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New Non-Fiction Film
Critically acclaimed and award-winning new documentaries that bring light to the hidden side of influential artists and important social issues are returning to The Naro on a regular basis. Be sure to mark your calendars as most of these gems will have very limited screenings.
Wisdom of Happiness
New Non-Fiction Film!
Wednesday, December 17th at 7pm!
This documentary captures the Dalai Lama, nearing his 90th birthday, speaking directly to viewers about achieving happiness and peace in a world facing global unrest, environmental crises, and political tensions. Through a combination of personal reflections, never-before-seen archival footage from his early life as Tenzin Gyatso, and cinematic visuals, the film emphasizes compassion and mindfulness as universal values. The Dalai Lama addresses contemporary issues, advocating for inner transformation as a foundation for global harmony. (1h 30m)
The film will be introduced by Dr. Nicole Willock, the Chair of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Old Dominion University, whose teaching courses include “Tibet, Happiness, and this Precious Life.”
“WISDOM OF HAPPINESS is a very special film that we hope will have a profound effect on how we think and feel about ourselves and others with whom we share this beautiful planet.” – Richard Gere, Executive Producer
“With cinematography by long-time Dalai Lama documentarian Manuel Bauer, the film combines unprecedented access, powerful cinematic visuals, and never-before-seen archival material to provide a once-in-a-lifetime audience.” – Deadine.com
“The remarkable thing about the film is its unique combination of utmost intimacy with sweeping imagery. These are shots of fascinating visual power contributed by cinematographer Manuel Bauer. They don’t shy away from the problems facing the twenty-first century, but they transform them into dazzling beauty—and into the principle of hope.” Peter Gutting, Film-Rezensionsen (Germany)
The Last Class
New Non-Fiction Film!
Wednesday, November 5th at 7:15pm!
American political economist, professor, author and social media sensation Robert Reich worked under presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. He served as Secretary of Labor in President Bill Clinton’s cabinet, and as a member of President Barack Obama’s economic transition advisory board. Reich is known for his work on economic inequality and as a champion of public education and American democracy. He is among one of America’s most prominent public intellectuals. The Last Class is a nuanced and deeply personal portrait of Reich as he reflects on a period of immense transformation, personally and globally. It is also a love letter to education. The former Secretary of Labor might be famous for his public service, best-selling books, and viral social media posts, but he always considered teaching his true calling. Now, after over 40 years and an extraordinary 40,000 students, Reich is preparing for his last class. Over the course of the film, Reich confronts the impending finality, and his own aging, with increasing candor, introspection, and, ultimately, emotion. He displays a rawness of feeling he has never shared publicly before. Drawing on his lifetime in politics, he uses his class, “Wealth and Poverty,” to offer us all a deeper look at why inequalities of income and wealth have widened significantly since the late 1970s, and why this poses dangerous risks to our society. One thousand students fill the biggest lecture hall on the UC Berkeley campus, the last class to receive Reich’s wisdom and exhortations not to accept that the world has to stay the way it is. His belief in the next generation’s ability to take on the fight is inspiring. (Documentary,1h 11m)
“All in all, it’s heartening to hear a major figure in American political history talking about the future as if it might actually happen.” – Matt Zoller Seitz, RogerEbert.com
Orwell: 2+2=5
New Non-Fiction Film!
Wednesday, November 19th at 7pm!
From Academy Award®-nominated and BAFTA-winning director, Raoul Peck (I Am Not Your Negro), Orwell is the definitive feature-length documentary on visionary author George Orwell, with the exclusive cooperation of the Orwell Estate. ”Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past…,” wrote Orwell in his novel, 1984. Today, the “newspeak” of authoritarian rule is alive and well and in unexpected places, from the rise of AI Chatbot to the Russian propaganda machine, from the marketing webs of commercial metaverses to the political banning of books in the Southern United States. Peck’s “Orwell” will use George Orwell’s life, work and legacy as a maverick iconoclastic writer to jam the signals of the algorithms gone rogue which, in the name of personal freedom, threaten to close our minds to a greater possibility. (1h 59m)
“It’s dazzling and terrifying, a guide to a political movement that has been gathering steam for decades and shows no signs of letting up.” – Sam Adams, Slate
In-person film introduction by noted novelist Kent Wascom, who currently directs the Creative Writing MFA program at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. Learn more about Kent at his website here.
The Librarians
New Non-Fiction Film!
Wednesday, November 12th at 7pm
Presented with Friends of the Norfolk Public Library
Librarians emerge as first responders in the fight for democracy and our First Amendment Rights. As they well know, controlling the flow of ideas means control over communities. In Texas, the Krause List targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQ stories — triggering sweeping book bans across the U.S. at an unprecedented rate. The documentary follows librarians including Carolyn Foote and Suzette Baker, in Texas, Florida, and other states, as they unite to combat book banning in the United States. As tensions escalate, librarians connect the dots from heated school and library board meetings nationwide to lay bare the underpinnings of White Christian Nationalism fueling the censorship efforts. Despite facing harassment, threats, and laws aimed at criminalizing their work — the librarians’ rallying cry for freedom to read is a chilling cautionary tale. The film had its world premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Sarah Jessica Parker served as executive producer, (1h 34m)
See PEN America report The Normalization of Book Banning
Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror
New Non-Fiction Film!
Saturday, November 1st at 8pm!
From humble origins as a London fringe theater play to its meteoric rise, fall and resurrection as the biggest cult film of all time, this is the definitive story of the Rocky Horror Show, which was first released in theaters 50 years ago on September 26, 1975. With intimate access to its creator Richard O’Brien and other major players such as Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Lou Adler, the documentary explores what makes the play and film so singular: Its groundbreaking and transgressive themes, iconic performances and epic songs that took over popular culture. The cult phenomenon that sprung around it is unparalleled, and created not only the midnight screenings which continue to this day, but also a safe haven for those who ever felt different or marginalized. (1h 29m) Regular ticket prices, Naro ticket books are also valid.
“It hums with an energetic and vivacious hunger and gratitude for life. It’s not only a damn good time but at its core, it’s an invitation for people to dance, be free, and find safety with a group of strangers who all want the same.” – Zachary Lee, RogerEbert.com
“How the film became one of the most profitable features in the history of Twentieth Century-Fox is a major focus of the fond documentary Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror.” – Kyle Smith, Wall Street Journal
Georgia O’Keeffe: The Brightness of Light
Encore Screenings Saturday, November 8th at 1pm & Sunday, November 9th at 3pm!
Georgia O’Keeffe is widely revered as the “Mother of American Modernism” and the greatest woman artist of the 20th century. In the 1920s, O’Keeffe became famous for her paintings of flowers, bones, and the beauty of nature. She posed nude for shocking photographs by her lover, Alfred Stieglitz, but denied that her paintings depicted sexual imagery. In the 1970s, living in her beloved New Mexico, she emerged as an iconic role model for American women. This feature documentary film stars Claire Danes as the Voice of Georgia O’Keeffe with narration by Hugh Dancy; written and directed by Virginia-based filmmaker Paul Wagner. (1h 58m)
Presented with 