'The Killing Fields' Screening and Q&A at Triplex Cinema

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GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The Triplex Cinema in Great Barrington is set to host a special fundraising screening of the 1984 film "The Killing Fields" on June 7. 
 
The event will include a post-screening conversation with actor Sam Waterston and filmmaker Matthew Penn.
 
The Triplex Cinema will present a special fundraising screening of Roland Joffe's film "The Killing Fields" on June 7 at 3:00 p.m. The screening will be followed by a conversation with actor Sam Waterston and filmmaker and theatre director Matthew Penn. The film, a biographical drama set in 1973, is based on the experiences of Cambodian journalist Dith Pran and American New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg during the Khmer Rouge regime. The cast includes John Malkovich, Julian Sands, Craig T. Nelson, Spalding Gray, and Athol Fugard.
 
Tickets for the event are available for $60 at www.thetriplexcinema.org.
 
"The Killing Fields" received seven Academy Award nominations in 1985, including Best Picture, and won three Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Haing S. Ngor), Best Cinematography, and Best Editing. Haing S. Ngor, in his debut role, also received the Best Actor award at the British Academy Awards (BAFTA), where the film also won Best Film.
 
Matthew Penn, a recent addition to the Triplex Cinema Board of Directors, said: "We are delighted to have Sam Waterston join us at the Triplex for a Q & A after the screening of The Killing Fields on June 7th. Sam was nominated for an Oscar for his work in this extraordinary and still timely film. This will be a rare opportunity to hear Sam talk about The Killing Fields and his experience working with Haing S. Ngor during the making of this Oscar winning film."
 
Sam Waterston's career spans over six decades, with notable performances on stage, screen, and television. His theatrical credits include numerous New York stage productions, including Shakespearean plays and his Tony Award-nominated portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln on Broadway. His filmography includes "The Great Gatsby," Woody Allen's films "Interiors," "Hannah and Her Sisters," and "Crimes and Misdemeanors." He also had important roles in "Heaven's Gate," and "Nixon" among many other films. On television, Waterston played Jack McCoy in "Law and Order" from 1994-2010 and 2022-2024. Waterston is also involved in various activist causes.
 
Matthew Penn is an Emmy Award-nominated director with extensive experience in theatre and television. His television directing credits include "Law and Order," "The Sopranos," and "NYPD Blue." Penn has directed theatre productions for Barrington Stage, Shakespeare & Company, Berkshire Theatre Group, and The Great Barrington Public Theatre.
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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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