Film Project to open at Contemporary Arts Center

With the stress of finals, this weekend presents an opportunity for respite with local artist and filmmaker Benjamin Reece’s most recent project. He is showcasing his ongoing film project, Fifty People One Question, which he is best known for. So far Reece has created four short films in London, New York City, Brooklyn and New Orleans.

The title of the project is an accurate description of what is involved in these short films. People are put in front of the camera and asked to candidly respond to a certain question. Each city receives a different question, but the way in which each person appears interconnected to one another through the answers they give is compelling. The films are approximately five to eight minutes long, yet manage to touch their audiences in that short time. In addition to working on these films, Reece has recently started collaborating with Frank Warren of PostSecret-fame. Appropriating the PostSecret idea, Reece has created a film equivalent: Instead of asking questions like, “What would you like to wake up to?,” or “If you could change one thing, what would it be?,” Reece is asking “What is your secret?” The film is only six minutes long but encompasses an expansive range of emotions.

There will be a screening of this PostSecret-style film and the four Fifty People One Question films within the series at the Contemporary Arts Center this Sunday. In addition to the films, there will be live performances from local artists including A Living Soundtrack, Sun Hotel and Smiley with a Knife, and non-local artist Chazz Knapp. The event will run from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m., serving as an ideal escape from the piles of homework. If leaving your dorm is not an option, all five videos can be viewed at either Benjamin Reece’s Web site or the PostSecret Web site.