We screened the 2018 Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts last night. They were a powerful and moving batch of films (with the exeption of the hilarious Australian comedy: 11 O'clock).
When they ended, the crowd streamed out of the auditorium trading opinions about what they had seen. I overheard a group discussing the first film, DeKalb Elementary. Someone was saying that things would not have happened the way they did in the film, which was about an encounter between a potential school shooter and the receptionist at the school. About that time, someone came from the auditorium to tell me that the actress who played the heroic receptionist was there at the Strand. "What, really?"
Really. Mississippi actress, Tarra Riggs, the star of DeKalb Elementary, had heard the Strand was the only theater in the region screening the films, so she came over to see it on the big screen.
She might have been hoping to sneak in, see the films, and sneak out, but instead she came out to the lobby for an "up close and personal" talk with those who hadn't left yet. She graciously answered all their questions about the film and more. And, yes, the incidents in the film did go down pretty much as the film depicts. Tarra has been in a number of Mississippi related films (including The Help which screened in Jackson at the Museum Friday night.). We're hoping to have her back at the Strand for a screening of one of her other projects.
So, look, don't miss our films, and don't hurry out when they end. Stick around to talk about them. You never know who will emerge from the dark theater.
