Pete Seeger: The Power of Song
FilmScene — March 29 and 30, 3 p.m. ($6.50-$7.50)
Legendary folk musician Pete Seeger died just two months ago at the age of 94. He not only gave the world songs like “If I Had a Hammer (The Hammer Song)” and adapted “We Shall Overcome” into its now-familiar form, but also showed how music can be a tool for progressive politics. Both of these songs, for example, were anthems of the Civil Rights Movement, in which Seeger was an early, avid and vocal participant — despite having been blacklisted from television appearances during the communist witch hunts of the 1950s.
On March 29 and 30, FilmScene will show Jim Brown’s 2007 documentary Pete Seeger: The Power of Song, a celebration of Seeger’s legacy as one of the most influential folk singers of the 20th century. The film, which is the folk singer’s only authorized biography, also chronicles his lifelong, unwavering commitment to leftist politics and political change.
After each screening, Iowa City’s Family Folk Machine will lead a sing-along with the audience.
http://youtu.be/SGJKnLhl6Kk
