Angela's birth family attends Bellingham screening
/Last weekend I fulfilled a dream that I’ve had for a couple of years. Closure screened in front of two sold out audiences in Bellingham, Washington at the Pickford Film Center. Bellingham is the town where Angela was raised, and where her parents still reside. To add to the festivities, Angela’s birth mother (Deborah) and birth sister (Carolyn “Na-Na”) flew out from Chattanooga, Tennessee to be in attendance. The first stop after picking them up at the SeaTac airport was a Ferris Wheel ride on Seattle's waterfront. With both Angela and Na-Na possessing a slight fear of heights, there were tears of laughter as we swung, suspended in the air, with breathtaking views of the water and Seattle skyline. In retrospect, this was symbolic of the emotional "ride" that was to be this entire weekend.
I shouldn’t be the one to speak to this, but I imagine it was difficult for Deborah to watch the film, and relive some of those moments and get a glimpse into Angela's lifelong struggle and desire to know where she came from. After the Q&A of the first showing, I stood in the lobby and watched person after person go up to both Deborah and Na-Na, hugging them, thanking them for coming, offering kind words about their courage, and thanking them in general for opening up their lives for the film. It was truly touching.
Many of you were unable to get
in to the show, and several of you even asked the theater manager to bring the film back. Good news! They listened to you and have invited Closure back in October, to be a part of
the Pickford's annual Doctober Festival (a month long celebration of
documentaries)! Exact showing dates/times are still being finalized and
will be announced at a future date. In the meantime, here are a few photos from this weekend.
