| Contact:
Jeff Morgan, Jeff.Morgan@iowa.gov,
(515) 281-3858
(DES
MOINES) – The State Historical Museum’s
“Movies at the Museum” film series continues
this week and in May with “Control Room”
and “The Bicycle Thief.”
Admission to “Movies at the Museum”
films is $5 through www.iowatix.com
or at the door. The State Historical Museum is at
600 E. Locust Street in Des Moines’ Historic
East Village. Wine, beer, soft drinks and snacks are
available during the movies, and free parking is available
in the ramp at E. Grand and Penn avenues. Visit www.iowahistory.org
or call 515-281-5111 for more information.
“Control Room” (2004) will be shown Thursday
at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. Startling and powerful,
“Control Room” documents the Arab television
network Al Jazeera’s coverage of the U.S.-led
Iraqi War and conflicts that arose between that news
media outlet and the American military. Egyptian-American
filmmaker Jehane Noujaim explores the spectrum of
opinions about the Qatar television news network.
“The Bicycle Thief” (1948 - subtitles)
will be shown May 3 at 7 p.m. and May 5 at 2 p.m.
Vittorio De Sica’s remarkable drama of desperation
and survival in Italy’s post-war depression
earned a special Oscar for its affecting power. Shot
in the streets and alleys of Rome, De Sica uses the
real-life environment of contemporary life to frame
his moving drama of a desperate father whose new job
delivering cinema posters is threatened when a street
thief steals his bicycle. Too poor to buy another,
he and his son take to the streets in an impossible
search for his bike. Cast with non-actors and filled
with the real street life of Rome, this landmark film
helped define the Italian neorealist approach with
its mix of real life details, poetic imagery, and
warm sentimentality. De Sica uses the wandering pair
to witness the lives of everyday folks, but ultimately
he paints a quiet, poignant portrait of father and
son whose understated performances carry the heart
of the film. Bike commuters to the event who show
their safety helmet receive $1 off the ticket price.
The State Historical Society of Iowa is a trustee
of Iowa’s historical legacy and an advocate
for understanding Iowa’s past. It identifies,
records, collects, preserves, manages and provides
access to Iowa’s historical resources. Its dual
mission of preservation and education serves Iowans
of all ages, conducts and stimulates research, disseminates
information, and encourages and supports historical
preservation and education efforts of others throughout
the state.
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