Wowed by how deeply that movie hit

By Cathy DeDe, Chronicle Managing Editor

I — and I think many of the others who were in the theater when it happened — will remember the seventh annual Adirondack Film Festival for one stunning, silent moment.

Friday, 11 a.m., they screened actor David Strathairn in Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski. It’s the screen version of his one-man show on the life of Jan Karski, who tried during World War II to bring the story of Poland and the extermination of the Jews to the greater world.

It’s a beautiful piece, filmed in modernly crisp, stark black and white, all eyes on Mr. Strathairn as he conveys the struggles, physical pain, and hope of Karski as a young member of the Resistance, as a boy, a hopeful scholar, an aged professor at Georgetown University who never sought the limelight. Who suffered for what he learned about humanity, and whose suffering led him to teach humanity to his students.

Friday afternoon, as AFF’s screening of this powerful movie ended: One man, inexplicably, stood up. After a bit, the person next to him, maybe a boy, stood too. Then a woman a few rows in front, then another couple, and then, slowly, quietly, most of the audience just — stands.

Not clapping, just witnessing. In my many years, I have never seen a thing like this, much less at the movies.

You’ll recognize Mr. Strathairn from Good Night, and Good Luck, Eight Men Out, bunches more movies. The play closed Sunday in Brooklyn. The film version: I’d seek it out.

Other gems

Meanwhile, attendance was mostly light for this post-Covid film fest, the schedule about half of prior years. About 150 more people watched online, including from New Zealand, Fest director Miriam Weisfeld said. And there were gems.

Belle of the weekend was Rob Roth, a self-described former club-boy turned filmmaker/music video & theater director who years ago at a favorite dive struck up a life-long friendship and working relationship with Debbie Harry, iconic lead singer of 70s punk rock band Blondie. He came with cool new music videos (one with Joan Jett) and his three-part mini documentary on Blondie’s 2019 cultural exchange concert in Cuba. Effusive doesn’t begin to explain Mr. Roth. His lively documentary, punctuated with animations, is Vivir En La Habana.

Locals had their day, including Cryptid, a gruesome, fun and truly scary horror flick starring Nick Baroudi, local actor made good. He got his start as a young guy who thought he’d try acting, in a community play on that very Wood Theater stage where Saturday he accepted the Best of Festival award on behalf of Cryptid team. Nick, now an action hero.

So too, Short Narrative winners, screenwriter Kayla Romanowski and director Chris Gaunt, with a sweet play about a widow who learns much about her late husband from an unlikely community of marginalized performers. A Lasting First Impression it is.

There was a timely documentary and panel on Lyme disease, free popcorn, at least a few more filmmakers in person.

Good seeds, much to grow on, I hope.

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