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The power of NOW

It's time to live in the moment.  Get to it today, if not this week. Why is that so necessary now? This is the final week to see Prom Night in Mississippi at the Lens Factory (1040 Queen West). If you want to know if it's something you're interested in, check out this week's NOW magazine art review at this link here.  

If not now, then when?

Prom Night in Mississippi, in Mississippi!!

Everyone's been asking when they can see Prom Night in Mississippi in Toronto.  Although I don't have answers for that yet, it did just show for the first time in Mississippi this week!!

Here is Director Paul Saltzman's take on the experience:

just back from the oxford, ms. film festival. screenings were awesome. they scheduled one but the demand was great so they increased to 3 screenings on the first day, that were all packed. then on sunday another screening with overflow audience. apparently, in 6 years, they've not had such demand. 'prom night in mississippi' won the audience appreciation award. we are delighted. 

at the first screening, about 10 of our students attended. as the kids came down from the audience for the q&a they got a standing ovation from the whole crowd of about 300. it was fabulous, a magic moment. morgan freeman then arrived and after the q&a went down the line and congratulated each of the kids, one at a time. our sense is that the event was life-changing for these young and courageous kids.

monday night, we screened for the community in charleston, in the high school auditorium. it holds 980 and there were more standing at the back. for the first 5 minutes about half the dialogue was drowned out with cheers as the crowd saw the people they knew, on-screen. afterwards, all the seniors in the audience, whether in the film or not, came down front for q&a. the town is 70% black, 30% white, like the high school population. the audience was about 90% black and 10% white. apparently, the buzz around town among the whites was that the film made them and their town look bad. the local newspaper publisher/editor and his wife weren't going to come but we talked with them, in advance, and they did attend. afterwards, they said they had been wrong in their fears. 

on tuesday, we spend a couple of hours with morgan and peggy up in memphis, at the house they are in while morgan does his physical therapy. a very sweet visit. morgan reiterated his love for the film and his appreciation to us and all who helped make it happen. he added: "i think the prom and the film, together, is one of the most significant, seminal events for the town of charleston since reconstruction." wow!  he leaves this week for 3 months in south africa on a nelson mandela film, directed by clint eastwood. 

a post on the National Post

If you see the National Post today, you'll see an article about the prom, written by none other than Vanessa Farquharson.  (Great girl, no relation!)

A high school says 'I do'

Toronto wedding photographer Catherine Farquharson trains her lens on one very special prom night in Mississippi

Vanessa Farquharson,  National Post Published: Wednesday, February 04, 2009

At the same time that Barack Obama was running for President in the United States, Charleston High School in Mississippi was hosting its first mixed-race prom, and it was only happening thanks to financial backing from actor Morgan Freeman.

"You know, Obama's been elected and we keep saying it's so great that racism's gone, but we actually haven't made the progress that we think we have," says Catherine Farquharson (no relation to the reporter), a Toronto photographer.

Her behind-the-scenes look at this event, which took place last April, forms an integral part of Canadian Paul Saltzman's documentary Prom Night in Mississippi, which recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Meanwhile, an exhibition of Farquharson's photos has just opened at Toronto's Lens Factory gallery and will run throughout February, coinciding with Black History Month.

Whether it's a quiet shot of a chubby girl pushing down the hem of her dress on a front porch, or the more energetic image of a group of teenagers whipping out their best moves on the dance floor, Farquharson captures the range of emotions involved in getting ready for a night that, for many of these kids, was the biggest of their lives.

"A high-school prom in the States is huge," she says. "And with a photo like that one of that girl on the steps, I just think it really shows her youth, despite how dressed up she is. But there's something else happening there, too -- it feels fragile, almost."

Although she sometimes does cover shots for Toronto alternative magazines as well as some editorial work, Farquharson mostly specializes in wedding photography.

She says that while nuptials may seem like a completely different subject matter, her experience actually came in handy for the prom in Charleston.

"It's a similar situation, in that mothers are crying because their girls are all grown up, the kids are nervous and excited," she says. "I felt the romance of the scene in much the same way as I do at weddings."

One of the things she noticed was how the kids themselves seemed far more willing to integrate than older generations. Some parents insisted that while they were fine with a mixed-race prom, they still wanted the option of an all-white prom, too.

"These students hang out together at school; they're on the same school teams," Farquharson says. "They go to the same nail salon before the prom ... The reason Morgan [Freeman] wanted to fund this and make it happen was because he believed most of the racial tension was in the adult generation, and I think he's right.

"The kids," she adds, "either want the situation to change, or they want to leave town." - Prom Night in Mississippi by Catherine Farquharson runs until Feb. 28 at The Lens Factory, 1040 Queen St. W., Toronto. See documentographer.comfor more information. vfarquharson@nationalpost.com

Breakfast Television at any hour

In case you missed the interview about my Prom Night in Mississippi photo exhibit on BT this morning, here it is now...ready for brunch, lunch, snack, dinner...

 

(Some people have been asking -- my shirt came from none other than Toronto's awesome designer Jennifer Lopez, of Andal-lopez designs.)

Media Madness this week

Friends, you might just see prom, where ever you look this week.

Online, you'll find article goodies like the awesome Shameless Magazine.

On TV tomorrow, between 7:30 and 8:30 am, you'll see me on Breakfast Television.

If that it too early for you, find Paul Saltzman later at night on the Hour. 

And, if you are a luddite, check the National Post on Wednesday, for a page of my photos. 

If that doesn't get you to the photo exhibit at the Lens Factory (1040 Queen West), nothin' will!!!

ok, NOW I'm excited!!

It was indeed a long day today.  Hanging a photo exhibit is no small task!  But when you have an amazing army of friends volunteering up their beautiful (even warm!) Sunday, it somehow seems to seem fun and easy. I'm so lucky.

All day long, people poured into the Lens Factory, because of the Metro Morning interview they heard on CBC on Friday (Click link to listen).  

It was incredibly touching for me to see.  One woman started to cry when I told her the story of the prom.  Another told me that when she got to her grade 7 class on Friday morning, all the kids were all talking about the prom and how shocking they found the story. And everyone was (understandably) shocked, and had lots of questions.  Some teachers are even bringing in their classes for Black History Month.  

My enjoyment of putting on this show just went from a 10 to a 10-million.

It's now ready to be enjoyed.  The gallery is open Wed-Sun, 11-6pm, and the show is up for the whole month.  

rise and shine tomorrow for Metro Morning

If you are awake at 8:15am tomorrow, turn the ol' radio dial to 99.1

We can meet there.  I'll talk about the Prom photo exhibit.

Then, 5 mins later, you can go back to sleep.  Or head to work.  Or just wonder if it was a dream.

NEW INFO ON THE PROM EXHIBIT! click here

prom pictures are popping up all over the place

I was delighted to see one of my pictures on the cover the Review section of the Globe and Mail this morning.  And tickled pink to see another on the inside.

I hope you aren't sick of hearing about Prom Night in Mississippi yet, because, quite frankly, there is more to come.  I promise this will not just become a prom blog. 

For now, stick with me.  This is exciting right now because the film airs on Saturday (!!!), and it's so timely with Obama's inauguration coming next week, not to mention Black History month and my exhibit approaching in Feb.

You might as well get on board -- it is a historic event afterall!  You can say, I remember when Charleston High School had their first interracial prom in 2008...

You're invited to the prom

On Saturday, Prom Night in Mississippi's world premiere is airing at the Sundance Film Festival.

We're really excited!!

Here's a clip from the movie:

I'm having an exhibition of stills I took for the film of the prom over the month of February. Come and see the kids getting ready, and dancing at this historical event.  Y'all invited to join us!!