American Meat

The other day I got an e-mail from the editor of the Oregonian's FoodDay section asking if I'd like to cover a screening of a new movie about the American system of meat production. It took, oh, about three seconds for me to check my calendar and respond in the affirmative.

While Stephen Spielberg's latest film, "Lincoln," and Graham Meriwether's "American Meat" both feature compelling storylines and engaging characters, there won't be any screaming headlines about a hot and heavy box office smackdown. And not just because the A-list actors in "Lincoln" and its upwards-of-$65-million budget dwarf the $250,000 Meriwether spent to make his movie about the farmers who raise the meat we put on our tables.

Meriwether is eschewing theaters for a more direct and, he feels, effective way to engage with his audiences.

"We're using a very unconventional distribution model," he said at a recent screening held at Cinema 21 in Northwest Portland. While most filmmakers apply to festivals such as Sundance or the Toronto International Film Festival and look for a distributor to pick up their film, he said his aim was to get "American Meat" directly to farmers. This fall, he premiered the film at the national conference of the Future Farmers of America (FFA), an organization for young people interested in becoming farmers. He's now screening the film at FFA chapters around the country, as well as at select colleges and universities with strong agricultural programs.

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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.