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Vernacular Visions is the fearless project of local photo phenom Justin Clifford Rhody, who renders 35mm slide detritus into marvelous displays of the American Uncanny. Tonight, the keen-eyed collector projects two of his masterworks—Western Lands (his original landscapes) and Moldy Marvels (diptychs of exquisite coloration and abstract form), both accompanied by evocative music and his own impromptu asides. The evening is abetted by four other East Bay auteurs: Other Cinema’s own Joshua Leon Harper premieres his sci-fi found-photo narrative AI-33 (S-Class) Explores the 20^th Century, the winsome twosome of Oracle Plus perform a multimedia space-jam by way of video sleight-of-hand, and cosmic inspiration/impresario Sweet Tooth turns a 16mm double-projection into an ecstatic ascent into one of his “charmed” black holes.

A documentary by Marisa Holmes.

It is 2011.  Three years into the global financial crisis, there is a growing sense that political and economic elites sold out the people.  In response, a wave of revolutions spreads from North Africa to Europe, and even the United States.   In New York City a small group of activists meet in the NYC General Assembly to discuss the possibility of #OccupyWallStreet.  On September 17th they go to the financial district and occupy Zuccotti Park. They rename it Liberty Square.   The square is a liberated space. Assemblies are held to make collective decisions, working groups are formed to meet basic needs such as food and shelter. A new world is being built and anything seems possible.  In a matter of weeks there are over one thousand occupations formed across the globe. The activists soon find themselves in the center of a growing movement. They face many external challenges including the media, the unions, political parties, and police violence. However, it is the internal challenges that they cannot overcome.   The non-fiction feature film, All Day All Week: An Occupy Wall Street Story, tells the story of OWS from the perspective of those who lived it. Filmed by and in conversation with participants, the film offers a glimpse inside the daily life of occupation as well as reflections on the experience.
 Marisa Holmes (in person) is a documentary filmmaker and writer based in Brooklyn, NY. Since a young age she has used media for social justice.  She holds a BFA in Film, Video and New Media from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she received a 100 Projects for Peace grant from the Kathryn Wasserman Davis foundation. She also has a MFA in Integrated Media from Hunter College.
Holmes  has covered social movements in the US and internationally with particular interest in the aftermath of the 2011 uprisings. Her work has appeared in such outlets as the InternationaL Times, Truthout.org,  Waging Nonviolence,  Al Jazeera, and PBS, as well as the AK Press compilation We are Many: Reflections on Movement Strategy from Occupa tion to Liberation.   As a participant and media maker Holmes believes strongly that people must tell their own stories. Thus, she decided to make a film about her own experience in Occupy Wall Street.  All Da y All Week: An Occupy Wall Street Story is her first feature film.

An evening with Lucien Shapiro and friends, Film screening with Shaun Roberts Edison, and live music by death cheetah.

Analects is a take on see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, and explores a symbolic loss of speech, hearing, and sight. As each of the senses is lost, a different mask is worn, and the wearer goes on a quest for understanding in an attempt to regain what was lost. This is a project filmed by Shaun Roberts and scored by Edison, and is starring Lucien Shapiro and his artwork.

“Fear is the Mind Killer.” This is a ritual performed and filmed recently, and is the purpose behind the project. Addressing those greatest challenges each of us face in our lives, the Fear Ritual symbolizes one’s ability to relinquish the doubt and despair that prevent us from conquering and moving forward on our personal journeys. The mask-wearer, placing the “Relinquishing Vessel” in front of himself, kneels and repeatedly dips the glimmering stone hanging from his mask into the vessel while chanting “I release you.”  After a healthy repetition of the chant, mask-wearer stares at the reflective liquid into his eyes, feeling the escape of fears into the vessel. Mask-wearer then pours the vessel’s contents in a circle around him, and through a long meditative sleep amongst relinquished fears, conquers his challenges in order to progress..