Screen scene: Local film news

THE DOCTOR IS IN: Surgeon Atul Gawande and his book 'Being Mortal' are the subject of a PBS documentary by the same name. Four Seasons presents a screening of the film. Photo courtesy of Frontline/PBS

Four Seasons presents a screening of Being Mortal on Friday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. at Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St. Based on the best-selling book by surgeon Atul Gawande, the PBS “Frontline” documentary explores what matters most to patients and families facing serious illness. A reception will precede the film at 5:30 p.m. Free. To reserve your seat, call 828-254-1320 or email cdavis@fourseasonscfl.org. ashevilletheatre.org

Grail Moviehouse, 45 S. French Broad Ave., and the Asheville Jewish Community Center’s monthly Israeli Film Series continues Sunday, Nov. 12, at 3 p.m. with The Women’s Balcony. Emil Ben-Shimon‘s 2016 dramedy follows an Orthodox congregation in the days after its synagogue’s women’s balcony collapses, leaving the rabbi’s wife in a coma. When a young church leader starts pushing his fundamentalist ways and tries to take control, the women’s friendships are tested, which results in a rift between the sexes. A discussion will follow the film. Tickets are $7 and available online or at the Grail box office. grailmoviehouse.com

Tranzmission presents a screening of Pay It No Mind: The Life and Times of Marsha P. Johnson at Kairos West Community Center, 610 Haywood Road, on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 6 p.m. The documentary focuses on Johnson, a black transgender activist, who was an instigator of the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City that helped spark the gay liberation movement. There will be a post-screening discussion of the film as well as Reina Gossett’s narrative work Happy Birthday, Marsha! Free. tranzmission.org

• The Fairview Library, 1 Taylor Road, hosts an event with documentary filmmaker Jamie Ross on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m. Ross will present clips of her PBS miniseries “Appalachia: History of Mountains and People” and field questions throughout the evening. Ten years in the making and narrated by Sissy Spacek, the series tells the story of how landscape shapes human cultures and how humans, in turn, shape the land. Free. avl.mx/425

• On Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m., the Weaverville Library, 41 N. Main St., presents a screening of Land of Mine. An Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film in 2016, the Danish drama centers on a group of young German POWs in post-World War II Denmark who are forced to clear a beach of thousands of land mines. Local film aficionado Roy Turnbaugh will provide commentary, and there will be complimentary popcorn. Free. avl.mx/3yr

• The North Asheville Library, 1030 Merrimon Ave., begins its four-part Native American Documentary Series with a screening of Trail of Tears on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 6 p.m. Produced by the Native American company Rich-Heape Films, the feature covers the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation. Complimentary tea will be provided, and there will be a post-film discussion. Free. avl.mx/251

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About Edwin Arnaudin
Edwin Arnaudin is a staff writer for Mountain Xpress. He also reviews films for ashevillemovies.com and is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) and North Carolina Film Critics Association (NCFCA). Follow me @EdwinArnaudin

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