"Tell Them We Were Here" Film Screening

901 Minnesota Street,San Francisco CA 94107

24 May, 2023

Description

Join artists Liz Hernández and Ryan Whelan for a special screening of the documentary film, Tell Them We Were Here by Griff and Keelan Williams and learn how it has impacted the work in their exhibition A Weed By Any Other Name, currently on view at the ICA SF. Learn more > Seating for this event is limited; available as first come, first serve. Event Details 7:30 pm / Doors Open8:15 pm / Brief artist remarks8:30 pm / Film beginsPopcorn and light refreshments available on-site. About the film Art is a reflection of the place from which it emerges. Tell Them We Were Here chronicles artists living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area and how they extend the historical legacy of Bay Area activism. Embedded within the art practices of these eight artists we see the most pressing issues of our time, Prison Reform, Homelessness, Racial Equity, Feminism, Environmental Justice, Income Inequality. In an age of hypercapitalism, these artists represent an empowering alternative worldview, one that emphasizes creativity and community over capital. The film follows the work of artists Sadie Barnette, Amy Franceschini (Futurefarmers), Jim Goldberg, Tucker Nichols, Lynn Hershman Leeson, Alicia McCarthy, Nigel Poor (Ear Hustle), and Michael Swaine. Framed within the last 25 years of art-making in the Bay Area, the film is not an all-encompassing historical document, but rather a glimpse into a select group of artists who’ve chosen a less worn path. It touches on the disappearance of cultural communities due to gentrification and economic instability and reminds us of how vital creative communities are to healthy societies and political change. The title, Tell Them We Were Here, is a statement made to the director by legendary poet and author Bill Berkson. It is a reminder that We are the Archive and the champions of our own history. The stories we choose to tell, are the ones that live on in history. We hope this film represents a reminder to communities around the globe, that creativity exists everywhere, and as Camus stated “every creation is a gift offered to the future”. The supporting cast includes Devendra Banhart, Dena Beard, René de Guzman, Tommy Guerrero, George McCalman, Cliff Hengst, Larry Rinder, Apsara DiQuinzio, Glen Helfand, Tabitha Soren, Ramekon O’Arwisters, Eleanor Coppola, Ala Ebtekar, Erin O’Toole, Matt Gonzalez, Ana Teresa Fernández, Hal Fischer, Kevin Killian, Phil Ross, Jim Melchert, and Natasha Boas. Music by Marc Capelle, Vetiver, Virgil Shaw, Clare Rojas (Peggy Honeywell), Tommy Guerrero, Kelley Stoltz, Devendra Banhart, Fruit Bats, Monte Vallier, and Pat Mesiti-Miller. Run time: 1 hour 28 minutes