At the heart of Sacramento’s contemporary arts scene is an outstanding start-up nonprofit called Verge Center for the Arts. It’s where all the cool kids convene, and some of this town’s hippest entertainment takes place there.
One of Verge’s best-kept secrets is its Film Series. It’s a mere $7 to watch one of their award-winning picture shows.  Tomorrow (Thursday) at 7:30 p.m., they’re showing “Marwencol,” a film that won the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the South by Southwest Film Festival (talk about cool!), Best Documentary of the Year from the Boston Society of Film Critics and Rotten Tomatoes, and two Independent Spirit Awards. New York Magazine reviewed the film and raved, “About as fascinating as a documentary can get.” Fancy film!
The documentary features the life of Mark Hogancamp, who is beaten into a brain-damaging coma by five teens outside a bar–and lives to tell about it. When he wakes up, he creates “Marwencol,” an imaginary 1/6th scale World War II-era town in his backyard. He takes photographs of the scenes he creates there, and his art is soon discovered by a reputable New York gallery. Suddenly, Mark finds himself choosing between the therapeutic fantasy life he has created and the real world he has avoided since his attack.
Join Verge for the viewing of this powerful film. The price is right ($7), and they provide free popcorn.
The Verge Film Series also offers something unique: a discussion following the film with a host of local experts. These include: Â local artist and former Short Center instructor Skinner, Richard L. Nelson Gallery and UC Davis Fine Arts Collection director Renny Pritikin, UC Davis Neuroscience lab manager and Verge Film Series co-curator Becky Grunewald and clinical psychologist and UC Davis professor of neurology Dr. Kathleen Baynes.
Plus, you’ll be helping out a great cause! For the Verge address and details, visit their website.
The Sac Rag 