BY KAREN BOSSICK
The resolute statesman Winston Churchill will come to The Argyros when the performing arts center kicks off its inaugural Churchill Festival.
The festival kicks off today—Friday, June 6—with a screening of “Darkest Hour.” And it runs through Saturday with two additional presentations.
“Darkest Hour,” which screens at 7:30 p.m. tonight, is a critically acclaimed film that chronicles the pivotal moment in 1940 when Churchill, who had just been appointed British Prime Minister, had to decide whether to negotiate with Adolph Hitler or fight the Third Reich against seemingly insurmountable odds.
It was a moment in which the fate of Western Europe hung on his decision. And it was a courageous decision that helped change the course of world history.
Tickets to the screening are $20, available at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35937/production/1231291?performanceId=11601852.
On Saturday, June 7, local Churchill scholar Lee Pollock will present a free discussion examining “Churchill at the Movies” at 2:30 p.m. Churchill has appeared in a wide range of big screen films from epic war dramas to biographical portrayals. He’s been played by such accomplished actors as Richard Burton and Gary Oldman.
Pollock will examine how accurate the portrayals are and Churchill’s own relationship with the world of film, including his friendships with Hollywood icons like Charlie Chaplin.
Lee Pollock, a native of Montreal, Canada, has served as executive director and a trustee of The International Churchill Society, which has offices in Chicago, Washington and London. He has spoken on a wide range of subjects including Churchill’s secrets of leadership, Churchill and the Jews and Franklin and Winston: The Friendship that Saved the World.
RSVP for the free presentation at https://www.theargyros.org/calendar/churchill-at-the-movies-with-lee-pollock.
The festival will conclude with a live portrayal of Churchill by Randy Otto at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7.
Otto delivers Churchill’s iconic speeches with tiring conviction, while engaging in witty insightful dialogue that reveals the man behind the legend. Tickets are $40, available at https://ci.ovationtix.com/35937/production/1231293?performanceId=11601854.
Otto is a Churchill scholar, who is affectionately called Mr. Prime Minister or Mr. Churchill by those in his hometown of Lake Mills, Wis. He’s considered to Winston Churchill what Hal Holbrook was to Mark Twain. At the core of his presentations are Churchill’s eight timeless leadership principles.
The festival has been sponsored by Tim Mott.