“Of Men and Gods” screening kicks off 2012 “Art at the Threshold” Series

AU Connects! and Art at the Threshold announce a screening and discussion of the film Of Men and Gods on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 5 p.m. in Biggin Hall Auditorium.

The film is the first in a series of Art at the Threshold programs on the role of the arts, language and ritual in the context of social issues. Designed to support the 2011-12 Common Book Program, the programs focus on Haiti, Guatemala and Mexico, three areas in which Paul Farmer’s Partners in Health is currently active.

Of Men and Gods is a documentary by anthropologist and film-maker Anne Lescot. Set in Haiti, it examines the daily existence of several men who are openly gay. Prevalent, yet still taboo, homosexuality and gay culture are allowed to flourish within the context of Haiti's Vodou religion. As "children of the gods," the men find an explanation for homosexuality as well as divine protection. They also find an outlet for theatrical expression through exhilarating performances in which they embody the gods. Meanwhile, the AIDS epidemic looms as a continual threat and adds a disquieting degree of nihilism to their relatively optimistic attitudes toward life and happiness in Port-au-Prince.

Upcoming Art at the Threshold programs include the following talks and lectures:

• “Political and Religious Ritual Violence Among the Post-classic Maya in Northern Guatemala” (AD 950-1524) by Dr. William Duncan of East Tennessee State University on Feb. 14
• "Tina Modotti: Muse, Photographer, Revolutionary" by Dr. Mark Miller Graham, Auburn University on Mar. 20
• “Caribbean Women Writing Bridges of Sound” by Dr. Velma Pollard, professor emerita at the University of West Indies, Mona, Jamaica on Mar. 28
• "Art Matters: Sculpture, Peace, and Diplomacy in Ancient Yoruba" by Dr. Suzanne Blier, Harvard University on Apr. 17.

Art at the Threshold is sponsored by the Auburn University College of Liberal Arts’ Art Department and the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities. All programs are at 5 p.m. in Biggin Hall Auditorium and are free and open to the public.

For a full schedule and more information, please call 334-844-4946 or go to www.auburn.edu/cla and click on the CLA Common Reading Program button.