Virtual Screening Of Award Winning Documentary Ashes To Ashes
Photo: UMass College of Humanities and Fine Arts
Source: UMass College of Humanities and Fine Arts
The public is invited to join the College of Humanities and Fine Arts at UMass Amherst for a virtual screening of Ashes to Ashes, followed by a discussion with Dr. Shirley Jackson Whitaker, a resident of Amherst whose work as an artist and activist are the driving force behind the film. Joining Dr. Whitaker in the post-film discussion will be HFA Assistant Dean Evan Lewis.
Directed by Taylor Rees, Ashes to Ashes earned high praise as the “Best Documentary Short” at the 2020 River Run International Film Festival and received consideration for an Academy Award the same year. The film explores the pain and triumph of Winfred Rembert, who, at the time of the film’s making was the only living survivor of an attempted lynching, and chronicles his friendship with Dr. Whitaker, who is on a mission to memorialize the forgotten 4,000 African Americans lynched during the Jim Crow era. Together, their journeys of healing paint a powerful portrait.
The screening will be on Wednesday, February 23 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. The event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Register for the event here.
Learn more about the film and about Dr. Whitaker’s work as a practicing physician and artist. View the event page here.
