ArtsEmerson Announces The Boston Premiere Of DOWN A DARK STAIRWELL 

ArtsEmerson has announced the digital premiere of Down a Dark Stairwell, a Shared Stories Film Series presentation, opening Friday, February 05 at 7:30PM ET, followed by a live panel discussion with director Ursula Liang and moderated by Denise Khor of UMASS Boston at 9:00PM ET. The documentary and panel discussion will be available for on-demand streaming through Sunday, February 07 at 10:00PM ET.

Detailing one of the largest Asian-American protests in history and a key event in the emerging Black Lives Matter movement, Down a Dark Stairwell is an unflinching documentary directed by Ursula Liang, revealing the insidious effects of White supremacy in American society, persisting even when the participants on both sides of a conflict are people of color.

ArtsEmerson's Executive Director, David C. Howse, shares, "We are thrilled to be working with brilliant filmmaker and Massachusetts native Ursula Liang to present her topical and pivotal documentary film. Down a Dark Stairwell weaves a complex story of racial clash in American society and Liang remains even-handed throughout to get a sense of what is at risk for the people of color on both sides of the conflict. ArtsEmerson's hope through the Shared Stories Film Series is to break down invisible barriers and allow people to share their stories through film, creating a space to find commonalities among strangers. We have a commitment to build conversation and unite diverse communities through the power of cinema."

In Down a Dark Stairwell, a Chinese-American police officer shoots and kills an unarmed Black man in a darkened stairwell of a New York City housing project in 2014, setting off a firestorm of emotion and calls for accountability. In 2016, Peter Liang became the first NYPD officer convicted of an on duty shooting in over a decade, inciting a complicated fight for justice wherein two communities were thrust into the uneven criminal justice system together. Newton, MA native Ursula Liang directs what John Raphling, Senior Researcher of Human Rights Watch calls "a crucial American story of how divisions among racial minorities ultimately serve white supremacy."

"I'm thrilled to be partnering with ArtsEmerson for the Boston premiere of Down a Dark Stairwell," says director Ursula Liang. "I grew up in nearby Newton, MA and have been waiting for the opportunity to bring this story to my hometown. I hope that this case-though based in New York-resonates with audiences across the country; the issues it surfaces, police accountability, solidarity, and our uneven legal system are urgent ones for us all to grapple with."

UMASS Boston is a community partner for this engagement, UMASS Boston supporters include Cinema Studies Program, Asian American Studies Program, American Studies Program, and the Mellon Foundation.

Tickets for Down a Dark Stairwell are Pick Your Price (ranging from $5 - $25) and may be reserved here.

To post a comment, you must register and login.