We had another splendid time with our second largest turnout: 31 annual members, 49 day members, and one guest, totalling 81 souls. This was the first occasion we used the new kit and the improvement in sound and visual quality was noticeable. There were problems with microphone and induction loop for those with hearing difficulties but work continues to resolve those. The first short film 'The Lunch Date' was a black and white comedy involving a case of mistaken location of a bowl of salad. After that we heard the voice of writer and director Randy Yang as he introduced his short: 'Video'. to us. This too was well received and provided plenty of scope for us to discuss it with out neighbours over a glass of mulled wine with a home made fig newton (named after the town in Massachusetts).
Eugene.
Hidden Figures is an excellent film about NASA in the 1960s and the launching and recovery of the first American astronaut. The film arouses every human emotion in turn, culminating in the joy of triumph for the three dignified black American women mathematicians, who, by perseverance, dedication and application, achieve their goals despite the racial discrimination they are subject to. Eventually, in very old age, Margaret G. Johnson received national acclaim.
The two short films preceding the main feature upheld the theme to great effect. All three films drew spontaneous audience applause. The discussion group was disappointingly small, especially in relation to the large audience. The short films were discussed extensively as well as the main feature and it was agreed that the evening had been a great success.
Sonia