LIBRARY HOSTS SNEAK PEEK OF DOCUMENTARY, 9/19

17 Sep LIBRARY HOSTS SNEAK PEEK OF DOCUMENTARY, 9/19

Every year the Wilkinson Public Library provides free screenings of documentaries produced by the Emmy Award-winning PBS series “Independent Lens.”

The program known as “ITVS Community Cinema” first came to the library in Fall 2010 thanks Sharon Shuteran, a major supporter of the Wilkinson and the former judge (recently deceased) of San Miguel County. Judge Sharon suggested the series to our program coordinator Scott Doser and two years later, “ITVS Community Cinema” continues to be one of our most popular programs.

“ITVS Community Cinema” takes place the third Wednesday of every month, starting at 6 p.m., and features groundbreaking documentaries designed to inspire and engage local patrons in discussions of global importance.

One of only 95 cities in the United States chosen for the screenings, the Wilkinson Public Library kicks off the 2012-2013 season this coming Wednesday, September 19, with the landmark film “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide.”

“Half the Sky” is based on a book written of the same name written by New York Times Op Ed journalist and social activist Nicholas Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn. The documentary was filmed in 10 countries and follows Kristof and WuDunn, and celebrity activists America Ferrera, Diane Lane, Eva Mendes, Meg Ryan, Gabrielle Union, and Olivia Wilde on a journey to tell the stories of inspiring, courageous individuals.

Across the globe oppression is being confronted and real meaningful solutions are being fashioned through health care, education, and economic empowerment for women and girls. The linked problems of sex trafficking and forced prostitution, gender-based violence, and maternal mortality — which needlessly claim one woman every 90 seconds — present us with the single most vital opportunity of our time –  the opportunity to make a change. All over the world women are seizing this opportunity.

Interested in a preview? Watch the following trailer.