When Art Sparks Action | Meaningful Movies -📍 Ridgefield, WA

Meaningful Movies inspires audiences to take civic action towards justice and peace. Through open discussion, the organization’s branches across the nation are changing the world for the better. The Ridgefield branch brings this connection to its own community (and hopefully beyond, too!), inspiring local audiences and high school students to make change for good right in their own backyards.

🗺️ Visit them at:

• Meaningfulmovies.org
• Instagram 
• Facebook 
• Or come to a showing at Old Liberty Theater, 115 N Main Ave, Ridgefield, WA, 98642

👀 For pictures and more, visit the episode page.

🎉 This episode also celebrates:

• Old Liberty Theater / Seasons Coffee 
• Ridgefield Multicultural Initiative
• Front Porch Books
• Unite Ridgefield, High School Club
• Pacific Island Community of Oregon / NW

⭐️ Thank you to our sponsor, Johnson Bixby.

Transcript

When Art Sparks Action | Meaningful Movies -📍 Ridgefield, WA

Adriana: [00:00:00] Let's talk about hope in times like these. Ugh, in times like these. I know, I know everybody. We've said it over and over again, but unfortunately, we're still having to live over and over again while things feel chaotic, scary, not hopeful at all. Maybe you feel a sense of malaise or confusion. What do we do in times like these?

And one of the things that seems really weird sometimes is making art, making a podcast. What are we really doing when we do stuff like that? Are we helping? Are we distracting ourselves? There's a place for that. Distraction can be really helpful and restful. And we know that rest is really important in times like these, but sometimes I wonder where I can find the art that's speaking to times like these in our present moment, like right [00:01:00] now.

And one of the places where I have recently found that is in a documentary film series and series of conversations that is happening up in Ridgefield at the Meaningful Movies Project. So here's what they do. Every quarter they choose a movie that is related to what is happening right now. It's a documentary and they actually wait,

the people who organize it, they wait until about a month before the screening to choose their topic because in times like these things are happening so fast and they want to be able to respond in the moment. So they pick a film, a documentary film, and they show it at the Old Liberty Theater in downtown Ridgefield, and they invite the whole community, everybody from all over - Portland, Clark Count, Cowlitz

County, you name it. And we all go to the movie theater and we watch a documentary, and then there's a panel afterward, immediately [00:02:00] following. And what's amazing about this is the whole audience stays for the panel. They watch the film and then they stay for the panel. And in that panel conversation,

people talk about what they've seen on the screen and what's happening in our community right now and what we can do about it. Whether that's taking action, whether that's connecting with our community, whether it's just information so we know more about this topic and can be more aware about what our friends and neighbors might be going through or experiencing.

It's a really meaningful and powerful experience of sitting in a room together and watching a piece of art and then immediately doing something with it. So their purpose is to gather, educate, advocate, build meaningful and sustainable community, defend justice, and work for peace. I mean, can we all get on board with that? To build meaningful community, defend justice, and work for peace, and [00:03:00] doing that all through the lens of documentary, film, art, and collective conversation.

I'm here for it, and I think a lot of you listening are probably here for it, too. So on today's episode, I sit down with two of the organizers, Rose Piccioni and Casey Fisher. Their third organizer, Ernie Guerrero, was unable to join us, but the trifecta of Ernie, Rose, and Casey are the core people who put this together every quarter.

And in this episode, you're also going to hear them talk about the exciting collaboration that's starting to happen with high school students in our area who want to gather their own community and have conversations across age groups about what we can do to make us all feel that hope just a little bit more.

So I hope that you will enjoy this conversation, enjoy learning about what they're up to, and then join us for the next event [00:04:00] on February 18th. It is free and all of the information on that is in the show notes, so maybe I'll see you next week at the Old Liberty Theater in Ridgefield for the next in the series of Meaningful Movies.

Welcome to I’m Into This Place, your deep dive into the local arts, culture, and heritage of Clark County. From fabulous new restaurants to quirky art installations to the historical sites you never even knew to look for, we’re inviting you along. Whether you're a Clark County connoisseur or just starting to get to know her, get ready to fall head over heels for this place we call home. I'm your host, Adriana Baer, and I'm into this place. Let's go.

