Summer Nights: On the Big Screen Night

Free admission for Eastern State members! Join now.

Let’s go to the movies! From documentaries to dramas, film can provide us with a window to the real world, stir up emotion with the power of storytelling, and shape personal and societal perceptions. Learn about the history of film at Eastern State and examine its impact on our understanding of the justice system today. Consider how movies and media have long influenced and reflected ideas about imprisonment, rehabilitation, and social change.

Special activities this evening include:

• Film Screening & Fireside Chat
  Watch and discuss clips from the PBS documentary Becoming American: Philadelphia’s Story with the film’s creator and co-executive producer Oliver St. Clair Franklin. Becoming American uncovers the hidden history of the city’s early diverse communities. From Indigenous people and enslaved Africans to lawmakers and artisans—discover how Philadelphians have shaped their city and the nation from its founding through today.
   
• Mini Tour: Making Headlines
  Explore the powerful intersection of journalism, incarceration, and censorship—past and present. Consider the importance of, and ongoing struggle for freedom of expression in prisons and jails. Reflect on who gets to speak, what stories are told, and how resistance takes shape through words.