The adage that you can’t really understand another person’s experience until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes applies well to Nadia and Dominic Gill’s beautifully told short documentary, “Planetwalker.”
Screening Aug. 9-13 at the Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, the 31-minute film tells the true story of John Francis, a fount of inspiration. The environmental advocate and professor took bold, forward-thinking steps as he walked throughout the country after a massive 1971 oil spill in the Bay Area following a tanker collision around the Golden Gate Bridge. More than 800,000 gallons of oil went into the Bay, threatening wildlife, particularly birds, and regional habitats and beaches. The accident spurred a Bay Area activist movement.
At the time, Francis lived in the Point Reyes area, which resident Art Rogers described as a community that was “like a ‘Star Wars’ bar.”
Francis, who was fond of the banjo but didn’t particularly love shoes or cars, took a vow of silence, a decision he adhered to for an astonishing 17 years. He also refused to drive a car, for 22 years
He started wandering on foot throughout Northern California in 1973. Trekking around for 10 years, he developed friendships and connections with other preservationists. Later, he hoofed throughout the United States. He attended college and eventually received a doctorate.
His family members remained concerned for him during his travels, as he was a Black man walking through regions that could be less than welcoming. One intense encounter involved two men, one brandishing a revolver, that drive up to him as he walked a mountain road. One told him: “We don’t like your kind here.”
Of course, others he met were inspired by his resolve and commitment to bring awareness about environmental concerns, even if they were a bit vexed by it.
Through interviews, animation, clips, a re-enactment and photos—including wonderful images of a bygone Bay Area era—“Planetwalker” is a reminder that enacting change often results from following the paths of unconventional trailblazers such as Francis.
Both directors and Francis will answer questions at all 6 p.m. screenings at the film center. For tickets and information, visit https://rafaelfilm.cafilm.org/planetwalker/.
Another Bay Area-connected film not to miss is Greg Kwedar’s drama “Sing Sing,” now in theaters. It tells an inspirational, moving story about some creative men incarcerated at the New York correctional facility of the title and the theatrical production they stage. It’s the best film I’ve seen in 2024.
Best friends Colman Domingo and Sean San José (artistic director of San Francisco’s Magic Theatre) who have worked together (having fired up the Bay Area theater scene years ago) are electrifying as best friends on the inside. Domingo, who scored an Oscar nomination (he should have won) for Netflix’s “Rustin,” gives a performance that wells up from his soul as the falsely incarcerated Divine G. He takes your breath away, particularly in three scenes: one at the end, another with San José and another at a parole board hearing.
But the real discovery here is the electrifying Clarence Maclin who portrays a variation of himself—a new participant in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program who blows everyone away with his talent. Expect to hear more about “Sing Sing” around awards time.
The post Pass the Remote: ‘Planetwalker,’ ‘Sing Sing’ are intriguing, inspirational appeared first on Local News Matters.