Casey and Rose, welcome to I'm Into This Place. I'm so happy to have you both here to talk about [00:05:00] Meaningful Movies, art as, social activism, documentary films, all of it. So welcome. 

Rose: Thank you. Happy to be here. 

Adriana: So let's jump in to talking about Meaningful Movies in general. So Meaningful Movies is a national organization.

Um, can you, Casey, tell me a little bit about what it is? 

Casey: Uh, in 2003, a group of neighbors in Seattle, Washington, uh, came together because they were concerned about the military consequences that were happening, actions that were happening in Iraq. And they came together as a community in this small neighborhood to see what they could do as a community just in this small town.

Um, 'cause they wanted to take action. So that happened in 2003. About five years later. Megan Dudley, Uh, a Ridgefield resident. 

Adriana: Yeah. Who we featured on the Ridgefield Multicultural Initiative and Festival episode. Check that out. We'll link it in the show notes. 

Casey: She is pretty fantastic. She brought [00:06:00] Meaningful Movies to Ridgefield.

Adriana: So the Seattle organizers.

I love that story. Just that it was a group of neighbors who came together to want to. Talk about things and they did it through the lens of seeing films and having discussions around them. Um, a recent episode we had was an interview with Beth Harrington, who's a local documentary filmmaker, and I think that the art of documentary film is so unique, um, and so powerful.

Right, because you get these like images and like stories very, very present, and it's all real. And as she says, truth is stranger than fiction. You don't need to make stuff up to have an important and interesting conversation. 

Casey: Absolutely. 

Adriana: So now that we've got meaningful movies in Richfield, what is the vision or the goal, or even just the mission of the project for our community?

Rose: I think our goal [00:07:00] together would be really to bring community together and engage through films and um, then the meaningful discussions afterwards and just building a network of folks that can work on racial and social justice issues and take action and change the world and make it a more peaceful and just place.

Adriana: I love that goal. That is a mighty, mighty, meaningful goal inside of, you know, she, you started off with like, it's just to come together to see a film and change the world for peace and justice for all. I love that because that's, that's actually exactly what you're doing, right? You really are! Because you're bringing people together to see these important films

and have a conversation and it sparks [00:08:00] something. And as we all know, that one spark can lead to a movement. Let's talk about how, like, literally what it is. I sort of jumped into the, the big picture, but like, okay: Meaningful Movies is: every quarter you show a film. 

Casey: We try to be as current and as relevant.

Um, things that matter to us, things that are happening in our lives, to our children, to our families, to our community, to the world. I mean, our intent is to find something that's, uh, prevalent. And then once we, we decide on a film, we contact the distributor, the director, uh, whoever has the rights to the film. We ask for permission.

Uh, often there's a, a cost involved.  

Rose: We start with a distributor, but oftentimes we don't hear back from them, and we're like. Our film date's coming up. Do we have permission to show this film? And we search out different avenues. Okay, this isn't working. Let's go to the director. 

Adriana: This is something that Beth Harrington talked [00:09:00] about quite a bit, was that, you know, the documentary filmmakers, usually it's the director who's also the producer on the thing and is making it.

Way, way, way, way, way long before there's a distributor involved. And sometimes there's never a distributor at all. And so they sometimes have worked on a film for 10 years and then a company comes in the last five seconds and says, sure, sure, we'll, we'll help you get the word out. So it doesn't surprise me that you have better luck going to the creators themselves.

So. When you choose your films that are about a certain topic that's going on currently, then you also pair it with a post-screening conversation. 

Casey: Yes. 

Adriana: And that conversation, you welcome panelists and you kind of set it up depending on the content of the film, right? 

Casey: Correct. 

Adriana: So when I came to the [00:10:00] last screening,

it was, the film was called “Running to Stand Still,” a beautiful film about immigration and people who get stuck at the border. I cried multiple times during the screening, as I think a lot of people did. There were a few things that. I was really interested in, first of all, the theater that you do it in, it's called The Old Liberty in downtown Ridgefield, was packed.

It was completely full. Um, and everybody stayed for the conversation afterward, right? They didn't just watch the film, which is by the way, free so. Alert, everybody can come. Free donations, of course, welcome. But they didn't just come for the film. They were really there for the whole event, which includes the post-screening conversation with this group of panelists who were brilliant and fascinating, and it seemed like the community was.

