Entertainment
Ridgefield Playhouse's Film Society presents "Neshoba" with Q&A by producers and directors
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Nov 16, 2009 - 11:59 AM

The Ridgefield Playhouse Film Society, as part of its Documentary Film Series, will present the civil rights documentary "Neshoba," on Saturday, December 12, 7:30 p.m. Following the screening, producers and directors Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano will be on hand for a Q&A. Hosts are Morton Dean, Ira Joe Fisher and Faith Daniels. Sponsors are The Ridgefield Press, HBGroup, Sony XDCAM HD and Cohen and Wolf, P.C.

"Neshoba" is a documentary that tells the true story of a Mississippi town still divided about the meaning of justice 40 years after the murders of civil rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, a story which became the basis of the film "Mississippi Burning." For more than 40 years, Mississippi refused to prosecute any of the Klansmen directly responsible for the murders, even though they bragged openly about what they did. While the killers continued to live and prosper, most townspeople remained silent, as if the murders never happened.

In 2004, a multi- racial coalition of Neshoba County citizens got together for the first time in 40 years to erase the stain from their town by publicly pressuring the state to bring murder charges against the killers. Finally on January 6, 2005, the State of Mississippi indicated the mastermind of the murders, Edgar Ray Killen, an 80-year-old Baptist preacher and notorious racist.

Filmmakers Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano gained unprecedented access to Killen. For the first time ever, they capture the outspoken views of a Klan member charged with a civil rights murder and take viewers on a journey into the mindset of a man who, to this day, feels the murders of two Jews and an African-American were justified as self-defense of a way of life.

"Neshoba" takes an unflinching look at ordinary citizens struggling to find peace with their town's violent, racist past. The film questions whether the prosecution of one unrepentant Klansman constitutes justice and whether healing and racial reconciliation are possible without telling the unvarnished truth.

For reserved and general admission tickets ($10 adults, $7.50 seniors, $5 students) and additional information about The Ridgefield Playhouse Film Society programs, call the box office at 203-438-5795, or go online at www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Playhouse is located at 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT 06877.

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