Film Club

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Ok, I'm thinking about starting a club in my school for old films, to see what I find and to have an excuse to show old films(and one other reason, which I will cover in a bit). So I asked my history teacher, and he was all for the idea. I figured that I should start with the beginning of film and Birth of a Nation. He supported it, having never seen the movie. I asked my friend about it, and she also thought it was a great idea, having never seen Birth of a Nation. I then asked my father, who realized that I might have more than one intention here. You see, along with being a spectacular film and a great innovation in directing, Birth of a Nation is also likely to cause massive race riots in my ethnically diverse school. I am well aware of this and want to show it anyway to see the reaction of people, as well as to see said race riots and to inform others. I have a history of doing such, and my father saw right through me. So now he thinks that I shouldn't show it first(or at all). I'm thinking that this is my club, my random psychological human experimentation, my incitation of race riots, and my decision. Should I go over his head?

People complained when my english teacher showed clockwork orange in high school film club but he'd been showing movies for a while so we still got to keep watching stuff in Film Club.


I don't know if Birth of a Nation is the first movie you want to show. If you show other ones first, then people will give the club a chance, and it will still exist if you later decide to show the movie you're thinking about now. If you show it now, they could be irrational and decide to close your club down.

I was confronted by my teacher in high school once for showing bits of footage during a speech from the film American Beauty; one part in which the protaganist is masturbating, and another where this naked lady (partially obscured by rose petals) is on the screen. I hadn't realised it would be seen as offensive (silly me) . I was able to justify showing the footage as part of my speech, so it stayed. As long as you think you can justify your screening of this movie, I think you should go ahead and show it.

I've decided to do it whether my father really likes it or not. I can probably go with some vague little bypass like "I'm handling it" so that he doesn't realize what I'm doing. This whole thing will also serve the purpose of thinning the herd of movie watching idiots who wouldn't appreciate good films.

A very long time ago, I taught film. I don't like DW Griffith, but Birth of a nation is an important film. An uncomfortable film, but an important film. People wouldn't have trouble with your showing "Gone with the Wind," and that's one of the dumbest films I've ever seen.

Stick to your guns!
btdt

If i were you i would tell my dad ok i wont and then do it anyways.