Election film series comes to Triplex Cinema

"All the President's Men" (1976) with Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford will screen at the Triplex Oct. 24.

Warner Bros Studios

Election film series comes to Triplex Cinema

The Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington is rolling out a special election season series entitled, “Dying in Darkness: Journalism, Politics & Truth in Film.” Curated by The Triplex’s creative director, Ben Elliott, the carefully selected series of films confront the fraught relationship between media, politics, and democracy with an evocative lineup that includes “The Parallax View,” “All the President’s Men,” “A Face in the Crowd,” “Medium Cool,” and “Wag the Dog.”

Elliott remarked that the series title was a play on the Washington Post’s motto, “Democracy dies in darkness.” He noted that this was “the first motto that The Washington Post adopted in their entire history,” and added, “It speaks to the ways that democracy can be endangered if truth and journalism are not part of the political process.”

The selection spans eras, providing Elliott with an opportunity to present movies that are eerily prescient today. In one such film, “A Face in the Crowd,” from 1957, Andy Griffith plays a drifter-turned-political manipulator. “It lines up exactly with the last ten years,” Elliott commented. In his view, films like “A Face in the Crowd” and “Medium Cool,” which blends fiction and documentary, offer uncanny echoes of modern populism and media manipulation.

By drawing on a wide array of films, Elliott intended to not just screen thought-provoking cinema, but to foster dialogue among the politically engaged community that frequents The Triplex. He said, “I think bringing people together to talk about all the different ways that we’re going through this time as a community is important, to make people not feel alone in it, and to hopefully still feel up for the fight of staying engaged.”

Elliott also emphasized the educational potential of the series, expressing hopes of partnering with local schools to draw in younger viewers. “I think there’s a real educational aspect to this,” he noted, suggesting that a dive into the narratives of the past could reveal much about contemporary political dynamics. “These aren’t stories that exist in a vacuum,” said Elliott. “These are stories that were inspired by real things and that still speak to our current landscape.”

“Dying in Darkness” opens Oc. 17 and runs through Nov. 3. Each screening will be accompanied by introductions from guest speakers, each providing additional context on how these films resonate with the current political landscape.

Latest News

Honoring the past: bearing witness at Auschwitz
Barbed wire at Birkenau.
Natalia Zukerman

Jan. 27 marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. I traveled to Poland as part of a delegation for the commemoration and spent a few days before the event with my father and sister learning, remembering and gathering information.

My dad’s parents, Miriam and Yehuda, of blessed memory, were deported to Auschwitz -Birkenau from the Lódz Ghetto. They both had families that perished and met each other after the camp was liberated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Dina La Fonte at Mountainside and the rise of the ‘sober curious’ movement

Dina La Fonte

Photo by Dina La Fonte

The “sober curious” movement has gained momentum in recent years, encouraging individuals to explore life without alcohol—whether for health reasons, personal growth, or simple curiosity. Dina La Fonte, a certified recovery coach, is the Senior Business Affairs Associate at Mountainside, an alcohol and drug addiction treatment center with a holistic approach to wellness that has several locations, including the one in Canaan, Connecticut. With nearly five years of sobriety, La Fonte blends professional expertise with lived experience, making her a powerful advocate for recovery.

Like many, La Fonte’s path to recovery was not just about removing alcohol; it was about rediscovering herself. “Once you get sober from a substance, whether it’s alcohol, drugs, gambling or what have you, emotional aspects of change come into place,” she explained. “It’s not a hard stop; it’s a continued process of integration and struggle.” Her own journey has led her to a career in recovery coaching, allowing her to help others find their own path.

Keep ReadingShow less
Examining Mohawk Mountain’s rich history

James Shay signed copies of his book “Mohawk Mountain Skl Area: The Birth of Snowmaking” after a talk at Hotchkiss Library of Sharon Feb. 2.

Matthew Kreta

The Hotchkiss Library of Sharon hosted local author James Shay Feb. 2 for a talk on his new book “Mohawk Mountain Ski Area: The Birth of Snowmaking.”

The book follows the life of Mohawk founder Walt Schoenknecht and his important contributions to the sport of skiing.

Keep ReadingShow less