The filmmaker of “Living in the Story,” Lynn Estomin, will screen her film on Tuesday, April 2nd at 7 p.m. in I.G. Greer Theater. This film will be screened as part of the Sustainability Film Series, sponsored by the Office of Sustainability.
“Living in the Story” documents thirty-five years of art making by the distinguished photographic artist Patrick Ryoichi Nagatani, one of the most brilliant photographic artists of our era. In the late 1970s, he pioneered the Contemporary Constructed Photographic Movement in Los Angeles, developing a new visual vocabulary by constructing tableau photographs from sets, sculptures, models and paintings.
“Over twenty years ago, I had the privilege of meeting and becoming friends with Patrick Nagatani, a truly exceptional artist, activist and storyteller. Patrick was an amazing mentor whose enthusiasm for life and photography, and his innovative approach to combining storytelling, history, politics, identity, community and multiple mediums into seamless imagery greatly influenced my own approach to creating art on political and cultural issues. He was a kind, gentle, thoughtful, compassionate and generous person,” stated filmmaker Lynn Estomin.
The film portrays an artist deeply concerned and well informed about world events who uses imagery, storytelling and narrative fiction to raise awareness about modern anxieties, with an emphasis on the threat of nuclear weapons technology. Nagatani has also explored healing techniques and states of consciousness in which the material world is transcended.
Estomin is a video and interactive media artist who creates art that speaks to social issues. As an artist who deals with political subjects, she is interested in human stories and what they tell us about society. Estomin has directed nine documentaries on a variety of human rights issues including domestic violence, women in the military, garment workers, Katrina, teenage pregnancy and racial profiling. Her award-winning documentaries have been exhibited at film festivals internationally and broadcast nationally on PBS. Estomin is Professor of Digital Art and Design Emeritus at Lycoming College in Pennsylvania.
“I was honored and humbled to collaborate on creating “Living in the Story,” a documentary about his life and work. I say collaborate because filmmaking is always a collaborative process; but also, because Patrick was very much a partner in this project. It is his story; the film is driven by his personality, storytelling and art,” concluded Estomin.
For more information, visit University College.
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About Sustainability at Appalachian
Appalachian State University’s leadership in sustainability is known nationally. The university’s holistic, three-branched approach considers sustainability economically, environmentally and equitably in relationship to the planet’s co-inhabitants. The university is an active steward of the state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources and challenges students and others think critically and creatively about sustainability and what it means from the smallest individual action to the most broad-based applications. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate academic degree programs that focus on sustainability. In addition, 100 percent of Appalachian’s academic departments offer at least one sustainability course or course that includes sustainability, and all students graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome.
About Appalachian State University Documentary Film Services
University Documentary Film Services at Appalachian State University teaches, engages in and presents documentary work grounded in collaborative local and global partnerships. Photography, film/video, audio and narrative writing are used to capture and convey memory, life, research, theory and culture. Additionally, the program provides professional consultation to students, faculty and staff engaged in documentary projects; maintains an archive of campus documentary work; hosts workshops for the campus community; and coordinates screenings of both finished and ongoing documentaries produced by Appalachian faculty and staff, as well as visiting professional documentarians. It is a unit within Appalachian's University College. Learn more at https://doc.appstate.edu.
Living in the Story poster
Living in the Story poster