Triplex Special Screening of 'A Complete Unknown'

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.—The Triplex Cinema announces a special screening on Sunday, Jan. 5 of the critically-acclaimed film "A Complete Unknown," directed by James Mangold and starring Timothee Chalamet, Monica Barbara, Edward Norton and Elle Fanning.

Based on the Elijah Wald book "Dylan Goes Electric," the film portrays Bob Dylan through his earliest folk music success until the momentous controversy over his use of electric instruments at the 1965 Newport Film Festival. The title of the film comes from the chorus of Dylan’s 1965 hit single "Like a Rolling Stone." 

Released on Dec. 25, "A Complete Unknown" has been widely praised by critics and nominated for many critical awards, and early box office returns suggest a major financial success. Tickets are available at www.thetriplex.org.

Seth Rogovoy is a longtime music critic and cultural journalist working in the Hudson Valley and the Berkshires. His 2009 book "Bob Dylan: Prophet Mystic Poet" is a full-length analysis of the life and work of Bob Dylan, focusing on the different strands of Judaism that appear throughout Dylan’s songs, revealing the ways in which Dylan walks in the footsteps of the Jewish Prophets. Rogovoy explains the profound depth of Jewish content - drawn from the Bible, the Talmud, and the Kabbalah - at the heart of Dylan’s music, and demonstrates how his music can best be appreciated in light of Dylan’s relationship to Judaism and the Jewish themes that inform them.

In 2024 Oxford University Press published "Within You Without You: Listening to George Harrison," a highly personal exploration of George Harrison’s essential contributions to the Beatles and his solo work, as well as his significant role as a Western proponent of Indian music and beliefs. Harrison had a close relationship with Bob Dylan; Dylan joined Harrison as a performer at the 1971 "Concert for Bangladesh" and they were both members of the 1980’s supergroup "The Traveling Wilburys," along with Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.

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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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