Polk Museum of Art Hosts Visiting Film Director for “Art of Film”

Lakeland, FL (March 11, 2020) – The Polk Museum of Art is hosting its monthly Art of Film series with a special guest, Iranian director and filmmaker Anahita Ghazvinizadeh.

This month’s film “They,” directed by Ghazvinizadeh, features fourteen-year-old J who goes by the pronoun “they.” Living in the suburbs of Chicago with their parents, J is exploring their gender identity and has to make a decision whether or not to transition after two years on hormone blockers. While struggling with their decision, J spends the weekend with their sister, Lauren, and her Iranian friend/partner Araz, while their parents are away.

Over the years, Ghazvinizadeh has created a series of films in which growth, gender identity, and family dynamics are strong themes of the film. Through her work with children and youth, she had the chance to learn about the experience of transgender, gender expansive, and non-binary identifying young people and the crucial periods during which those individuals are questioning who they are. Ghazvinizadeh felt this time of exploring one's self-identification was a crucial piece to share, so she began to write “They.”

Each film for the Art of Film is selected by Assistant Professor of Film at Florida Southern College (FSC), Matthew Herbertz, and the series is a program offered by FSC's Department of Art History and Museum Studies, which is housed at the Polk Museum.

“When I curate the Art of Film series every year, my goal is to bring in at least one visiting filmmaker to Lakeland in order for students and the community at large to be able to interact with the person who created the work they see on screen,” explains Herbertz. “I make a considered effort to bring women, people of color, and underrepresented filmmakers to Lakeland so that we are able to engage with diverse perspectives, ideas, and thought processes. My goal is that there is a greater appreciation of the artistic value of film as a medium and emphasis on the importance of who is represented behind the camera.” 

Dr. Alex Rich, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Museum and chair of the Art History and Museum Studies department at FSC agrees:  “The Polk Museum is dedicated in its mission to serve proudly as a forum for inclusivity and accessibility. It is deeply important always, but especially in 2020, that we represent diverse voices in art and culture in order to allow members of our community to learn about and from one another in positive and identity-affirming ways.”

Doors open for the Art of Film on March 28 at 6 p.m. at the Polk Museum of Art, with introduction and screening beginning at 6:30 pm, followed by a Q&A with the Anahita Ghazvinizadeh. This event is free and open to the public.