Issuu

FEB 24-MAR 2, 2022 TRIAD-CITY-BEAT.COM

uncsa and the

temple of

film UNCSA has one of the best film archives in the country. So why is it a secret? BY JAMES DOUGLAS | PG. 13

NC A&T: STILL, THEY RISE pg. 8

MASK MANDATES NO MORE pg. 6

EIGHT YEARS IN, STILL HERE pg. 2

UP FRONT | FEB 24 - MAR 2, 2022

Coronavirus in the Triad

(as of Wednesday, Feb. 23 ) Documented COVID-19 diagnoses

NC 2,574,867 (+25,528) Forsyth 90,903 (+764) Guilford 111,031 (+978) COVID-19 deaths NC 22,390 (+422) Forsyth 756 (+12) Guilford 998 (+0) Documented recoveries NC 2,490,831 (+68,888) Forsyth *no data* Guilford 107,456 (+2,415) Current cases NC 61,646 (-43,782) Forsyth *no data* Guilford 2,846 (-1,167) Hospitalizations (right now) NC 2,123 (-749) Forsyth *no data* Guilford 74 (-26) Vaccinations NC Partially vaccinated 6,323,651 (+8,798) Fully vaccinated 6,377,316 (61%, +16,384) Boosted: 3,083,715 (+26,928, 49% of vaccinated) Forsyth Partially vaccinated 248,425 (+288) Fully vaccinated 232,211 (61%, +331) Boosted: 108,877 (+747, 47% of vaccinated) Guilford Partially vaccinated 343,249 (+478) Fully vaccinated 323,557 (60%, +617) Boosted: 153,597 (+1,140, 47% of vaccinated)

BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Brian Clarey brian@triad-city-beat.com

PUBLISHER EMERITUS

Allen Broach allen@triad-city-beat.com

OF COUNSEL

Jonathan Jones

ART ART DIRECTOR

Charlie Marion charlie@triad-city-beat.com

1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 336.681.0704 EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Carolyn de Berry, Todd Turner, MANAGING EDITOR Sayaka Matsuoka sayaka@triad-city-beat.com

STAFF WRITER

Nicole Zelniker nicole@triad-city-beat.com

CHIEF CONTRIBUTORS

WEBMASTER Sam LeBlanc

Michaela Ratliff michaela@triad-city-beat.com

COVER

James Douglas james@triad-city-beat.com

PHOTO BY JAMES DOUGLAS In the inside of UNCSA’s film archives.

SALES KEY ACCOUNTS

Chris Rudd chris@triad-city-beat.com

Owens Daniels, Matt Jones, Jordan Howse, Jen Sorensen, John Cole

DESIGN BY SAYAKA MATSUOKA

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Eight years in, the mistakes I’ve made

’m writTimes-Picayune alerted me to an ing this attribution error in a story I wrote column about that very newspaper; he said I on Monday, Feb. was lucky it was him calling and not 21, just a few one of the Pic’s lawyers. And I was. days before the Lucky, that is. date of Triad In 1993, when I was working for by Brian Clarey City Beat’s first SportsTicker in Jersey City, NJ, I issue in 2014 — which came out on attributed a home run to American Wednesday, Feb. 26 that year. League pitcher David Wells and We have made 406 issues of this sent it out over the wire. That mispaper since that first edition, and if take made the company newsletter. you’re reading this column I guess In 1997, I showed up morning drunk we came out with another one, at the Gambit offices looking to get which would make paid for some free408 in total. I asked those who had lance I had done. In There was a 2001, in a piece for come before me in time, in the beginOur State, I killed a the weekly newspaper guy by assuming he ning, when I wasn’t always so sure the was dead when his game for advice — paper would make son took over the specifically, where they business. The son it to the streets. Those were the called me the day went wrong. days when I’d look the story came out. at the dwindling bank balance on a “Great story except for one thing,” Monday morning, shrug my shoulhe said. “Dad’s not dead.” ders and make the next issue folder “You sure?” I asked. anyway. Behold: The folder would As editor of Yes Weekly, my greatfill up with stories and photos no est failure was probably neglecting matter how much money we had, to cover the John Edwards trial in and sometimes — not always — the Greensboro. Sure, it was a media bank account would follow suit. I circus out there, but at the time we always managed to keep the printer had a couple of fantastic reporters paid, if not the entire staff in that and I myself wrote an 800-word, first year. weekly column; we could have Before we started Triad City owned it. Beat, I asked those who had come I’ve made plenty of mistakes at before me in the weekly newspaper the helm of TCB. I took on too many game for advice. I wanted to know, tasks. I didn’t pivot fast enough specifically, where they went wrong. from the newsroom to the business Stiffing the printer was at the top of side. And I still won’t give up this the list, along with understaffing the column, which serves primarily to sales department and overspending give me some small place to make on office space and equipment. sentences, and because if a week I brought my own mistakes to the goes by without seeing my name in table as well, harvested throughout print I start to freak out. a career that began right around the All my mistakes have been borne time many of the people I work with of ego, carelessness, haste and were born. For example, in 1991 fear. But if it weren’t for my miswhen I was still a student, I tried to takes, I might not have learned write a news piece without doing anything at all. any actual reporting. The next seNow, eight years in at TCB, I’m mester an editor at the New Orleans still willing to make a few more.

by Michaela Ratliff

THURSDAY Feb. 24 The Journey @ Gallery on Main (HP) 6 p.m.

