Ruby Dee, Ben Vereen, S. Epatha Merkerson And Others At The Museum of the Moving Image

Tongues Untied Speaks

Museum of the Moving Image is pleased to announce two special programs in Changing the Picture, an ongoing series of screenings and discussions sponsored by Time Warner, Inc.The series celebrates and explores the work of film and television artists of color who are bringing diverse voices to the screen. On Monday, January 21, at 4:00 p.m., for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, the Museum will present “Tongues Untied, True Tales Told” featuring the legendary Ruby Dee, S. Epatha Merkerson (currently featured in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln), and Barbara Montgomery (who will screen excerpts from her new film Mitote), in a “town hall” discussion about the past, present, and future of African-American women in film and television.

On Monday, February 4, at 7:00 p.m. the Museum, in collaboration with the PBS series Pioneers of Television, will present “Making Roots, Making TV History,” a discussion with Ben Vereen, Lou Gossett, Jr., LeVar Burton, and Leslie Uggams, stars of the landmark television miniseries. The discussion will be moderated by Donald Thoms, Vice President of Programming for PBS.  Roots, the most groundbreaking miniseries of all time, was aired on BET just last month, in December 2012, and was seen by more than four million people, a record for a cable showing of the series.  

“It has been a long, slow process for the American film and television industries to bring genuine diversity to their storytelling,” said the Museum’s Chief Curator, David Schwartz. “Changing the Picture celebrates the pioneering work of the directors, writers, and actors of color who have brought new stories to the screen.“

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY PROGRAM
Tongues Untied, True Tales Told: African-American Women Changing the Picture in Film and Television
Screening and discussion with Ruby Dee, S. Epatha Merkerson, and Barbara Montgomery in person
Monday, January 21, 4:00 p.m.
(Please note: The Museum is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on this day for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday.)
Barbara Montgomery, a veteran actress-turned-director, will screen excerpts from her upcoming film Mitote, which shares the stories of three African-American women who live in New Mexico, circa 1900. Each has a story to tell, based on a unique historical incident. Following the screening will be a wide-ranging discussion with Barbara Montgomery and her featured cast members, S. Epatha Merkerson (Law and Order, Lincoln) and screen legend Ruby Dee, about the untold stories and missing representation of African-Americans. The discussion will be moderated by noted filmmaker and Museum trustee Warrington Hudlin.
Tickets are free with Museum admission and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the program. Museum members may reserve tickets in advance.

Making Roots, Making TV History
A discussion with Ben Vereen, Lou Gossett, Jr., LeVar Burton, and Leslie Uggams, moderated by Donald Thoms
Monday, February 4, 7:00 p.m.
Presented in collaboration with Pioneers of Television, the four-part PBS series which premiered on WNET/Thirteen January 15, 2013 at 8:00 p.m. The miniseries episode on Roots airs on February 5 at 8:00 p.m.
The miniseries Roots, which aired in 1977, was one of the most influential and highest rated television events of all time; the final episode had an audience of more than 100 million. Thirty-five years later, Roots still resonates within popular culture, having changed forever the way that African-Americans were depicted on television, and having a strong impact on the nation’s collective guilt about slavery, an issue that is strongly present in popular culture today, with the heated discussion around the films Lincoln and Django Unchained. Four of the stars of the series, Ben Vereen, Lou Gossett, Jr., LeVar Burton, and Leslie Uggams, will participate in a discussion about the show’s production and its long-lasting legacy. The moderator is Donald Thoms, Vice President of Programming, PBS. This program is being presented in collaboration with the PBS series Pioneers of Television and excerpts from Roots, will be shown. The miniseries episode airs on February 5 on PBS.
Tickets: $15 public / $9 Museum members / free for Silver Screen members and above. Order online or call 718 777 6800 to reserve tickets.

MUSEUM INFO
Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday except for select holiday openings and special programs. Museum open on Monday, January 21 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day).
Film Screenings: Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, and as scheduled. Unless otherwise noted, screenings are included with Museum admission.
Museum Admission: $12.00 for adults (18+); $9.00 for senior citizens and for students (13+) with ID; $6.00 for children ages 3-12. Children under 3 and Museum members are admitted free. Admission to the galleries is free on Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tickets for special screenings and events may be purchased in advance by phone at 718 777 6800 or online.
Location: 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street) in Astoria.
Subway: M (weekdays only) or R to Steinway Street.  Q (weekdays only) or N to 36 Avenue.
Program Information: Telephone: 718 777 6888; Website: movingimage.us
Membership: 718 777 6877, members@movingimage.us

The Museum is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and its operations are made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation). The Museum also receives generous support from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. For more information, please visit movingimage.us.

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