Really, really engaged in the dialogue with the panelists. Then the conversation [00:11:00] very naturally transitioned into what kind of action can we take about this issue in our community. 

Rose: That part is really the, to me, the richest part of the, the evening, and sometimes folks in the audience. They share very vulnerable stuff of something that may have happened to them.

And then after that discussion, the speakers will stay upfront. Typically, several members of the audience will go up and, and introduce themselves to the speakers and maybe ask questions or talk about things that they might not have wanted to say in front of the whole group. And that part is really pretty special. For this particular film,

there's, there's been quite a bit of action that has come out of it. 

Adriana: That's so exciting. That's like the whole goal, right? Is we come together, we have these conversations, we see this film and [00:12:00] action occurs. And so the mission that you said, well, we're just gonna show this film and change the world. Yes.

That's actually happening. That's so cool. Why do you think that the movie piece is important? I'm interested because panels can create action, right? We know that. People can get together, they can talk about issues, they can then go out and do things. What is it about showing a film, a piece of art at the beginning of an event like that, that makes the panel and then the subsequent action happen, or more powerful?

Casey: The films allow the audience to see things that they don't always see in their community. So, even though we have our panel that's, that's tied to the film, that's tied to the topic, it's not always a part of their lives. So it gives them an opportunity to kind of look inward and see, oh, hey, you know, this, [00:13:00] these, these are our neighbors.

These are, um, you know, people that my kids go to school with. Um, so I think it just, it just ties everything in together. So you see the film, you see the reality, you see things that you don't see in your normal day life. And then after the film, you hear speakers that are impacted and it just makes you more aware that, oh, these are our neighbors.

Adriana: Yeah, 

Casey: It is very powerful when you hear their voices and their experiences. 

Adriana: You know, normally I'm talking to the filmmaker or the artist, but it really felt important to me to showcase meaningful movies as a way of talking about how art can lead to social justice and can lead to real change in our communities. It has the power to change people's lives.

Let's talk about your next event. So next week on the 18th, [00:14:00] your quarterly film this time is going to be presented in coordination with students from Ridgefield High School. Casey, tell me about those students and and your relationship with them. 

Casey: The students are a part of a club called Unite Ridgefield.

It was started, I think 2018 at the high school, and they've been coming to our films for the last probably five, six years. And we reached out to them and said, “Hey, you know, if you ever wanna show a film, we will, we would love to support that.” And they've chosen to take us up on that. 

Adriana: And Rose, what are they gonna be talking about?

Rose: They have chosen a film on gun violence in America since they've chosen this film. It's something that is affecting our kids in schools. 

Adriana: I think this is a really cool way for them, for anybody really, but especially for students to feel empowered to try to [00:15:00] have a conversation and maybe take some action in a place that many people feel disempowered.

Um. With gun violence in general in our communities. So to bring it to the forefront, be able to talk about it in this context seems really powerful. So the events are at the Old Liberty movie theater in downtown Ridgefield. It's a super cool old space. 

Casey: The movies are, uh, typically on a Wednesday.

Doors open at 5:30. Film starts at six o'clock. We welcome donations. But it's free for everyone. We just want people to come and participate or just come. 

Adriana: Yeah,. 

Casey: Just come and experience. 

Rose: Being out in the community, there have been a couple people that have come up to us and didn't realize that we have to get permission to screen to the public, and we, and we typically have to pay and we pay for the [00:16:00] theater as well. Donations keep us sustainable. 

Adriana: I know that you at one point received a grant from the Cowlitz Foundation. 

Rose: That is a funny story. We wanted to show a film and the screening cost was 400 and some dollars, and we had, I think about 250 in our bank account.

So Casey wrote them and asked them if they would sponsor us for $250. And the foundation officer, Sarah wrote back and said, “Can we have a conversation?” And she was like, “Oh, no, no, no, no, no. Nobody has ever asked us for that little amount of money and we're gonna give you $3,000.”

Adriana: And that's gone to programming costs to making sure that you can pay for these films and all of that. 

Casey: Yes. 

Rose: We have a particular community member that has sponsored about, well, at least two of our films. 

Casey: They’re big sponsors at the Juneteenth. 

