Movie Talk at Rogue Slayer Law Student Movie Fan

Noy Thrupkaew went on down to the American Film Renaissance in Texas this month, to check out the self-proclaimed first film festival for conservatives. He recounts the experience over at The American Prospect, in an article titled Texas Film-School Massacre. His general thoughts on the festival are summed up in this excerpt:

A year and a half ago, the two former law students [the founders of the festival] got the idea to start up their pro-American film festival after they saw that their local theater in Little Rock, Arkansas, was screening only two movies: Frida, about a "communist artist," and Moore's Bowling for Columbine.

"Where were the films for normal people?" Ellen Hubbard asked.

Sadly, not at the AFR.

Throughout the festival he was reminded of Moby Dick (with Michael Moore being the titular character and many of the event attendees taking on the role of Ahab), witnessed many instances of unusual cause and effect analyses, and a bunch of not so great films, but he also saw one or two well-done pieces, and evidence of cultural cross-pollination between the two ends of the political spectrum. He came away with hope that there is at least hope of common ground for discussion between the sides, and where there is discussion, there is hope that each side can come away with at least a slightly better understanding of the other.

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