Clark's "10 Distinctive Directors Under 50" Film series continues

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Williamstown - The "10 Distinctive Directors Under 50: Discovering the Direction of Film for the Decades Ahead" film series continues at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute on most Fridays at 4 p.m. through September 9. The series celebrates great filmmakers born since 1955, the founding year of the Clark. Films, held in the auditorium, are free and open to the public. All films are rated R. Kicking off the August films on August 5 will be Great Expectations (1998, 111 minutes). Alfonso Cuaron navigates masterfully from Mexican originals to English literary adaptations, transposing the Dickens masterpiece to present day Key West and Manhattan. Ethan Hawke as Pip, now a painter (paintings by Francesco Clemente), and Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, and Robert DeNiro represent Estella, Miss Havisham, and Magwitch. Together (2000, 106 minutes, Swedish with subtitles) will be shown on August 19. Lukas Moodysson casts an amused but sympathetic eye on a Stockholm commune in the 1970s, a hippie stew of idealism and ideology spiced by dashes of idiosyncrasy and desire, in which it is discovered that love is never altogether free. Frank and funny about sex and politics, the film demonstrates that family is where you find it. August 26 will feature The Virgin Suicides (1999, 97 minutes). Directed by Sofia Coppola, who established herself as a major talent with Lost in Translation, but promised much with this first effort, this film is an adaptation of Jeffrey Eugenides' elegiac novel of love and death among teenagers in suburbia. With Kristen Dunst as one daughter and Kathleen Turner as the mother of five, this is a film of family from a distinguished film family. In What's Cooking? (2000, 109 minutes) on September 2 Gurinder Chadha brings a multicultural brio to her orchestrations of communities in flux. Best known for Bend it Like Beckham, here she takes a panoptic look at an assorted group of Los Angeles families getting ready for the trial of Thanksgiving. Alfre Woodard leads a diverse and delightful cast. Concluding the series on September 9 will be Welcome to Sarajevo (1997, 102 minutes), directed by Michael Winterbottom. The film examines the war in Bosnia and the siege of its cosmopolitan capital. Woody Harrelson is an American journalist working with British reporters to get to the heart of the breaking story. Along with the film series, the Clark is celebrating its 50th anniversary with special exhibitions such as Jacques-Louis David: Empire to Exile, The Clark: Celebrating 50 Years of Art in Nature, and 50 Favorites, all currently on view. This fall, the Clark will draw on its extensive collection of works by Winslow Homer to present Winslow Homer: Making Art Making History, on view from October 9, 2005 to January 16, 2006. The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in July and August (closed Mondays September through June). Admission June 1 through October 31 is $10 for adults, free for children 18 and under, members, and students with valid ID. Admission is free November through May. For more information, call 413-458-2303 or visit www.clarkart.edu. Calendar listings: Friday, August 5: As part of the "10 Distinctive Directors Under 50: Discovering the Direction of Film for the Decades Ahead" film series at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Great Expectations (1998, 111 minutes) will be shown at 4 pm. The films are free. 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA 01267, 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu. Friday, August 19: As part of the "10 Distinctive Directors Under 50: Discovering the Direction of Film for the Decades Ahead" film series at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Together (2000, 106 minutes, Swedish with subtitles) will be shown at 4 pm. The films are free. 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA 01267, 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu. Friday, August 26: As part of the "10 Distinctive Directors Under 50: Discovering the Direction of Film for the Decades Ahead" film series at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, The Virgin Suicides (1999, 97 minutes) will be shown at 4 pm. The films are free. 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA 01267, 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu. Friday, September 2: As part of the "10 Distinctive Directors Under 50: Discovering the Direction of Film for the Decades Ahead" film series at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, What's Cooking (2000, 109 minutes) will be shown at 4 pm. The films are free. 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA 01267, 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu. Friday, September 9: As part of the "10 Distinctive Directors Under 50: Discovering the Direction of Film for the Decades Ahead" film series at the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Welcome to Sarajevo (1997, 102 minutes) will be shown at 4 pm. The films are free. 225 South Street, Williamstown, MA 01267, 413-458-2303, www.clarkart.edu.
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Pittsfield Says 'Thank You' to Veterans with Free Parking

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — City officials have decided to thank veterans for their service with free parking starting June 1.

The City Council on Tuesday approved an ordinance allowing veterans to park in municipal lots and spaces at no charge. This was brought forward by Ward 1 Councilor Kenneth Warren, Ward 4 Councilor James Conant, and Ward 5 Councilor Patrick Kavey.

The original proposal was for veterans with designated plates but to ensure equity, it was amended to allow veterans with regular plates to register with the city for free parking. Warren came to the meeting with an amended proposal after suggestions were made during a subcommittee meeting last month.

"This is the same ordinance that we petitioned for. It was mentioned that the Committee on Ordinance and Rules two things," he said.

"One, they wanted to move this along as quickly as possible and two, there's going to be a provision for registration with the city in a way that's going to be proposed and implemented so this covers both. Either veterans plates or registration will be able to use parking for free for veterans."

City Solicitor Stephen Pagnotta said the amendment is "unusual," as there is not yet a system to register veterans' license plates.

"The rest of the ordinance is not a problem approving it," he said. "This particular provision can't be implemented until a system has been approved. If the City Council wants to move ahead as it is now, just you should recognize that we don't know what that system is yet."

Commissioner of Public Services and Utilities Ricardo Morales recommended leaving free parking to veterans' plates, explaining that it could be burdensome for veterans with regular plates to have to register with the city.

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