Greener Side Comedy Hour @ the Green Bean (GSO) 9 p.m.

Head to the Green Bean the last Friday of each month for late-night stand-up hosted by Nick Ciaccia. Visit the Facebook event page for more information.

Opus Concert: Kimber & Kompany and Sweet Dreams @ Van Dyke Performance Space (GSO) 7 p.m.

SATURDAY Feb. 26 10th annual Moveable Feast & Parapalooza @ Bookmarks (W-S) 7 p.m. Join Atlanta-based artist Andre’ Henderson for a discussion of his works featured in the Journey exhibition, inspired by the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Visit the event page on Facebook for more information.

Celebrating Community Resilience @ UNCG (GSO) 6 p.m. Bookmarks is hosting their 10th Parapalooza, where book lovers can explore novels from various genres. Several local and regional authors will read a single paragraph from their books, followed by a book signing and wine reception. Learn more and purchase tickets at bookmarksnc.org/MovableFeast22.

Mardi Gras Party @ Plank Street Tavern (HP) 9:30 p.m.

FRIDAY Feb. 25 Matador Cider Release Party @ Bull City Ciderworks (GSO) 12 p.m.

Bull City Ciderworks is throwing a party to celebrate the return of El Matador, a daring strawberry and habanero cider. Taco Bros Food Truck will be in attendance.

Creative Greensboro encourages you to attend this free concert featuring the R&B and soul sounds of Kimber & Kompany and Sweet Dreams. Donations are encouraged.

MONDAY Feb. 28

Opening Reception: Taylor Hayes @ SECCA (W-S) 5 p.m.

As part of SECCA’s Southern Idiom exhibition series, artist Taylor Hayes displays a collection of works that explore the architecture and political nature of various spaces using collage and décollage. Learn more on the Facebook event page.

UP FRONT | FEB 24 - MAR 2, 2022

CITY LIFE FEB. 24-MARCH 1

Head to Plank Street Tavern for an exciting Mardi Gras celebration with Shiela’s Traveling Circus and Andy Squint!

The UNCG Communication Studies Department is hosting two days of virtual programs that celebrate community-campus partnerships benefitting underrepresented and vulnerable communities. For more information and free registration, visit go.uncg.edu/communityresilience

TUESDAY March 1 Writing with Fire @ RiverRun Film Festival (W-S) 7 p.m.

SUNDAY Feb. 27 Open Mic Night @ Oden Brewing Company (GSO) 6 p.m.

Oden Brewing is calling all local singers and songwriters to perform each Sunday at open mic night hosted by Bryan Toney.

RiverRun in partnership with PBS North Carolina invites you to a free virtual screening of an hour-long excerpt of Writing with Fire, followed by a discussion of social justice, human rights and Khabar Lahariya, India’s only all-female news media organization. Free registration is required to receive the event link. Visit RiverRun’s website for more information.

NEWS | FEB 24 - MAR 2, 2022

NEWS Winston-Salem city council opts for more units rather than a community center for new Emmanuel Retirement Village by Suzy Fielders

uring the Feb. 7 Winston-Salem city council meeting, members unanimously approved a request to replace a community center in the Emmanuel Retirement Village with two additional residential units instead. Emmanuel Retirement Village is located at 1687 Village Meadow Circle, off Barbara Jane Avenue, in the East Ward of Winston-Salem. The property was originally donated to Emmanuel Baptist Church, located nearby at 1075 Shalimar Drive. The church then donated the property to Ujima Community Development Corporation, Inc., which is a faith and community-based nonprofit. The goal of this development, envisioned by Ujima, is to provide affordable housing and a gated community to senior citizens in East Winston-Salem. According to the corporation, Emmanuel Retirement Village is the “first of its kind as an internally subsidized elderly independent living complex, in a predominately African-American neighborhood.” While there are numerous assisted living facilities in Winston-Salem, there are few independent-living retirement villages — less than a dozen, most of which are located in predominately white neighborhoods. In the East Winston neighborhood and the surrounding area, Emmanuel Retirement Village is the only one of its kind. According to a report provided by Senior Housing News, life plan communities’ independent living residents are 95 percent Caucasian, with 4 percent listed as Black and 1 percent listed as Asian. This disparity can be attributed to the historical inequity that has existed as a reality for many Black families in the United States. “Black families have considerably less wealth than white families — a median net worth of $24,100 compared with $188,200,” according to Consumer Reports. Additionally, “Blacks are less likely to have retirement savings accounts, like 401(k)s or pensions, partly because they are less likely to work for an employer that offers them.” Affordable housing for seniors is a major factor in the development of Emmanuel Retirement Village. Based on an online search of area apartment rates, the majority of independent living retirement villages in Winston-Salem start at approximately $2,000 a month. At Emmanuel Retirement Village, the costs range from $915 to $1,025 per month with utilities included. The average age range of residents leasing the units is 62-88, according to Ujima. Ujima began the plans for its development of Emmanuel Retirement Village in 2013. The original plan

