It is the annual Rose event that I most look forward to: our free film for the community in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Given the protests of last summer and the ongoing fight for equality and justice, I am grateful for the assistance of Icarus Films for making possible our free, one-day streaming next Monday (1/18) of THE LOVING STORY. When I began this annual event, THE LOVING STORY was actually the first film that we presented. It was made ten years ago and remains a powerful testament to freedom of choice. Please encourage your family and friends to see it. Use the password MLKRose to access the movie for free.
A racially charged criminal trial and a heart-rending love story converge in the story of Mildred and Richard Loving. The marriage of Mildred (who was part Black and part Native American) and Richard (who was white) was declared illegal in 1958 by their home state of Virginia. They refused to leave one another, and with the help of the ACLU, relentlessly pursued their right to happiness.Their case made it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court where, in 1967, it struck down laws against interracial marriage in this country once and for all. THE LOVING STORY recreates a seminal moment in history and reflects a timely message of marriage equality in a personal, human love story. "...it adds a dash of something rarely seen in the grand narrative of the American Civil Rights struggle: romance." -Chicago Sun-Times. "The film strikes a quiet, contemplative tone that befits its soft-spoken subjects rather than the tumultuous times in which they lived." -Hollywood Reporter
With SOME KIND OF HEAVEN, first-time director Lance Oppenheim cracks the manicured facade of The Villages, America's largest retirement community - a massive, self-contained utopia located in Central Florida. Behind the gates of this palm tree-lined fantasyland, SOME KIND OF HEAVEN invests in the dreams and desires of a small group of Village residents - and one interloper - who are unable to find happiness with the community's pre-packaged paradise. With strikingly composed cinematography, this candy-colored documentary offers a tender and surreal look at the never-ending quest for finding meaning and love in life's final act. "The film deepens and grows more thoughtful...as its spotlight on the need for human connection - at any age - comes into focus." -Washington Post
Cinematically yours,
Rocky