Naked Ladies Redux

We wrote a couple of weeks ago about a documentary made here in Portland recounting the story of famed photographer Edward Weston and his wife, Charis Wilson, which was making its world premier at the NW Film Center. The premier itself was completely sold out, with so much demand for tickets that the venue was moved from the Whitsell Auditorium to a much larger room at the Masonic Hall. Despite the move, there were so many people clamoring for tickets that they presented a simultaneous showing at the Whitsell, and had a second showing after that!

The movie itself, titled The Eloquent Nude: The Love and Legacy of Edward Weston and Charis Wilson, was a moving and exceptional story about Weston at the peak of his powers and the young woman who was his model, muse and, eventually, his wife. The story is related in interviews with Charis, now 92, and in very well-done silent black-and-white reenactments that were filmed using period-appropriate cameras and film that fill in the gaps between interviews and photographs from the period.

If you weren't one of the nearly 1,000 people who saw the film that first night and are interested in seeing it, it's coming to Cinema 21 for one week, from Mar. 31 through April 5. It's one you will want to see, whether you're interested in photography or just want to see a very well-made film about a passionate, creative couple who made history together. I can't recommend this highly enough, and I guarantee you'll be glad you went.

Details: The Eloquent Nude: The Love and Legacy of Edward Weston and Charis Wilson at Cinema 21. Mar. 31-Apr. 5; nightly at 7 pm and Sat.-Sun. at 2 pm. Cinema 21, 616 NW 21st Ave. Phone 503-223-4515.

Naked Ladies!

Now that I've got your attention, I have to admit that we're talking about nudes here...the kind of naked ladies that don't want your lust as much as they (or the artist) want to pique your interest. The artist, in this case, is one of the best naked-lady-artists (or artists, period) ever to hoist a camera, Edward Weston. And the naked lady of the title is his model and, eventually, his wife, Charis Wilson.

The point is, the NW Film Center is premiering a movie about them called The Eloquent Nude: The Love and Legacy of Edward Weston and Charis Wilson. It was made by Northwest Documentary Arts and Media, a local production company dedicated to creating quality documentary works in the Pacific Northwest. The story of this couple's passionate relationship and collaboration in creating some of the most significant photographic work of our time is told by Charis Wilson herself. Now age 91, she fills in the often-overlooked intimate details of their relationship and how it shaped modern American photography.

Details: The Eloquent Nude: The Love and Legacy of Edward Weston and Charis Wilson. Mar. 8, 7 pm. Tickets $7 available at the NW Film Center website. Whitsell Auditorium, 1219 SW Park Ave. Phone 503-221-1156.