Triplex Screens Norman Mailer Documentary

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Triplex Cinema announces a special screening of "How to Come Alive with Norman Mailer," a documentary film which looks at Mailer's legacy as a two-time Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, speaker, filmmaker and cultural icon. 
 
Following the Aug. 9 screening will be a talkback with Mailer's daughter Maggie, who lives in Lenox and Lenox bookstore owner Matt Tannenbaum. Tickets are available at the Triplex Cinema website.
 
According to a press release:
 
Directed by Jeff Zimbalist, the documentary includes frank discussions with some of Mailer's children and ex-wives, and explores the rollercoaster life of one of America's most controversial and bestselling authors of the 20th century. This is the first project to be made with the full access and cooperation of Mailer's family and their extensive archive. The film includes never-before-seen footage, outtakes, audio recordings and numerous interviews. 
 
Jeffrey Zimbalist is a multi-Emmy and Peabody award winning filmmaker, known for many films including "Favela Rising" (HBO), "The Two Escobars" (ESPN), "Momentum Generation" (HBO) and "Pele: Birth of a Legend" (Magnolia), among many others. 
 
Maggie Mailer is an artist whose work explores overlaps between landscape and inner states of being. Her projects include founding The Storefront Artist Project, an ephemeral Artist Residency program in Pittsfield Massachusetts which ran from 2002 - 2012 and presented artists at work in real time as a continual public performance. The project is credited with jumpstarting the revival of the city of Pittsfield, and has been used as a model for the regeneration of other cities across the country. Mailer is the recipient of grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, A.R.T. Grant. 
 
Triplex Cinema, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit showing movies for all, providing a space where people from the Berkshires and beyond discover filmed entertainment - first-run, independent, foreign language, classic, children's and documentary - while also showcasing locally produced films and thematic programming. The Triplex partners with schools and local nonprofits to enable programming that speaks to the needs of our community. Visit us at thetriplex.org.
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Reps. Leigh Davis, Bud Williams Filing Legislation Honoring Freeman

SHEFFIELD, Mass. — State Reps. Leigh Davis of the 3rd Berkshire District and Bud L. Williams, of the 11th Hampden District, are filing legislation establishing Aug. 22 as Elizabeth Freeman Day of Equality, Healing, and Remembrance in the commonwealth.
 
The legislation would direct the governor to annually issue a proclamation recognizing the courageous contributions of Elizabeth Freeman, an enslaved Black woman known as Mum Bett, whose landmark freedom suit helped spark the legal end of slavery in Massachusetts.
 
"Elizabeth Freeman's story began here in the Berkshires, but its impact reached every corner of the commonwealth," said Davis. "More than two centuries later, her legacy continues to inspire us. Establishing Elizabeth Freeman Day will ensure that future generations learn not only about her extraordinary bravery, but also about the power of one person to change the course of history."
 
In 1781, Freeman, of Sheffield at the time, challenged the institution of slavery by filing suit against her enslaver, Col. John Ashley. In the landmark case Brom and Bett v. Ashley, a Berkshire County jury ruled in favor of Freeman and her fellow plaintiff, Brom, granting them their freedom. The case demonstrated the power of the Massachusetts Constitution's declaration that all people are born free and equal and helped pave the way for the Quock Walker decisions that ultimately ended slavery in the commonwealth. 
 
"Freeman's courage changed the course of history in Massachusetts," said Williams. "At a time when the odds were stacked against her, she stood up and demanded that the promises of liberty and equality contained in our Constitution apply to her as well. She risked everything to challenge an unjust system, and her victory helped lay the foundation for the end of slavery in our commonwealth. Her legacy deserves to be recognized and remembered by every resident of Massachusetts."
 
Although unable to read or write, Freeman understood the meaning of freedom and equality and took extraordinary action to secure those rights for herself and others. Her story remains one of the most powerful examples of individual courage in the face of injustice. 
 
Elizabeth Freeman Day will provide an opportunity for reflection, education, healing, and remembrance, said Williams. 
 
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