Events

The Five Demands film promotional logo of red fisted hand, along with film title and historical image of Black students

Image courtesy Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss / Jezebel Productions

Professor of Visual Arts Su Friedrich marks her retirement from Princeton with the screening of a powerful new film, The Five Demands, by the filmmaker team of Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss. In April 1969, a small group of Black and Puerto Rican students shut down the City College of New York, an elite public university located right in the heart of Harlem. Fueled by the revolutionary fervor sweeping the nation, the strike soon turned into an uprising, leading to the extended occupation of the campus, classes being canceled, students being arrested, and the resignation of the college president. Through archival footage and modern-day interviews, we follow the students’ struggle against the institutional racism that, for over a century, had shut out people of color from this and other public universities. The Five Demands revisits the untold story of this explosive student takeover, and proves that a handful of ordinary citizens can band together to take action and effect meaningful change. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Schiller and Weiss and two of the participants in the historic strike, Rosalind McLymont and Charles Powell, moderated by Friedrich. A reception precedes the screening at 7 p.m., with refreshments served.

The Five Demands: Teaser Video

The Five Demands- 1 min trailer from Jezebel Productions on Vimeo.

Tickets & Details

The screening and conversation are free and open to the public. No advance tickets or registration required.

Get directions and find venue information for the James Stewart Film Theater at 185 Nassau Street.

COVID-19 Guidance + Updates

Per Princeton University policy, all visitors are expected to be either fully vaccinated, have recently received and prepared to show proof of a negative COVID test (via PCR within 72 hours or via rapid antigen within 8 hours of the scheduled visit), or agree to wear a face covering when indoors and around others.

Accessibility

symbol for wheelchair accessibilityThe James Stewart Film Theater is wheelchair accessible. Visit our Venues and Studios section for accessibility information at our various locations. Guests in need of access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at 609-258-5262 or email LewisCenter@princeton.edu at least one week in advance of the event date.

About the Artists

Andrea Weiss smiles with curly gray hair, large earrings, and a patterned scarf at her neck.

Photo courtesy Andrea Weiss

Greta Schiller smiles broadly, wearing a dark blouse, rimless glasses and she has short, graying hair.

Photo courtesy Greta Schiller

Co-producer/directors Greta Schiller and Andrea Weiss are an Emmy Award-winning, internationally acclaimed filmmaking team. Working together since 1984, they have produced 20 films including Before Stonewall, International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Paris Was a Woman, The Man Who Drove with Mandela, Escape to Life: The Erika and Klaus Mann Story, and Bones of Contention, among others. Schiller is a two-time Fulbright recipient and recently produced The Land of Azaba, a feature documentary that closely observes the largest ecological restoration project in Europe. Weiss is Professor of Film at The City College of New York where she co-directs the MFA program.

 

su friedrich smiling with grey short wavy hair and wearing navy blazer

Photo by Alexander Tuma

Su Friedrich has produced and directed twenty four films and videos, including Today (2022), I Cannot Tell You How I Feel (2016), Gut Renovation (2012), The Odds of Recovery (2002), Hide and Seek (1996), Sink or Swim (1990), Damned If You Don’t (1987), and The Ties That Bind (1984). Friedrich is the writer, director, cinematographer, and editor of all her films except Hide and Seek, which was shot by Jim Denault. Friedrich’s films have won many awards, including Grand Prix at the Melbourne Film Festival, Best Narrative Film at the Athens Film Festival, Outstanding Documentary Feature at Outfest, and the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco Film Festival. Her work has been the subject of retrospectives at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Rotterdam International Film Festival, The Stadtkino in Vienna, the Buenos Aires Festival of Independent Cinema, the First Tokyo Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and the Anthology Film Archives in NY. Friedrich has received the Alpert Award; fellowships from the Rockefeller Foundation, the Guggenheim and the NEA; grants from ITVS and the DAAD, and multiple grants from NYSCA, the NYFA and the Jerome Foundation. Her films are distributed by Outcast Films and Icarus Films.

Presented By

  • Program in Visual Arts

Share