By Carson Ralston
Library Specialist-Adult Programs
Camp Verde AZ (September 6, 2019) – Join us at 1:00 pm on Monday, September 23rd for a screening and discussion of the movie The Public.
In The Public, written and directed by Emilio Estevez, an unusually bitter Arctic blast has made its way to downtown Cincinnati and the front doors of the public library where the action of the film takes place.
The story revolves around the library patrons, many of whom are homeless, mentally ill and marginalized, as well as an exhausted and overwhelmed staff of librarians who often build emotional connections and a sense of obligation to care for those regular patrons. At odds with library officials over how to handle the extreme weather event, the Patrons turn the building into a homeless shelter for the night by staging an “Occupy” sit in.
What begins as an act of civil disobedience becomes a stand-off with police and a rush-to-judgment media constantly speculating about what’s really happening. This David versus Goliath story tackles some of our nation’s most challenging issues, homelessness and mental illness and sets the drama inside one of the last bastions of democracy-in-action: your public library.
There will be a short, guided discussion after the film.
Camp Verde Community Library is located just off of Montezuma Castle Highway at 130 Black Bridge Road, Camp Verde AZ. For more information about this or any other library program visit the library’s website at www.cvlibrary.org or call 554-8380 during library open hours Mon-Thu 9am-8pm, Fri-Sat 9am-5pm.