Matinees that Matter 
JUNE 2010 Feature Film
CITIZEN ARCHITECT: SAMUEL MOCKBEE AND THE SPIRIT OF THE RURAL STUDIO
Saturday & Sunday, June 5 & 6, 2010. 5:00 PM both days
The Historic Lynwood Theatre, 4569 Lynwood Center Rd. NE, Bainbridge Island
All seats $9
In 1993 the late architect and MacArthur Genius Samuel Mockbee started the Rural Studio, a design/build education program, in which students create striking architecture for impoverished communities in rural Alabama. Guided by frank, passionate interviews with Mockbee, Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of the Rural Studio shows how a group of students use their creativity, ingenuity, and compassion to craft a home for their charismatic, destitute client, Jimmie Lee Matthews, known to locals as Music Man because of his zeal for R&B and Soul records.
Filmmaker Sam Wainwright Douglas addresses the controversial topic of charity architecture through numerous interviews with Mockbee and other notable architects. The documentary illustrates the disconnect that so often exists between what is taught in schools and what is needed in the real world, and it highlights the fact that there’s more to buildings than their aesthetics. Mockbee's program provides students with an experience that forever inspires them to consider how they can use their skills to better their communities. Interviews with Mockbee’s peers and scenes with those he’s influenced infuse the film with a larger discussion of architecture’s role in issues of poverty, class, race, education, citizenship, and social change.
The post-film discussions will be moderated by several recent graduates of the Rural Studio along with Jason Gibson from the Bainbridge Island firm of Architects Thomas. The Bainbridge Island Housing Resources Board will have a display table in the theater lobby with information about its programs. Film is 60 minutes.
As a follow-up to the film, Sustainable Bainbridge's June 7 Sustainable First Monday (SFM) will focus on affordable housing. Speakers will include Julie Kriegh (Ferncliff CLT project), Charlie Wenzlau (Ericksen Ave Cottage Housing), and City of Bainbridge Island staffers. SFM takes place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Bainbridge Commons at Waterfront Park.
LINK HERE for Film Resources & Archives
With thanks to Troy Yung for help with our Matinees that Matter logo!