Open Sources Show Notes for Thursday December 22, 2016

It’s Christmas week, and for Open Sources Guelph that can only mean one thing: our annual political movies special. This year, we put the emphasis on documentaries (and docu-dramas), which cover a variety of subjects concerning country music protests, failed political candidates, and fighting for a woman’s right to vote. It’s the holidays, so let’s put the issues on the backburner and dig into a big bowl of popcorn as we go to the movies. (Or the video store, or streaming site as the case may be.)

This Thursday, December 15, at 5 pm, Scotty Hertz and Adam A. Donaldson will discuss:

1) Scotty’s Pick #1: Suffragette. “A drama that tracks the story of the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State. These women were not primarily from the genteel educated classes, they were working women who had seen peaceful protest achieve nothing. Radicalized and turning to violence as the only route to change, they were willing to lose everything in their fight for equality – their jobs, their homes, their children and their lives. Maud was one such foot soldier. The story of her fight for dignity is as gripping and visceral as any thriller, it is also heart-breaking and inspirational.”

2) Adam’s Pick #1: Mitt. “Mitt Romney, with the support of his family, made two major campaigns for the Office of the President of the United States in the 2008 and 2012 campaigns. This film takes an intimate portrait of the Romney family during these bids through the initial decision to run, the primaries and the general election itself as the former Governor of Massachusetts experiences the highs and lows of his ultimately unsuccessful campaign.”

3) Scotty’s Pick #2: Weiner. “This behind-the-scenes documentary follows former congressman Anthony Weiner as he runs for mayor of New York City in 2013. During the campaign, he becomes embroiled in a second widely publicized sexting scandal, which ultimately derails his once-promising political career. Directed by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg, Weiner received its world premiere at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.”

4) Adam’s Pick #2: The Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing. “In 2003, the country trio, The Dixie Chicks, are at the top of their game being one of the most successful bands of all time. However with the invasion of Iraq about to begin over frustrated worldwide objections about the needless war, lead singer Natalie Maines vents off the cuff in a London concert about being ashamed that President George W. Bush is from Texas. This statement sparks a firestorm of organized and personal right wing attacks against the Chicks for daring to think they have the right to express a negative personal opinion about the President. This film covers the band’s effort to ride out the turmoil that would leave their careers under a cloud, but would eventually give them a opportunity to grow as great artists who bow to no one.”