Style Weekly
Richmond's alternative for news, arts, culture and opinion
In 1935, during the height of the New Deal economic programs, photographer Arthur Rothstein (pictured)trekked into Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains to photograph residents of the Blue Ridge before they were moved to make room for Shenandoah National Park. Rothstein’s photos became some of the most moving images of the Depression. But were they genuine? Director Richard Robinson examines Rothstein’s documentary process in his film “Rothstein’s First Assignment,” which unearths evidence that the photographer’s images often were staged for the camera, raising awareness of the fine line between propaganda and documentary. A question-and-answer session with Robinson and assistant producer Katrina Powell follows the screening. “Rothstein’s First Assignment” shows at the Library of Virginia on Wednesday, Sept. 26, at 6 p.m. Free. lva.virginia.gov.
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