Archive for September, 2012

Polisse — Saturday, October 13

Sunday, September 30th, 2012

POLISSE_POSTER_US_PK_10Saturday, October 13

7:30pm

Donald L. Oat Theater

Suggested Donation: $7.00

Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and nominated for 13 César Awards, this smash hit from France follows the daily lives of a tight-knit team of men and women working in the Child Protection Unit of the Parisian police.

Basing her richly textured script on real child investigation cases, writer-director-actor Maïwenn has gathered an accomplished ensemble cast of French actors who convey the emotional strain of the unit’s work with gritty realism. They not only deal with the stress of their jobs but the inevitable fall-out in their personal lives—breakdowns, divorce and adulterous relations within the force. In between, there are frequent flashes of humor as the team attempts to diffuse daily realities. As the cases, confessions and interrogations pile up, the squad members have only each other as support as they face an uphill battle against both criminals and bureaucracy

Hot Coffee — Friday, September 28

Monday, September 10th, 2012

poster.smFriday, September 28

6:00 pm

Otis Library
261 Main Street, Norwich

Attorney Christopher Anderson will lead a discussion following the screening.

Donations welcomed

What is the most famous legal case in American history? Marbury v. Madison, Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade? Ask anyone in the U.S. or abroad and they will likely tell you about a woman who spilled coffee on herself and collected millions of dollars. The McDonald’s coffee case became the poster child for so-called “frivolous” lawsuits in America. But if this case was so ridiculous, why did a jury award $2.9 million to this 79-year-old after a seven-day trial in 1994? Didn’t McDonald’s have good lawyers? And how did this case gain such notoriety and remain in the minds of so many people after so many years?

The McDonald’s coffee case has been routinely cited by the media as an example of how citizens have taken advantage of the legal system. In this documentary, you will learn what really happened to Stella, meet her grandson, who was driving the car, and hear from her doctor, the lawyers, and the jurors. Was the media’s portrayal of this case fair or was there an agenda by tort-reform groups to create a public perception that lawsuits were out of control. How did it become the poster child for tort reform, what is tort reform and how does it affect everyday Americans?

An official selection of the Sundance Film Festival, the showing of this film is sponsored by the Anderson Law Firm.  Attorney Christopher Anderson will lead a discussion following the screening.