COURTESY PHOTO

Currently, 42 of the 50 planned units have been completed at the Emmanuel Retirement Village.

included 50 units, a mix of two-bedroom duplexes and one-bedroom apartments, with a 3,440-square foot community center on the approximately 8.5 acres of land. The community center was meant to be an added amenity for residents of the retirement village and a recreational place for them to congregate but during the Feb. 7 city council meeting, members decided to change the plan to allow more space for two additional duplex units instead. Currently, 42 of the 50 units have been completed, with the eight remaining units still under construction. All 42 completed units have been leased and there is a wait list for both the duplexes and apartments. As the community center has yet to be built, there will be no demolition. According to the staff report, the proposed updated development plan would not pose any transportation-related issues in the area. Council member Annette Scippio of the East Ward said she was very much in favor of this request during the meeting. “The retirement center has made a great improvement on Barbara Jane Avenue,” Scippio said. “It looks wonderful. The developers just did not know what appeal those duplexes with garages would have.” In April 2019, tenants began to move into the newly constructed units. Janet Johnson was the very first tenant to move in. “The units are all brand-new and very nice,” Johnson said. “Plus, the neighborhood is quiet. Since

it is gated, I feel very safe in this development. As residents we know the gates will remain shut between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., unless we let someone in.” Ujima sent out a mailer communicating to the current 42 residents, as well as two LLC’s and two churches in the surrounding area to notify them of the request to replace the proposed community center with two additional residential units. Many of the tenants’, including Johnson, were in favor of the decision due to their desires to ensure a safe community given the ongoing threat of COVID-19. They said they felt a community center would lead to outsiders coming in to use the center. “We all voted to remove the community center as we do not feel safe having people come in from outside the gates to utilize it,” Johnson said. “Plus, the developers plan to build an outdoor gazebo for us to have cook outs at which is much safer during these continued times of COVID.” Scippio also pointed to other community centers where seniors could gather instead. “There is still a space within one of the buildings where residents can gather,” she said. “Additionally, Winston Lake Park and the Winston Lake YMCA are in walking distance to the area or a short drive. Therefore, residents of this retirement village still have recreational options.” At this time no timeline was given by Ujima Community Development Corporation on when the additional two units might be completed.

NEWS | FEB 24 - MAR 2, 2022

GEENA DAVIS Academy Award winner, known for roles in such films as The Accidental Tourist, Thelma & Louise, and A League of Their Own, and on television as the first female president in Commander in Chief.

FEBRUARY 26, 2022 UNCG AUDITORIUM | 8:00 PM For tickets visit UCLS.UNCG.EDU or call 800-514-3849

NEWS | FEB 24 - MAR 2, 2022

NEWS

Mask mandates are being lifted across the country. What do health experts say? by Sayaka Matsuoka

s COVID-19 numbers continue to drop across the country, multiple states and municipalities are relaxing pandemic restrictions, including mask mandates. On Feb. 17, Guilford County commissioners voted unanimously to repeal the countywide mask mandate, which had been reinstituted on Jan. 13 when transmission numbers were at an all-time high across the United States. Following the commissioners’ ruling, Guilford County Schools Superintendent Sharon Contreras also lifted the mask mandate for students and staff on Monday. While Winston-Salem has had a mask mandate since last August, that mandate is set to expire on Feb. 28. In a press release, Mayor Allen Joines stated that he intends to let the mandate expire, making masks optional for residents starting March 1. On Tuesday evening, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County School board members voted to lift the district’s mask mandate on Feb. 28 as well. The moves by county and school board officials comes in the wake of a press conference held by Gov. Roy Cooper on Feb. 17 in which he recommended local governments and school districts to end their mask mandates. “We are taking a positive step on mask requirements to help us move safely toward a more normal, day-to-day life,” Cooper said. “It’s time to focus on getting our children a good education and improving our schools, no matter how you feel about masks.” And while it’s true that COVID-19 metrics — daily case counts, deaths, hospitalizations — have been falling since a record-breaking peak in January, some in the community still wonder if masks might be the best way, besides getting vaccinated, to keep them safe from the virus. In fact, while many counties in the state have rescinded their mandates, others such as Orange and Durham have decided to keep theirs in place. Plus, many other countries around the world continue to require masks in public spaces. So what do the health experts says? For those wondering if they should still wear masks, TCB reached out to infectious disease specialists at Cone Health and Novant.

