“Wojnarowicz,” a fiery and urgent documentary portrait of downtown New York City artist, writer, photographer and activist David Wojnarowicz, opens May 7 at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. Also continuing to show is “The Truffle Hunters.”
As New York City became the epicenter of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, Wojnarowicz weaponized his work and battled against the establishment’s indifference to the plague until his death from it in 1992 at age 37. Exclusive access to his body of work — including paintings, journals and films — reveals how Wojnarowicz emptied his life into his art and activism. Rediscovered answering machine tape recordings and intimate recollections from Fran Lebowitz, Gracie Mansion, Peter Hujar, and other friends and family help present a stirring portrait of this fiercely political, unapologetically queer artist.
“Wojnarowicz” is showing through May 20.
“The Truffle Hunters” explores a world most know nothing about with delightfully savory results.
Deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy, a handful of men, 70 or 80 years young, hunt for the rare and expensive white Alba truffle — which to date has resisted all of modern science’s efforts at cultivation. They’re guided by a secret culture and training passed down through generations, as well as by the noses of their cherished and expertly trained dogs. They live a simpler, slower way of life, in harmony with their loyal animals and their picture-perfect land, seemingly straight out of a fairy tale. They’re untethered to cellphone screens or the internet, opting instead to make their food and drink by hand and prioritizing in-person connections and community.
The demand for white truffles increases year after year, even as the supply decreases. As a result of climate change, deforestation and the lack of young people taking up the mantle, the truffle hunters’ secrets are more coveted than ever. However, as it soon becomes clear, these aging men may just hold something much more valuable than even this prized delicacy: the secret to a rich and meaningful life.
“The Truffle Hunters,” rated PG-13, is showing at the Ross through May 13.
Show times are available on the Ross website or by calling 402-472-5353.
