BY KAREN BOSSICK
Jimmy Carter meet Bill Cunningham.
These two iconic figures are the subjects of the final two films in the Sun Valley Museum of Art’s Fall Film Series. Both films will be shown multiple times to ensure physical distancing in theaters.
- “Jimmy Carter: Rock and Roll President” will screen at 7 p.m. tonight—Wednesday, Dec. 2—at the Liberty Theater in Hailey. It will also screen at 4 and 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, at the Magic Lantern Cinemas in Ketchum.
The film purports that the peanut farmer from Georgia might never have been elected 39th president of the United States had it not been for a bottle of scotch and a late-night visit from musician Gregg Allman.
The documentary tells the story of how Carter forged a tight bond with Willie Nelson, the Allman Brothers, Bob Dylan and others. Their support gave Carter a critical boost in the Democratic primaries and, once Carter was elected, they became frequent guests in the White House.
The film features Carter, Madeleine Albright, Bono, Garth Brooks, Jimmy Buffett, Chip Carter, Rosanne Cash, Bishop Michael Curry, Bob Dylan, Chuck Leavell, Willie Nelson, Nile Rodgers, Paul Simon, Trisha Yearwood and Andrew Young.
- “The Times of Bill Cunningham” will screen at 4 and 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10, at the Magic Lantern Cinemas.
Cunningham, best known for his full-page street-style photos shoots for the New York Times, was such a singular presence in the city that in 2009 he was designated a living landmark.
He was easy to spot riding his bicycle through Midtown, his bony-thin frame draped in his utilitarian blue French worker’s jacket, khaki pants and block sneakers with his 35-millimeter camera slung around his neck.
In nearly 40 years of working for The Times, he chronicled changing dress habits as they shifted away from formality and towards something more diffuse and individualistic. Nothing escaped his notice—not the fanny packs, Birkin bags, gingham shirts or the fluorescent biker shorts.
The film, narrated by Sarah Jessica Parker, features photographs chosen from more than 3 million previously unpublicized images that this iconic fashion historian shot. It chronicles his experiences moonlighting as a milliner in France during the Korean War and his unique relationship with Jackie Kennedy.
“This film is a breath of fresh New York air!” said Kristine Bretall, performing arts director at Sun Valley Museum of Art. “(Cunningham’s) clear joy in capturing people simply walking down the street in fabulous clothes is palpable.”
A limited number of tickets will be sold in advance through the SVMoA website. Tickets may be available at the door if not sold out. Those uncomfortable with an in-person experience may review The Museum’s website to see how the films may be viewed from home.
Tickets are $10 for SVMoA members and $12 for nonmembers. Visit www.svmoa.org or call 208-726-9491 for tickets.