What are your thoughts about the wave of mask mandates being lifted across the country? Dr. Becky DeCamillis with Novant Health: I would say that masking continues to provide an extra layer of protection from contracting the virus in addition to getting vaccinated and social distancing. The absolute answer about when to unmask may not be the same from person to person, given their individual risk for severe disease and that of their family members. For example, is everyone in your household vaccinated? If not, or if they have an immunocompromising condition in which vaccination may not be as effective, you may elect to continue wearing a mask. Dr. Cynthia Snider with Cone Health: We still recommend masking for people who are not up to date on their vaccines, immunocompromised or at risk for severe covid illness or those who are finishing their isolation period to wear a mask indoors, especially if in gatherings among others who are not vaccinated.

What about masking in schools? Would you recommend that kids still wear masks? BD: The answer to this question will vary from person to person and depend on factors such as: Are cases really high in your community? How old is your child? How good are they at wearing a mask? N95s aren’t approved for kids, but there are KN95s in kids’ sizing. In an ideal scenario, kids would wear a KN95 or surgical mask but if that is too uncomfortable for them and they’re constantly taking the mask off or readjusting it, then that obviously limits the utility of it. On the other hand, if they will more consistently wear a cloth mask, then that actually may be a better choice.

CS: Since vaccine uptake among kids, especially under 12 years old, is not high, there is benefit for kids to wear masks in school for the time being as

North Carolina’s total COVID-19 positive cases as of Feb. 22.

there is still high level of COVID-19 in the community. Children who are at risk for complications with COVID-illness, should continue to wear masks. Editor’s Note: Approval of a COVID-19 vaccine for children younger than 5 years old was pushed back last week by the FDA.

Do you think that we could go maskless until the fall and then a spike might occur again, prompting a return to mask mandates? BD: When community transmission is low enough, we’ll gradually see unmasking. This will vary from place to place as cases will be higher or lower in certain areas at any given time. Public-health experts are still considering what threshold that will be in terms of case numbers. Individually, however, you may choose to keep masking for an added layer of protection depending on your risk factors for severe disease and those of your family. CS: Based on current trends, the Spring (mid-March, April and May) are anticipated to have very low rates where we can go maskless. It is difficult to project further since we know that the subvariant BA.2 is in low level circulation in the US and may continue to increase in infected cases.

What are the best masks to wear right now? BD: Strictly speaking, an N95 provides the best protection followed by KN95s or KF94s. A surgical mask also provides good protection but doesn’t quite have the filtering power as the others. Cloth masks provide the least protection but are better than no mask at all. CS: Masks that have higher filtration efficacy such as N95, KN95, or KF94 can provide the best protection. However, it is also important that it is a good fit for the individual.

Which populations are contracting COVID-19 the most right now? CS: Based on sequencing data from the CDC, 96 percent of cases in the US at the moment are due to Omicron BA.1. It is highly infectious, where we are seeing cases in people who are unvaccinated, not up to date in their vaccines and in some who are up to date on their vaccines. In those breakthrough cases among the vaccinated, they still are protected from severe disease, and usually don’t need hospital treatment.

Anything else you’d like to add as we move forward into the rest of the year? CS: Many people have pandemic fatigue and are ready to return back to normal, pre-pandemic life. We have many tools at hand to help us still be safe in our community as the COVID rates trend down. Masking, easy access to testing, and vaccination are the ways we continue to keep each other safe.

DAVEED DIGGS Tony and Grammy winner from the original cast of Broadway’s Hamilton, television’s Blackish, and the rap group Clipping.

MARCH 5, 2022 UNCG AUDITORIUM | 8:00 PM For tickets visit UCLS.UNCG.EDU or call 800-514-3849

