The Utah Museum of Fine Arts will host a screening of the 1971 film “Punishment Park” as part of its continuing Desert Secrets Film and Discussion series today at 6 p.m., highlighted by a post-film discussion with human-rights activist and former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson.
“Punishment Park” is a gritty, cinema-veritie style pseudo-documentary film that deals with topics such as unchecked government power in a protest-driven society, counterculture movements and military treatment of detainees and is viewed by many as having renewed relevance in today’s political climate.
The post-film conversation with Anderson8212;who is now the executive director for the grass-roots national advocacy organization High Road for Human Rights8212;offering the audience a chance to explore ways that the film’s fictional events resemble present hot-button political issues such as CIA-U.S. military use of torture in interrogation situations, government domestic surveillance tactics and the indefinite detainment of terror suspects in military prisons.
During his time as mayor of Salt Lake City, Anderson was honored with numerous awards, including the World Leadership Award for environmental programs. Before becoming mayor, he practiced law for more than 20 years and was a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union, Citizens for Penal Reform, and Common Cause of Utah. After his last term as mayor, Anderson launched High Road for Human Rights to effect positive, humane changes in public policy, particularly in the areas of genocide, human trafficking, climate change and torture.
The film and the discussion after will be facilitated by the museum’s curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Jill Dawsey, who said she feels the event will be an unique opportunity to discuss the film’s topics with an accomplished, contemporary activist.
“(Anderson’s) experience gives him an expert perspective on the issues that the film raises,” Dawsey said. “Even though this film was made in 1971, there are all sorts of topics that come up which seem to resonate with us today.”
The film series was inspired by the museum’s exhibition “Desert Secrets: Photography from the Permanent Collection.” The photography collection features photographs using both old and new photography and imaging techniques that deal with themes of nuclear testing, clandestine military operations, conspiracy theories and the natural mystery of the desert landscape itself.
“Punishment Park” is rated R for violence and language and will be screened in the Katherine W. and Ezekiel R. Dumke, Jr. Auditorium. Admission is free and open to the public.