rise and fall of empires, the meaning of statues in civic life, and the evolving ways societies choose to remember history. The film features historian Abby Suckle’s storytelling detective work, and reflections from Ivan Schwartz, founder of StudioEIS, whose work has shaped some of our country’s most important historical monuments and public sculptures, including several here in Washington, D.C. (and getting unveiled this month, the statue of Barack and Michelle Obama at the new Presidential Center in Chicago).

With intense conversation and debate about recent architectural directives in Washington DC, the film investigates sites in our Capital region that we pass by constantly, wondering how and why. Exhaustively researched and surrounded with period-authentic music, it's educational and suitable for all ages too.

For more information about the film and its DMV-based director H. Paul Moon, visit: july9th.com

ABOUT THE FILMMAKER

H. Paul Moon creates films that concentrate on the performing arts. They include “Sitka: A Piano Documentary” about the craftsmanship of Steinway pianos, “Quartet for the End of Time” about Olivier Messiaen’s transcendent WWII composition, and an acclaimed documentary feature about the life and music of American composer Samuel Barber that premiered on PBS. Moon has created music videos and concert films for numerous composers ranging from Moondog to Steve Reich, and five opera films set in a community garden. His films have screened to live audiences at over two hundred film festivals around the world, with several awards and museum exhibitions. Highlights include works featured in exhibitions at the Nevada Museum of Art, the City Museum of New York and the Corcoran Gallery; PBS television broadcasts; and with Bob Holman, the Venice Biennale and the theatrical concert "Life Poem." Moon's short film "Luke DuBois: Running Out of Time" was his first documentary, workshopped with Docs In Progress in 2010.

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