Les Blank’s shaggy music documentary “A Poem is a Naked Person” opens Nov. 6 at UNL’s Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. Continuing to show is “Truth,” a film about how a news report ruined Dan Rather’s career with CBS News.
In “A Poem is a Naked Person,” Blank follows singer-songwriter Leon Russell at his recording studio in northeast Oklahoma. The documentary captures intimate, off-the-cuff moments and combines them with scenes of Russell and his band performing live.
The film about Russell and his community of friends, musicians and fellow Oklahoma eccentrics was recorded more than 40 years ago and was previously unreleased.
“A Poem is a Naked Person” is not rated and shows through Nov. 12.
“Truth” is an independent feature film based on the book “Truth and Duty” by Mary Mapes. It follows the true story of Mapes (played by Kate Blanchett), an award-winning CBS News journalist and Rather’s producer.
The film chronicles how Mapes and Rather (Robert Redford) uncovered a story that a sitting U.S. president may have been absent without leave from the National Guard for more than a year during the Vietnam War. When the story was exposed as being untrue, the ensuing scandal ruined Rather’s career, nearly changed a national election and almost took down all of CBS News.
“Truth,” rated R for language and a brief nude photo, shows through Nov. 12 at the Ross.
For more information about movies at the Ross, click here or call 402-472-5353.
