Screening for "The Barber of Birmingham"

Cathi Hatch, Director Robin Fryday, Matt Hooper

Last night, ZINO Society Team members, Mary Holmes, Christine Gilbert, Kate DesRosier and I, were invited by Matt Hooper, chair of the Arts and Entertainment practice for Foster Pepper, to attend a reception and the screening at the Neptune Theatre of his client's Academy Award nominated short documentary film entitled "The Barber of Birmingham". 

I enjoyed meeting the Co-Director and Producer Robin Fryday, who has worked on this film as her first film project.  She wanted to explore the impact of what the nomination and election of the first African-American president was making on the aging Civil Rights activists (also fondly referred to as the "Foot Soldiers of the Civil Rights Movement") in the South.  She chose to center her documentary around 85-year-old James Armstrong, an African-American barber and civil rights activist in Birmingham, Alabama.

Performer Johnny Gray

The event was hugely successful with SIFF, The Fearey Group, Seattle Theatre Group  and the Puget Sound Business Journal joining with Foster Pepper to host and support the event.  Foster Pepper partners Tayloe Washburn and Rafael Stone greeted the guests following a brief musical performance by talented songster and local winner of  America's Got Talent, Johnny Gray.  But, it was really Matt's remarks that resonated before he introduced his client, Robin, and the movie, as he described his grandfather's advice to make a difference with the "dash"; that little line on tombstones between date of birth and date of death and that what really matters is what we inbetween those auspicious dates.

Stained glass "Neptune"

There was a large turnout of people there for the screening and in addition to the people I have already mentioned, I had the chance to talk with several more including Bonnie & Rick Colette, Pat Fearey, Gordie Prouty, Sherry Zins, Nathan McDonald, Roger Nyhus, Judy Runstad, Steve Gahler and Nicole Vogel to name a few.  As we left, we were each encouraged to take a handout that included fifteen suggestions on how we can each take steps outside our comfort zones to support diversity.

Now, we all have our fingers crossed for this coming Sunday and the Academy Awards in the hopes that "The Barber of Birmingham" will be a winner!