Saratoga Jewish Community Arts, with the support of a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York and sponsorship of Temple Sinai of Saratoga Springs, presents a panel discussion on Zoom of the 1962 award-winning film To Kill a Mockingbird, on January 23 at 7 pm.  This enduring classic, starring Gregory Peck and directed by Rubert Mulligan, is based on the Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Harper Lee.  The film is rich with memorable characters and thought-provoking subject matter that has made a lasting mark on cinema history.  The program is part of SJCA’s social justice series.

To Kill a Mockingbird is a time capsule of a bygone America.  It has inspired discussions on race, morality and social change. The film’s release coincided with a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement and contributed to public discourse on racial justice. The contrasting socioeconomic backgrounds of the characters highlight the barriers to change imposed by societal norms.

The film tells the story of Atticus Finch, a small-town lawyer and widower father in the deep South who passionately defends a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman.  While casting a white man as hero of the film distorts the reality that African American lawyers and organizations (such as the NAACP) were principally responsible for challenging racial segregation laws and malicious prosecutions, the film made an important contribution to the public debate around race. Set in Alabama during the Great Depression, the film raises powerful questions about poverty, racism and injustice germane to the modern civil rights movement.

The film was released in December 1962, arguably the last month of the last year of the complacency of the postwar years. The following November, John F. Kennedy was assassinated, followed the deaths of Martin Luther King, Robert F. Kennedy, Malcolm X and Medgar Evers. Nothing would ever be the same again.

“To Kill a Mockingbird is a powerful social commentary,” says Phyllis Wang, Coordinator of SJCA,” that sheds light on the deep-seated prejudices that plagued society then….and unfortunately, persist in today’s social and political environment.”

The film may be viewed free on Hoopla (registration with library care required), or it may be rented from Amazon or Apple.  Advance registration is required. 

To register for this and future SJCA programs, go to the SJCA Home Page.

A playbill and Zoom link will be sent to registrants about a day before the program, followed by a last minute reminder shortly before the program.