LONG BEACH -contracostatimes.com*** The Long Beach Public Library is trying to get the word out, as Suzanne McMillan, downtown head librarian says, that "downtown isn't just restaurants."
As a part of that ongoing effort, the library, in partnership with the Central Area Association, will present its first in a series of monthly movies and panel discussions under the auspices of the Independent Television Service's Community Cinema series.
A national series, Community Cinema premieres movies in advance of their national broadcasting on PBS. The free screenings are shown in more than 60 communities nationwide, but are new to Long Beach and will be played monthly on the last Tuesday when the City Council is not in session.
McMillan said the movies are just a part of a series of events officials hope will "make ourselves a more vital part of downtown."
John Malveaux, president of the Central Association and the person responsible for bringing in the series, said screening the movies at the library was a primary consideration.
"There was consideration initially of screening at another venue, but I insisted on the library," Malveaux said. "I think the library is an underutilized resource."
In addition to the movies, the library has been bringing in art exhibits and other cultural and artistic events.
Toward that goal, McMillan said efforts are under way to better use the main auditorium.
"It's a great space," McMillan said. "A
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little rustic, maybe, but it has great potential."
Tonight in main auditorium of the Main Branch Library, 101 Pacific Ave., the premiere of "Reel Injun: On the Trail of the Hollywood Indian" will be aired.
The movie, by Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond, is billed as "an entertaining, insightful, and often humorous look at the Hollywood Indian, exploring the portrayal of North American Natives through a century of cinema and examining the ways that the myth of "the Injun" has influenced the world's understanding - and misunderstanding - of Natives."
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion and question-and-answer session featuring several experts in American Indian art and culture.http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_16431966?nclick_check=1