OPINION | FEB 24-MAR 2, 2022

EDITORIAL

OPINION

NC A&T State University goes big time

ig-time moves by And right now, A&T has the best NC A&T State Uniathletic department in the Triad. versity have some A&T Track & Field — both men people wondering and women — won their MEAC if the Greensboro institution has championships last year; two of outgrown its HBCU-ness. their sprinters, Trevor Stewart and In one sense, A&T has always Randolph Ross Jr., won gold medbeen big time. It was the second als in the 2021 Summer Olympics, land-grant college to be created the first Aggies to do so. They also from the Morrill Act of 1890, and fielded championship teams in the first in North Carolina, origbowling, women’s basketball and inating as the Agricultural and volleyball. Mechanical School for the Colored And then. There’s the football Race. Its students sparked an team, which won the MEAC from actual revolution 2017-19, then on Feb. 1, 1960, A&T is a giant among transferred to the and they were Big South Conferits HBCU peers, the ence where they the first HBCU to send a graduate placed third in biggest with more into space. 2021. than 12,000 stuEven now A&T But the MEAC, dents. It’s also the is a giant among to which A&T its HBCU peers, eighth-largest school has belonged the biggest with since it formed in more than 12,000 in the UNC System, in 1970, is an HBCU students. It’s the the Top 10 of all NC conference, only eighth-largest for Black schools. colleges. school in the And though its UNC System — winning teams big enough, even, that it ranks in get automatic invites to NCAA the Top 10 of all North Carolina championships, it’s operated outcolleges. side of the aegis of the NCAA. In Greensboro, anyone driving Now all A&T sports are set to through the east side of town can join the CAA Conference, as desee the trappings of A&T’s growth cided unanimously by the board of and success: the Harold Martin trustees this week. And the CAA Engineering Complex, its newest is a full-on Division I conference and most beautiful building at the with a storied history. For A&T, it corner of East Market and Benbow represents a glass ceiling of sorts. streets. A massive development But by moving up to the next across the street set to house level, A&T in no way abandons hundreds of students and dozens its roots as an HBCU. It just piles of businesses. more accolades on top of it.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK Masking, easy access to testing, and vaccination are the ways we continue to keep each other safe. 8

Dr. Cynthia Snider with Cone Health | pg. 6

Jen Sorensen jensorensen.com/subscribe

CULTURE | FEB 24- MAR 2, 2022

CULTURE

2022 Oscar-nominated shorts screen at a/perture this week with stories of love, loss

by Sayaka Matsuoka This year’s Oscar-nominated shorts run the gamut from heart-tugging tearjerkers like “On My Mind” to frighteningly visceral descents into madness such as “Bestia.” Tales of love — love of country, of partnership, of art — dovetail with poignant studies of loss — loss of control, of ability, of home — in these short but impactful narratives. Hailing from 10 different countries, these stories are as diverse as the languages spoken in them, but all seek to relate distinctly human experiences one way or another. Here is a selection of the films nominated for an Oscar in the short film categories this year.

ANIMATED SHORTS

‘Bestia’

‘Affairs of the Art’

UK/Canada, 16 min., 2021 One of the lighter stories in this category, “Affairs of the Art” tells the complete family history of Beryl, a 59-year-old Welsh woman who’s become obsessed with creating art. As she describes her developing style — which she names “hyper futurist” — Beryl delves into the idiosyncrasies of the various members of her family starting with her death-obsessed sister Beverly, her detail-oriented son Colin and, finally, her own inspiration-seeking self. With her husband as her unfortunate muse, Beryl uncovers the key to unlocking “affairs of the art,” after her sister tells her to, “Just go for it! What are you waiting for?” Funny, charming and drawn in a loose, dynamic, pencil-stroke style, “Affairs” is as much about the nature of the creative process as it is about tackling our own inner skeptics that keep us from just doing the damn thing.

Chile, 16 min., 2021 There’s a reason why this year’s slate of animated shorts was labeled “not safe for children” and this film is it. Created in a stop-motion style using porcelain, felt, clay and a variety of other materials, “Bestia” is a dark, twisted, descent-into-madness portrait of one Ingrid Olderock, a woman whose heinous acts against humanity rival those of Hitler or Mussolini but have largely been forgotten by the world — until now. The title of the film alludes to the nickname given to Olderock, who was a member of the secret police throughout the Chilean dictatorship under Augusto Pinochet. Quiet and moody from the start, the film opens with shots of Ingrid going through the motions of her life — making coffee, preparing breakfast for her and her dog, playing fetch with her pet. But as the 16 minutes drags on, Ingrid’s life becomes more and more nightmarish with terrifying scenes including those of her participating in torture in basements, visceral nightmares and an increasingly unstable knife that appears to move on its own. Haunting despite its length and medium, “Bestia” is an important telling of a person who has largely been lost to history but whose actions should never have been forgotten.

‘The Windshield Wiper’

Spain, 15 min., 2021 If “Affairs of the Art” asked questions about the nature of creativity and inspiration, “The Windshield Wiper” comes out and asks its own question within the first minute of runtime. “What is love?” asks a lone man who sits in a bustling café, overrun with the vignettes of various conversations. Throughout the film, the notion of love in a traditional sense — just between two humans in a romantic relationship — gets challenged. A girl contemplates ending her life as she peters at the edge of a high apartment building. An explosion ripples through a city, demolishing all of the buildings in its wake. An elderly couple sits in silence and contemplates the scenery in front of them while in the next scene, two young strangers reach for groceries on shelf while they absently swipe left and right on a dating app, nearly touching the same products before rejecting each other on their screens. Through each of its short scenes, the film asks viewers about the very nature of love. Is it quiet? Is it loud? Is it here? Is it there? And in the end, as the man in the café explores those questions, he comes across his own answer and presents it to the viewers, who are then left to accept his conclusion or continue their own explorations.

