Free Owsley Sunday Film: Bright Leaves

Directed by Ross McElwee

Sunday, July 30, 12:30 pm

Free. First come, first served.

“An American humorist in a tradition from Mark Twain.” —Stephen Holden, New York Times

Filmmaker Ross McElwee’s family legend has it that the Hollywood melodrama Bright Leaf (screening July 23) starring Gary Cooper as a 19th century tobacco grower, is based on the director’s great-grandfather, who created the Bull Durham brand. Using this legacy as a jumping off point, McElwee reaches back to his roots in this wry, witty rumination on American history, the tobacco business in North Carolina, and the myth of cinema. 2003, U.S., 35mm, 105 minutes. Recommended for 13+.

Screening in conjunction with the exhibition Southern Accent: Seeking the American South in Contemporary Art.