We invite you to join us for a screening of the documentary film Stewart Udall and the Politics of Beauty in the Hermann Room, on Friday Oct. 13, 2023 at 3:00PM. The screening is free and open to the public. Following the film, documentary filmmaker John de Graaf will answer questions from the audience. We encourage you to REGISTER for this event.
This new 78-minute documentary celebrates the life and legacy of former Interior Secretary
Stewart L. Udall, arguably the most effective environmentalist in American history. He fought
tirelessly for the protection of our planet and its natural beauty and was the first public official to
speak out about global warming.
This beautiful film tells the inspiring story of Secretary Udall as an advocate of social and
environmental justice, international cooperation, the arts, and most of all, the protection of our
shared environment and magnificent natural beauty. The story highlights the bi-partisan success
of this unsung hero’s efforts, and calls on us all to move beyond the polarization of our time and
work together to protect our world’s natural heritage.
Udall pushed legislation through Congress mandating clean air and water, wilderness
preservation, pesticide restrictions, strip-mining reclamation, and the establishment of the Wild
and Scenic Rivers and National Trails systems, while providing greater self-determination for
Native Americans. The film explores the hard choices Udall had to make regarding both the
Vietnam War and plans to dam the Grand Canyon, which he helped ultimately stop.
This ground-breaking film goes beyond Udall’s accomplishments to explore the values that
motivated him, especially his concern for beauty and balance, as expressed in the Navajo
concept of Hózhó.
“Don’t miss this masterpiece!”–Gus Speth, former director, UN Development Program, Dean,
Yale School of Forestry, co-founder, Natural Resources Defense Council
“Professional photographer L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries, becomes obsessed with watching the private dramas of his neighbors while confined to a wheelchair with a broken leg. When he suspects that a salesman may have murdered his nagging, invalid wife, Jeffries enlists the help of his stunning socialite girlfriend to investigate the suspicious chain of events.”
“Boston heiress Charlotte Vale (Bette Davis) is a neurotic mess, largely because of her domineering mother (Gladys Cooper). But after a stint in a sanatorium where she receives the attention of Dr. Jasquith (Claude Rains), Charlotte comes out of her shell and elects to go on a cruise. Aboard ship she meets Jerry (Paul Henreid) and falls in love, despite his being married. They enjoy a brief tryst in Rio before returning to the States, where Charlotte struggles to forget him and find happiness.”
“Following the closing arguments in a murder trial, the 12 members of the jury must deliberate, with a guilty verdict meaning death for the accused, an inner-city teen. As the dozen men try to reach a unanimous decision while sequestered in a room, one juror (Henry Fonda) casts considerable doubt on elements of the case. Personal issues soon rise to the surface, and conflict threatens to derail the delicate process that will decide one boy’s fate.”
“After a divorced New York mother (Maureen O’Hara) hires a nice old man to play Santa Claus (Edmund Gwenn) at Macy’s, she is startled by his claim to be the genuine article. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer (John Payne) defends him in court by arguing that he’s not mistaken.”