CULTURE | FEB 24- MAR 2, 2022

DOCUMENTARY SHORTS ‘Three Songs for Benazir’ Afghanistan, 22 min., 2021 The best documentaries are the ones that immerse the viewer in a landscape so vastly different yet relatable to their own, so as to expand their worldview. “Three Songs for Benazir” is one such film. Set mostly in a refugee camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, the film follows the life of Shaista, a young, newly married man who dreams of achieving greatness outside of the crooked, dusty walls of the camp by joining the Afghan National Army. Told through scenes where Shaista lovingly sings songs for his wife Benazir, to him going against his family’s wishes to sign up for the army, to four years into the future, “Three Songs” tackles issues of belonging, patriotism and war and ultimately takes a snapshot of a young man fighting to find a place for himself amidst a turbulent and unstable world.

leading up to their homecoming game at the end of the film. But the story isn’t necessarily about their wins and losses on the field. Instead, the filmmakers focus on the struggles that the kids face due to their lack of hearing, including mental-health issues and coping with a tragic event that ripples through the community. And as the kids move on from the safety of their accepting school, viewers can’t help but root them on, hopeful that they take what they’ve learned from their time there into the real world and carry their motto with them.

‘Audible’

USA, 38 min., 2020 “It’s not what you go through, it’s how you go through it.” That’s the motto by which the boys on the football team at Maryland’s School of the Deaf live their lives in this impactful documentary. The story of these seemingly disadvantaged kids is told through interviews with many of the students at the school including Amaree, a senior football player and homecoming king, cheerleaders Lera and Jalen, and Coach Ryan. Along the way, viewers follow the four subjects as well as other football players as they compete and train

LIVE-ACTION SHORTS ‘On My Mind’

Denmark, 18 min., 2021 For being such a short film, “On My Mind” leaves a deep, lasting effect on the heart. Simple and straightforward, this Danish work tells the story of a man who visits a dive bar and asks to sing one song on the karaoke machine. And it has to be today. As the man stumbles through

the lyrics of “Always on My Mind,” once, twice, and then a third time, viewers get a glimpse into the man’s desperate reason for why he has to sing now. The answer is deeply emotional, bittersweet and showcases the man’s devotion and desire to communicate to the one he loves most. Best to have a box of tissues nearby for this one.

‘Please Hold’

USA, 19 min., 2020 In a moment where the country is reckoning with its new heightened awareness around issues of police brutality, the industrial prison complex and historic racism, “Please Hold” presents itself at just the right time. Direct and prescient, the film looks to a not-so-far-away future in which much of people’s lives have become dictated by AI and robots, including drones that deliver packages and even make arrests. In the story, one unfortunate young man falls prey to one of these police drones and gets locked up an automated jail cell where he has to knit cutesy gloves and scarves for an Etsy-like company to rack up enough dollars for a phone call to his parents. And while the film is meant to be satirical, too many of its details show a world not so different from our own that viewers should be wary of this live-action short screening like a documentary in the near future.

All Oscar-nominated shorts will be shown at a/perture in Winston-Salem starting Friday, Feb. 25. Learn more at aperturecinema.com.