Adriana: That's an important thing too, just like we have. [00:17:00] Individual episode sponsors on the podcast, people can also be screening sponsors of one of the films, either an issue that they're particularly passionate about or they just want to engage more, making this project possible here. Um, so that's, that's a wonderful opportunity for community engagement as well. 

What is your big vision? What would you love to see as the ripple effect? 

Casey: I would love to see us get more children involved, get more, uh, students involved, just to make them aware, like social justice is so important. I would like us to have an opportunity to maybe have the schools, you know, want us to come.

We did an event at the library for kids one year. I would love for us to just be able to go out in the community more on a, on a bigger scale. 

Adriana: One of the things I really appreciate about this tiny but mighty organization is how responsive you're able to be to the current topics. I think sometimes when organizations are really large or they have a big staff or a really big [00:18:00] budget, it's kind of hard to be responsive, but it sounds like you are really able to say, “What's

happening right now that we can actually talk about and respond to?” And I think that makes people feel that the event is important and that their work can have an impact. It's something that's happening now, they can do something about. It's interesting because it takes a really long time to make a film.

Casey: Mm-hmm. 

Adriana: But. You are somehow able to take these films that have been made and crafted and beautifully edited and put together by filmmakers and historians and researchers and scholars, and put them in present tense with people talking about the issues that are happening right now. And that kind of beautiful juxtaposition of this work, this body of work, that was made and crafted to tell a certain [00:19:00] story.

And then the, and here's what's happening right now in, in our front and backyards, um, that is really, I think, fulfilling that mission of art as social activism or art and social activism together. Um, I think it's really cool what you guys are doing. I'm really excited about it. I hope everybody gets to come and see your films.

I wish there wasn't so much need for what you're doing in our world, but there is. And we're grateful that you're doing it, so I want to thank you both for being here with me today. As always, I will put links to everything so people can find all of your upcoming information in the show notes and on the episode page for this episode.

But before I let you both go, as you know, at the end of every episode, I ask [00:20:00] what places or people are you really into? So this gives you a chance to shout out some other cool organizations. While you're thinking about that, I wanna remind our listeners, uh, about our newsletter. Are you signed up for our newsletter yet?

If you're not, it's super easy. The link is in the show notes and that is the best way to get special ticket offers, event updates, and to see photos and videos of our podcast guests. When you sign up for our newsletter, you really help us grow and gain sponsors who can help support this free arts and culture content.

Okay. Casey and Rose, what places are you really into these days? 

Casey: Well, I'm really into Front Porch Books. It's a little bookstore that our friend Josie started in downtown Ridgefield on her porch, and she likes to focus on, um, building community through diverse literature. Uh, it's pretty fantastic. She's open on Saturdays.

She has [00:21:00] different events, um, but check her out. 

Rose: I am really into Old Liberty Theater and Season's Coffee. Season's Coffee is open seven days a week. You'll surely make a friend and have a good cup of coffee. 

Adriana: Casey and Rose, thank you so much for being here today. 

Rose: Thank you. So much. 

Adriana: And now let's hear from you.

This is our Community Voices segment, where you call in to shout out your favorites in local arts, culture, and heritage. Community Voices is sponsored by Johnson Bixby, Vancouver's woman-owned, women-led financial planning and portfolio management firm helping you plan for and celebrate life's possibilities.

Advisory Services by Johnson Bixby, SEC registered. Securities through private client services. Member FINRA/SIPC. 

Guest: Hi there, it's Gemma. I want to give a shout out to the Pico Pacific Islands Community [00:22:00] of Oregon. I also wanted to give a shout out to the, um, PICO for the work that you do as well for Vancouver, Washington and also up north.

I do wanna give a shout out as well to the newly made Pacific Islander Coalition of Southwest. Washington. Hopefully you guys will make as much impact as you do in your individual spaces. Shout out to you guys. 

Adriana: We'd love to hear from you. What are your favorite spots in Clark County? Who really deserves a shout out?

Give us a call and leave a message or send us a voice note via email. All the details on how to do that are in the show notes. 

I'm Into This Place is produced and edited by me, Adriana Baer. Engineering and mixing by Shawn Lee Martin. You can find out more about Meaningful Movies and about us by visiting imintothisplace.com. See you out there. [00:23:00]