Just one month after opening its doors, the National Museum of African American History and Culture is establishing itself as a permanent stop on the Washington social circuit. There have been cocktail parties, galas, private dinners and now one of D.C.’s favourite after-work pastimes — the movie screening.
But not just any movie screening. On Monday, the museum hosted a sneak peek of Loving in the 350-seat Oprah Winfrey Theatre — one of many for the new institution. The choice wasn’t coincidental, said Rhea L. Combs, the museum’s photography and film curator and head of its Earl W. and Amanda Stafford Center for African American Media Arts.
“Showing this film at the museum is important because the story is symbolic of the mission of the museum,” Combs said. “It demonstrates the link between people of all backgrounds and culture.”
Loving tells the true story of Mildred and Richard Loving, an interracial couple from Virginia who fought for nearly a decade to have their marriage recognised as legal. Their historic case went all the way to the US Supreme Court, which eventually struck down laws against interracial marriage.
Almost 50 years later, the movie’s stars, Ruth Negga and Joel Edgerton, walked the red carpet at the museum that houses artefacts from the couple they play on screen. Everyone involved bowed to the movie’s role as An Important Film.
At a panel discussion before the screening, Negga, who was born in Ethiopia and raised in Scotland, said the story crossed borders.
“This story is incredibly personal but also universal. [The Lovings] radiate love. They radiate kindness, goodness and, most importantly, hope. No country owns that. That’s a universal thing,” she said.
David L. Cohen, executive vice-president of Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal and Focus Features, said the movie is a must-see, “especially in the midst of today’s contentious political climate.”
Director Jeff Nichols took that sentiment a step further, drawing a direct line from the “quiet” love story he told on screen to the effect of the work being done just 3.2km away on Capitol Hill.
“In this town, it’s easy to forget that we’re talking about people in their homes,” he said.