CULTURE | FEB 24- MAR 2, 2022

IN THE WEEDS

In the Weeds: At the dive bar, lost then found

t used to be a box, and every bar has one: An old, cardboard liquor box, stained, brittle in places from where it was soaked from a spill, adorned with flowery sharpie art from an enterprising worker on a slow night. The content of the box by James Douglas varies from month to month. Like Margery Williams’ Velveteen Rabbit, the value comes from what’s inside. The box is labeled “LOST AND FOUND.” It’s natural to leave things here. It’s a bar. Someone gets caught up in conversation, their drinks, or a fly-by-night courtship. The weather might change abruptly. The things we leave behind are an amalgamation of utilitarianism, practicality and style. A bar’s lost and found is a dumpster-dive grab-bag that solves the issue of fighting a raccoon for your rightfully acquired goods. Need a quirky umbrella? Here’s four. How about those Ray-Bans? They’re prescription, but you don’t know that yet! Christmas does come more than once a year. The clothes situation is problematic. You can’t just start wearing things you find. When a person who comes in to claim a lost coat finds you wearing it, it’s uncomfortable for both parties. There’s an order to it. A statute of limitation of one month exists for coats, shirts, raincoats, Jordans and hats. Pants and flipflops are immediately trashed (Obviously. We’re not savages.) Perishables are a crapshoot. Dive bartenders receive food from friendly regulars all the time. This is different from just finding someone’s food. It’s gross to eat a random stranger’s leftovers that were not intended for you — just don’t. Even if it’s an everyday regular, just toss it. You don’t know where they’ve been. Two years of sanitary practices should have taught you this. Water bottles are left all the time, but my personal preference is that they are left alone. There’s something about never feeling that a water bottle is truly clean unless it was yours from the start. Those things were made for mouths. Unopened cookies, pastries and candy used to be okay, but with the nationwide rise of edibles, it’s a gamble. Unless the unopened package clearly states, “This snack does not contain THC,” I wouldn’t risk it. There’s nothing worse than catching an unintended buzz at work. Upon reading this last sentence, I realize that my employers read this column so I cannot recommend a buzz at work, intended or not. Just say no. That also goes for vape pens and discarded cigarette packs. Lighters are fair game. Common decency abounds, so there are certain items that extend the statute of limitations. Jewelry, phones, smartwatches, keys and wallets are all items that should have their own section. A reasonable effort should be made to find the owners of these items, because these are usually missed and will be looked for. But you don’t have to advertise a found item unless it’s a child or a pet. Employees are then allowed to make a claim: first come, first serve. These rules, while varying and fluid, should serve as general etiquette when dealing with someone’s abandoned possessions at the bar. The box exists in many places. It serves as a transit, a waystation, shelter from the storm. The contents are alive, each with its own story in a constantly changing world. The boxes represent humanity; they’re us. They’re the leavings of the main character of every story told. Until they’re found.

STOCK PHOTO The contents of the box change from month to month.

NOW LEASING THE STEELHOUSE CENTER FOR URBAN MANUFACTURING AND INNOVATION

1451 S Elm Eugene Street #BusinessisBuiltHere

UNCSA’S film archive is a mystery in its own right by James Douglas

Editor’s note: This story focuses on one aspect of the UNC School of the Arts. While we believe that this is an important cultural story, we acknowledge the ongoing controversy that the school has been involved in regarding multiple sexual assault allegations by students against staff and educators dating back decades. For more reporting on that issue, we recommend reading reporting by Michael Hewlett at the Winston-Salem Journal.

CULTURE | FEB 24- MAR 2, 2022

CULTURE

ow upon row of the latched metal canisters sit quietly in the climate-controlled room. As in most museums containing precious cargo, the weather doesn’t change, maintaining a balmy 65 degrees year-round. The shelves line the rooms end to end, floor to ceiling, five tiers of these mysterious containers taking up all the available space. The octagon shaped parcels are uniform, tagged, stamped, but each bears the individual marks of wear and travel upon it. Their cargo? Dreams. Magic. Mylar. They may contain something from your childhood. One might be about JAMES DOUGLAS an enormous shark attacking the inhabitants of an island that looks susMatt Jones, associate curator of the UNCSA Moving Picture Archive, shows off a part of the collection. piciously like Martha’s Vineyard. Another could be about a man’s journey into a “heart of darkness” as he goes upriver to confront Jor-El. Tags, many of them recognizable to the average moviegoer, adorn each The thing is, we can’t talk about it. canister which contains holy relics, not unlike one that gets stored at the The Moving Picture Archive at the University of North Carolina School of end of a movie about a certain archeologist. the Arts is mostly nestled in a stout brick building on the Winston-Salem Silent films and old technicolor prints share space with rare versions of campus. It’s the fifth-largest film archive in the country, the largest being modern-day blockbusters and out-of-print VHS tapes. One might be about a the Library of Congress. The extensive archives include a collection of kid who stole a DeLorean and gets lost in time. 16,500 original feature film prints on 70mm, 35mm and 16mm; 240 live-ac“[T]here’s a bit of a scavenger/hoarder/get-it-where-you-can-get-it kind of tion and animated short films, documentaries and newsreels on 35mm and feeling to being an archivist,” Jones says. 16mm; 4,600 previews of coming attractions on 35mm; and 9,300 videoThe original assemblage of films came from a private collector in the cassette, laserdisc and DVD titles, according to the website. early days of the school. Combined with a large, fortuitous acquisition from And that’s all that’s described online. No lists are publicly available. And the shuttering of the National Film Service (a storage firm for films) in the that’s on purpose. late ’90s, the archive quickly became one of the largest in the country. Most “Private collectors will not tell you what they own, period,” says Matt films in the archive today are from those sources, donations and a “deposJones, the associate curator of the Moving Picture Archive and technical it” system that offers storage in the archive. director of the annual RiverRun Film Festival, also based in Winston-Salem. “Prints are starting to become more delicate,” Jones says. “The skill sets “Every private collector I’ve ever known is massively paranoid; paranoid of handling film are becoming more rarefied, so increasingly archives are that someone’s going to take their print, paranoid that someone’s going to assigned to just sit on their collections. There’s a number of things in here pressure them to do something with it, they’d rather just not talk about it.” that the only way you’re going to get it is if we can get a digital transfer Part of the reason for this is copyright complications. made. These, if you keep them the proper temperature and humidity and “Copyright for screen, for one time, is $400 to $500,” Jones says. everything will last 100 years.” The school would have to pay that amount to show the average film in The purpose of the space is to preserve and to an extent, educate the their archive to the public. The litigious nature of copyright law and ownerthousands of film-school students that have attended UNCSA. Some stuship in the 21st Century is a primary barrier to doing it. dents learn the different aspects of film projection — how to reel, splice and In the past, prints were returned to the studio and incinerated after multipreserve film, a skill which is quickly becoming lost due to digital advancple runs when released. Why? es. The school has five big screens made specifically for the purposes of “Because the general thing in Hollywood until very recently is that it screening the original reels. The theaters are used as classrooms, where would be better for no copy to exist at all, then for the chance to exist that film methods are dissected and parsed out by the instructors. They also someone might run it and [Hollywood doesn’t] get their cut,” Jones says. show student films there. Sometimes though, they just show movies. BeStill, he has ideas that could work if the funds were available. cause that’s what it’s about: the love of film and storytelling, all preserved in “If we could show movies to the public once a week, every other week, one place, even if no one knows about it. once a month in the main theatre [on campus], if we could build it up to “I know that I will retire from one of the premier archives in the world,” become regular, it wouldn’t be a cash bonanza, but we could break even,” Jones says. “But I know it will take me until I retire to make it one of the he says. premier archives of the world.” And it’s a shame because UNCSA’s collection is massive.

