The Festival of New

What happens when an artist’s behavior as a “private” citizen overshadows the critical acclaim of their artistic endeavors?Using Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation,” this screening and panel discussion aims to dissect some of the complex forces at play that determined the outcome of this film and the resulting career pathway of its director.  Beset by scandal, its proximity to the #metoo movement, and systemic racism, the film is simultaneously a recipient of the Sundance Film Festival’s prestigious Audience Award and Grand Jury Prizes, as well as a record-shattering acquisition by Fox Searchlight.  The panel will include one of film’s lead actors, Aunjanue Ellis, and New School faculty members – in the areas of filmmaking and media history, as well as gender and African American studies – who will consider whether it is possible to determine the value of a work of art as a distinctive element, rather than as a convergence with the artist’s personal history.  Are we able to consider the artist and their work separate from their personal mistakes and misjudgments?  These tensions will be explored through the lens of race and access in artistic production.