WHAT: FREE screening of Two Spirits (60 Minutes) directed by Lydia Nibley
Two Spirits interweaves the tragic story of a mother's loss of her son with a revealing look at the largely unknown history of a time when the world wasn't simply divided into male and female, and many Native American cultures held places of honor for people of integrated genders. Powerful and moving, Lydia Nibley's Two Spirits explores the life and death of Fred Martinez and the ancient Native American two-spirit tradition.
Fred Martinez told his mother that he felt as if he was both a boy and a girl, and she explained that this was a special gift, according to traditional Navajo culture. But the place where two discriminations meet is a dangerous place to live, and Fred became one of the youngest hate-crime victims in modern history when he was brutally murdered at 16. Between tradition and controversy, freedom and fear, lies the truth — the bravest choice you can make is to be yourself.
Two Spirits explores issues of national concern including the bullying and violence commonly faced by LGBTQ people, and the epidemic of LGBTQ teen suicide, and reveals the range of gender expression that has long been seen as a healthy part of many of the indigenous cultures of North America, and of Navajo culture in particular.
After the film, join Kristen Cox and panelists in a discussion about the new landscape of gender identities, the Two Spirit tradition of some indigenous cultures and the challenges faced by young people who are forging a new path.
WHO:
KOKUMO KINETIC, Transgender spoken-word artist and filmmaker
Avi Rudnick, Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois
Kate Sosin, GenderQueer Chicago
Dr. Dorene Wiese, President, Illinois American Indian Association
Moderator: Kristen Cox, Communications professional, cultural worker, former drag performer
WHEN:
Saturday, June 18, 2011, 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM
WHERE:
Chicago Cultural Center
78 E. Washington St., Chicago
In the Claudia Cassidy Theatre
This event is free and open to the public.
Presented by Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois, GenderQueer Chicago, Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, ITVS and WTTW Channel 11.
Media encouraged to attend.
For more information and high-resolution photos, visit:
http://www.itvs.org/films/two-spirits/photos-and-press-kit
ITVS grants permission to use the photos without restriction and without fee.
To see the trailer:
http://www.itvs.org/films/two-spirits
To preview the complete film, send a request to:
Naomi_Walker@itvs.org
Parties are available for interviews.
The following services are available for persons with disabilities:
Accessible entrance, 77 E. Randolph St.
Accessible restroom facilities
Wheelchair loans, see information desk for availability or call in advance
ASL interpreters are provided with 72 hours notice
Assisted Listening Devices available for public events. Please call 24 hours in advance.
For more information and resevations call 312.744.6630, TTY: 312.744.2947
ITVS COMMUNITY CINEMA is the monthly screening series featuring upcoming selections from the Independent Lens season. Presented in partnership with local public television stations and leading community organizations, ITVS Community Cinema holds preview screenings in over 60 cities across the country making a real contribution on a range of current social issues by connecting communities with organizations, information, and the opportunity to get involved.
ABOUT ITVS AND INDEPENDENT LENS
ITVS is a leading funder and presenter of award-winning documentaries and dramas on public television, innovative new media projects on the Web, and the Emmy Award-winning weekly series Independent Lens on Tuesday nights at 10 PM on PBS. Independent Lens is jointly curated by ITVS and PBS and is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding provided by PBS and the National Endowment for the Arts.
