BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Springshare//LibCal//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT15M BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20241024T213000Z DTEND:20241024T230000Z DTSTAMP:20241024T000000Z SUMMARY:Mary and Molly: a film screening DESCRIPTION:Bangor Public Library is pleased to host a screening of this animated film based on the 2016 play by Donna Loring\, noted Penobscot Nation Tribal Elder\, activist\, and author\, Donna. (27 minutes)\n\nThe film follows Mary\, a young African-American woman living in Bangor\, Maine. She finds a letter from her mother that tells of her Penobscot Indian heritage and the decision that her parents made many years ago to bring her up with only the knowledge of her African-American heritage. After opening the letter on her 21st Birthday\, Mary goes to the Bangor Public Library and learns of Molly Molasses\, her Penobscot Ancestor\, and connects with her Penobscot ancestry for the first time. The film tackles Black and Brown issues of race\, heritage\, and the choosing of identity.\n\nDirected by Donna Loring and David Camlin with casting and dialog direction by Margo Lukens\, the film features the creative work of indigenous creators and collaborators. Original artwork was created by Penobscot visual artists Shannon Sockalexis and Ann Pollard-Ranco and Mali Obomsawin‘s (Odanak Abenaki) music scores the film.\n\nFollowing the screening\, Donna Loring will moderate a panel conversation centering around the film itself\, native issues of sovereignty\, and child welfare\; in addition to the panelist's perspectives and reactions to the film's themes\, and characters\, an audience Q&A will follow.\n\nSPEEDWELL Contemporary is pleased to present the animated film adaptation of ‘Mary and Molly’ a 20-minute long animated film based on the 2016 play of the same title by noted Penobscot Nation Tribal Elder\, activist\, author\, Donna Loring.\n\nThis project was made possible with the support of grants from the Maine Community Foundation\, the OAK Foundation\, the Glickman Lauder Foundation\, and the Maine Humanities Council.\n\nPlease note: This film contains offensive language and references sexual assault. It may not be suitable for children.\n\nThe Panelists\n\nDonna Loring\n\nDonna Loring is an elder/ former Council member of the Penobscot Indian Nation. She was the Nation’s Representative to the Maine State Legislature for twelve years. Donna authored “An Act to Require Teaching Maine Native American History and Culture in Maine’s Schools” Governor King signed the Act into law on June 14th 2001. The law is changing the way Maine views it’s history. She hosts her own radio show\, Wabanaki Windows at WERU Community Radio in Orland. In May of 2008 Donna’s book titled “In The Shadow of the Eagle A Tribal Representative in Maine” was published. In 2010 Donna wrote her first Play: The Glooskape Chronicles: creation and the Venetian Basket.\n\nIn 2017 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Maine Orono. In 2021 she was given the Courage is Contagious Award by the University of Maine Law School. In 2022 she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Thomas College Waterville Maine. She was appointed to the University of Maine System Board of Trustees to fill the first Wabanaki Permanent Seat by Wabanaki Chiefs and Governor Janet Mills 2022.\n\nMargo Lukens\n\nMargo Lukens retired recently from 31 years as an English professor at the University of Maine\, specializing in literature of Anglo-American colonization and Indigenous literatures\, with particular interest in Native American and First Nations drama. Since 2003\, along with her late colleague playwright William S. Yellow Robe\, Jr.\, Margo worked with UMaine students and Wabanaki community members producing and directing plays by Indigenous playwrights\, including LeAnne Howe & Roxy Gordon (Indian Radio Days)\, Donna Loring (The Glooskape Chronicles and Mary & Molly)\, Tomson Highway (The Rez Sisters)\, and William Yellow Robe (The Independence of Eddie Rose\, Better-n-Indins\, A Stray Dog\, Rez Politics\, etc.). \n\nIn 2015-2016 she served as consultant with Penobscot Nation writers and language carriers who created the script of Transformer Tales for production by the Dramatic Academy of Penobscot Theatre in 2016\; in 2024 she was dramaturg for the script’s full production as My Story Is Gluskabe in PTC’s 50th season. As an actor/director she has worked with Penobscot Theatre Company\, Maine Shakespeare Festival\, Northern Lights Theatre\, Ten Bucks Theatre\, Orono High School\, Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Maine\, The Penobscot (Nation) Players\, Seven Eagles Productions\, Threadbare Theatre Workshop\, and was a founding member of Orono Community Theatre. During the pandemic\, she directed Wabanaki REACH volunteers and citizens of Wabanaki nations in an entirely Zoom-based film production of Indian Radio Days. \n\nIn September 2023 she portrayed State Rep. Bonnie Post in Where the River Widens\, a play about the Maine Indian Land Claims\, devised by members of Wabanaki REACH and Threadbare Theatre and performed at Indian Island on the banks of the Penobscot River. A co-author of “Still They Remember Me\,” a bilingual book of traditional Penobscot stories (University of Massachusetts Press 2021)\, she is presently at work on publishing volume 2 of Penobscot stories and creating a digital Wabanaki Resources Portal. She currently serves on the board of Penobscot Theatre Company.\n\nElizabeth Sockbeson\nElizabeth Sockbeson\, a Penobscot Nation Tribal Elder\, has dedicated her life to serving her community. She worked as the Director of Housing and Weatherization for the Penobscot Nation\, focusing on ensuring adequate housing and resources for the tribal members. Additionally\, she spent over a decade on the Tribal Council and served on both the Health and Housing Committees\, contributing significantly to the well-being and sustainability of the Penobscot Nation.\n\nFor more information about the film and its creators\, visit SPEEDWELL Contemporary's website.\n\n“The fascinating piece to this film is Molly Molasses taking Mary back in time to Bangor in the 1800's and teaching her about her Penobscot heritage. The film is about the taking of Indian Children from their homes by the State but is also about identity and if Mary will recognize her Penobscot heritage.” - Donna Loring. LOCATION:Norman Minsky Lecture Hall ORGANIZER;CN="Candis Joyce":MAILTO:candis.joyce@bangorpubliclibrary.org CATEGORIES:Arts & Culture CONTACT;CN="Candis Joyce":MAILTO:candis.joyce@bangorpubliclibrary.org STATUS:CONFIRMED UID:LibCal-12826708 URL:https://bangorpubliclibrary.libcal.com/event/12826708 X-MICROSOFT-CDO-BUSYSTATUS:BUSY BEGIN:VALARM TRIGGER:-PT15M ACTION:DISPLAY DESCRIPTION:Reminder END:VALARM END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR