Schimmel Center Presents Screening Of Two Groundbreaking Documentaries This Fall

Schimmel Center screens two groundbreaking and timely documentaries this fall.

On Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 7:30 p.m., Sacred: Milestones of a Spiritual Life is shown. Shot by more than 40 filmmaking teams from more than 25 countries, the feature-length documentary immerses the viewer in the daily use of faith and spiritual practice, and explores faith as a primary human experience, looking at its relation to the human life-cycle, and showing how people turn to ritual and prayer to navigate milestones and crises. The film-heralded as a "swirling whirlwind of customs, tradition, joy, and agony" (Entertainment Weekly)-was directed by Academy Award winner Thomas Lennon, and unifies these collected scenes into a single work, told without narration or experts. This is the last time that the film will be shown publicly prior to it being broadcast on PBS on December 10.

Sacred's approach is lyrical and linear, tracing the initiations of infancy, to coming of age ceremonies, and marriage, and illustrates the ways humans remember the deceased, showcasing people from Mandalay, Jerusalem, Andhra Pradesh, Sierra Leone, the Philippines, Louisiana, and beyond. Following the screening, there is a Q&A with Executive Producer Dr. Bill Baker.

Schimmel Center screens the documentary Abacus: Small Enough to Jail on Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. The film tells the saga of the Chinese immigrant Sung family, owners of Abacus Federal Savings bank in Chinatown, New York. Their bank was the only US bank to face criminal charges in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, accused of mortgage fraud by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr.

The film follows the indictment and subsequent trial that forced the Sung family to defend themselves and their bank's legacy in the Chinatown community over the course of a five-year legal battle, and asks fundamental questions about what the purpose of a bank should be in a community, and whether the prosecution of this small financial institution has much larger implications for the role of banks in society. Following the screening, there is a Q&A session with members of the Sung family.

Event Information

Schimmel Center Presents
Sacred: Milestones of a Spiritual Life

Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

Schimmel Center Presents
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail

Wednesday, November 14, 2018 at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available at www.schimmelcenter.org, by calling 212-346-1715 or by visiting the box office located at 3 Spruce Street. The Schimmel Center box office is open Tuesdays through Saturday from Noon to 5:00 p.m. and three hours prior to performances.

Images courtesy of Argot Pictures and Sean Lyness