Monday, September 10, 2007

THE WAR—DOC Film Institute Preview Marathon

Earlier this year Ken Burns participated in the “Witness to War” program curated by the International Center for the Arts and San Francisco State’s DOC Film Institute by previewing two of the programs from his work-in-progress, The War. The DOC Film Institute is pleased to bring Burns back for a marathon preview of his and Lynn Novick’s epic 15-hour film, The War, on September 14-16, 2007, at the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio of San Francisco. Burns will be present each day at selected screenings to introduce episodes and answer audience questions.

A seven-part PBS documentary, The War chronicles the Second World War through the lives of American men and women enmeshed in the shattering events of the time. Six years in the making, The War’s intricate plot focuses on the stories of American citizens from four towns – Waterbury, Connecticut; Mobile, Alabama; Sacramento, California; and Luverne, Minnesota. The DOC Film Institute is screening the film one week prior to its premiere on PBS stations nationwide on September 23, 2007.

The 294-seat Premier Theater at the Letterman Digital Arts Center, ordinarily closed to the public, features state-of-the-art audio-visual technology to provide audiences with an unparalleled experience for The War. A 2K digital cinema projector and digital surround sound offer a pristine cinema experience.

“When Ken saw Episode One of The War at the Premier Theater when we hosted a screening in March, he told me that he’d never seen the film under such excellent conditions,” said Steve Ujlaki, director of the DOC Film Institute. “We’re excited to bring the entire film to LDAC for people to experience Ken’s full vision.”

The DOC Film Institute will preview The War’s seven episodes over three days:

Friday, September 14

Episode One: “A Necessary War” 7:15 p.m.

Saturday, September 15

Episode Two: “When Things Get Tough” 12:00 p.m.
Episode Three: “A Deadly Calling” 2:30 p.m.
Episode Four: “Pride of our Nation” 5:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 16

Episode Five: “FUBAR” 12:00 p.m.
Episode Six: “The Ghost Front” 2:45 p.m.
Episode Seven: “A World Without War” 5:15 p.m.

Tickets are available in a special weekend pass for all episodes at $125 general/$50 students. Individual tickets are also available for $25 general/$10 students. Tickets may be purchased via TicketWeb (http://ticketweb.com). Tickets will also be available on site the day of the event, cash only accepted.