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June/July
2005 The Roxie: a
tribute
by Leena Prasad A
few months ago, an artist friend informed me that he was moving from San
Francisco to Oakland. He could no longer afford San Francisco rent, not even in
the artistic enclave of The Mission, on his income as a painter and a bookstore
clerk. I felt sad that my friend was leaving. I also felt something else
nagging at me. It
was the realization that the character of San Francisco has slowly been
changing in the last few years. It hasn’t all been bad. The Mission is a lot safer than it used to
be. New bookstores, restaurants, and
coffee houses have added an irresistible charm to Valencia Street. I can’t help
but worry, however, that this change may take on a life of its own and transform
The Mission into something with which I can no longer identify. The
way that I felt about my friend leaving town was similar to how I felt when I
read that The Roxie theatre on 16th Street is in danger of
disappearing. Does this foreshadow a
change in the intrinsic personality of San Francisco? Last time that The Roxie was in trouble, San Francisco pitched in
with a fundraiser that was supported by actor Nicolas Cage. But, how long can a
business survive on the kindness of celebrities and sporadic fundraisers? After
all, it’s a community’s everyday life that supports a movie theatre. Has
the San Francisco community changed so much that an independent, diverse, and
cutting edge theatre like The Roxie is no longer in demand? Besides being a
Mission landmark, The Roxie is an icon for not only the cutting edge politics
of The Mission but a symbol of San Francisco’s leadership in grappling with
issues that are often marginalized by mainstream media and society. San
Francisco’s empathy for marginalized lives/issues is one of the reasons that I
chose to call this city my home. If I
had unlimited time and money, I’d probably want to see almost all of the movies
that are currently showing at The Roxie. Just look at the May 2005 lineup! -
There was the Sex Workers Arts Festival which boasted everything from personal
stories to political rights and labor issues. -A
film about the Macarthur genius award winner, Cecil Taylor, explored the music
and personal life of this master pianist. - “The Girl From Monday” evoked sexually explicit and playful
ideas by creating a world in which a person’s stock value goes up when they are
able to have sex and remain emotionally unattached. -
One of the films in the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival, “Mana: Beyond
Belief” traveled around the world to explore the worship of objects that have
been imbued with spiritual significance. -
“Girl Play” was a lesbian drama. -
An Irish Film festival featured new Irish films and shorts. -
In the French and Arabic film, “Le Grand Voyage,” a road trip took us through Europe, Eastern-Europe and
the Middle-East. So
many stories, so little time!! And now
I’ll have to leave my neighborhood or troll around on the internet to satiate
my hunger for visual stories that inform and challenge the mind and stretch the
imagination. The disappearance of The
Roxie and that of my artist friend will probably leave me with cravings that
would have to be satisfied with alternate options. Thankfully, the live theatres in The Mission are still alive and
kicking and art shows pop up all over The Mission on a regular basis. I’m
trying to look at The Mission’s artistic cornucopia as half-full but I can’t
help but worry if it’s actually half-empty… If you want to show your
support for keeping The Roxie around, check out the schedule at http://www.roxie.com/ and be entertained while
having your neurons exercised. Please write to leena@WeAreNotAmused.com
for comments, kudos, critique, potential topics, suggestions, etc. |
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