Cornell Cinema welcomes documentary filmmaker Anne Makepeace at the Ithaca premiere of "Coming to Light: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indians," tonight, Nov. 8, at 7:15 in Willard Straight Theatre. Admission is $4.50 general/$4 students and seniors.
A self-taught and successful society photographer in early 20th century Seattle, Curtis dedicated most of his life and career to the chronicling of Native American life before it was lost in forced assimilation. This insightful documentary interweaves the story of Curtis' life with the results of his work, and through it, we see the world he sought to preserve.
The film is also about Makepeace's own experience retracing Curtis' journeys across America in pursuit of what has been called the largest anthropological project ever undertaken. While many of the people Makepeace encountered during her decade of filming "Coming to Light" were eager to talk about their ancestors and the role that Curtis played in preserving Native American culture, others were not. Curtis has been criticized by some for staging his photographs and perpetuating stereotypes, and the documentary includes an uncomfortable encounter between Makepeace and one of her interview subjects. The documentary ultimately offers a complex view of Curtis and his legacy, one in which each side has a voice.
The event is part of the yearlong, multidepartmental program "Indians' Indians: (Re)presentation of Native American People in the Arts."
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