Panida showcases pair of powerful, captivating movies
You’re invited to “think outside — no box required” this Friday at the premiere of “love thy nature,” a stunning film from director Sylvie Rokab, narrated by Liam Neeson. The film takes viewers on a powerful cinematic journey of our inter-connectedness with the natural world that was 10 years in the making.
“Love Thy Nature” will be showing at the Panida today, with doors opening at 7 p.m. Tickets are $6. Live music will be presented by Crossboarder Band to open the evening and area groups will feature their current projects.
It’s easy to celebrate Earth Day in Sandpoint. We are luckier than most and we can celebrate it easily when we step outside to forests, mountains and that amazing lake surrounding us. We still need the gentle reminder not to lose touch with nature by stopping for a minute in our busy routines to feel the grass beneath our feet and breathe in the clean air we are so fortunate to have. When we life gets busy we feel a “disconnect.” This disconnect hurts our health, dulls our spirit, and threatens our future. Narrated by Liam Neeson, “Love Thy Nature” is a cinematic journey into the beauty and intimacy of our relationship with the natural world.
Neeson is the voice of Homo Sapiens — our collective humankind — who, in the past few thousand years, has come to believe that we are separate from nature. This mind-set has caused us to disrupt billions of years of evolution, causing a mass extinction of species and threatening the survival of the human race. Love Thy Nature shows that a new era of connectedness with the natural world is key to ensuring our species’ future. This era might just be dawning: A new science called biomimicry taps into nature’s four billion years of R&D for some of the most brilliant cutting edge inventions, pointing to a new highly advanced technological age — The Biological Revolution.
In the medicine, doctors are unveiling new findings on the role of nature in sustaining and healing the human body. And experts have discovered that just spending time in nature promotes healing, emotional stability, connectedness, and even neurological health in children.
Traversing the globe, Love Thy Nature shares the dazzling spectacles of our planet while revealing how a deeper connection with nature transforms us as people and communities. And that transformation inspires us not only to restore our ecosystems, but also our human family, and ourselves.
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Also showing at the Panida will be “Race: The Story of Jessie Owens”
One man broke every record. “Race”, based on the incredible true story of Jesse Owens, the legendary athletic superstar whose quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics. Starring Stephan James (Selma) as Owens, follows the athlete’s life from age 19 to his Olympic victory two years later. He faces off against Adolf Hitler’s vision of Aryan supremacy.
“Race” doesn’t try to disguise the fact that Owens cheated on Ruth Solomon (Shanice Banton), his later wife and the mother of his three children. The Ohio State training scenes with coach Larry Snyder (Jason Sudeikis) shows the prep of Owens for the world stage and for handling pressure from the NAACP to boycott the Olympics because of Hitler’s rabid racism against Jews, blacks and other minorities. The film shows us the debate between American Olympic committee president Jeremiah Mahoney (William Hurt), who advocates staying home, and industrialist Avery Brundage (Jeremy Irons) who does not. An additional glimpse of insight when Owens must debate with himself to make the right decision as an athlete and a black man.
As we would hope, “Race” fills in the corners of a story we only thought we knew. We expect Hitler to resist personal contact with Owens. But FDR offers a greater shock back home when Owens is not even invited to meet the president. “Race” is an enthralling film about courage, determination, tolerance, and friendship, and an inspiring drama about one man’s fight to become an Olympic legend and was done with the cooperation of the family of Owens, who died of lung cancer in 1980.
Showing at Sandpoint’s beautiful historic Panida on Saturday, April 23, at 7:30 and Sunday, April 24 with a matinee movie and mimosas at 3:30 p.m. The film is rated PG-13 for thematic elements and language.
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If you missed “Hello My Name is Doris”, you’re in luck .The film is being held over due to popular demand and will show again on Saturday, April 23, at 3:30 p.m. Audiences laughed and raved about the film over the weekend with record crowds.
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Tickets to all films available at the door or online at www.panida.org.