SHOT IN THE TRIAD | FEB 23 - MAR 2, 2022

SHOT IN THE TRIAD South Greene Street, Greensboro

CAROLYN DE BERRY

A memorial for local victims of gun violence on the grounds of the Guilford County Courthouse.

PUZZLES | FEB 23 - MAR 2, 2022

CROSSWORD

by Matt Jones

Across 1. Fashion mogul von Furstenberg 6. “And Winter Came...” singer 10. Sound-boosting devices 14. “Citizen Kane” director Welles 15. “High” places for pirates 16. “Who Let the Dogs Out?” group ___ Men 17. “Hairspray” director 19. Laugh-and-a-half 20. Like tough push-ups 21. Matriarch 23. Suffix after Insta- or auto26. Groups of quail 27. Arm muscle, informally 30. In addition 32. Uncompressed audio file format 33. Folk singer Phil 34. Flautist Jean-Pierre ___ 36. HRE part 39. “___ is me!” 40. Colorful writing implements 41. “Bill ___ Saves the World” (Netflix series) 42. Abbr. at the bottom of a business letter 43. Birds, formally 44. “Heads up” abbr. 45. ___-One (“Sound of da Police” musician) 47. “___: Vegas” (rebooted TV series) 48. Actress Tyler of “Archer” 49. Become less intense 52. “Help!” co-star Ringo 54. Memorized perfectly 56. Fasteners that pop into place 60. Sandpaper quality 61. Neither wins nor loses 64. “Blues to the Bone” singer ___ James 65. Market order 66. “Dia de ___” (Shakira song) 67. “Fantastic Mr. Fox” author Roald 68. Graded item 69. Extra you may have to ask for at some drive-thrus (due to state laws)

Down

Director’s Cut

1. “Cobra Kai” school 2. Metal that can rust 3. NYC tennis stadium namesake 4. Obscure people 5. Swaddle 6. Yearbook superlatives ender 7. “Born,” in a Wikipedia bio 8. Fabric shop purchase 9. NBA component? 10. Brand used to treat cold sores 11. Big-ticket items 12. Counterfeit 13. Appeases fully 18. CPA’s entry 22. Cat noises at night 24. Underscore alternative

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

25. What the circled letters represent 27. Former heavyweight champ Riddick 28. Picture that can be dragged 29. Consults 31. “Let’s see what you got!” 34. Minister, for short 35. Ques. response 37. Ancient legend 38. “CHiPS” remake actor Michael 40. Fill the tank 44. Circulatory conduit 46. Apartment, typically 48. Comes to light 49. Having a border 50. Principal artery 51. “Blue Ribbon” beer brand 53. Vessel boarded by pairs 55. Sloth’s hangout 57. Loving or lasting leader? 58. Part of TB 59. Lots of it was created for the Beijing Olympics 62. South African golf legend Ernie 63. ___-newsweekly (paper you might be holding)

SUDOKU

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS: