Events - Oct 1 20

Virtually connecting our community through a curated selection of films, inspired by culture and art. Click HERE for a list of all current titles.

RBG – Directed by Julie Cohen, Betsy West
Starring Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Gloria Steinem, Nina Totenberg
Genre: Documentary, 1hr 37mins
Rated PG

At the age of 85, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has developed a breathtaking legal legacy while becoming an unexpected pop culture icon. But without a definitive Ginsburg biography, the unique personal journey of this diminutive, quiet warrior’s rise to the nation’s highest court has been largely unknown, even to some of her biggest fans – until now. RBG is a revelatory documentary exploring Ginsburg ‘s exceptional life and career from Betsy West and Julie Cohen, and co-produced by Storyville Films and CNN Films.

Virtual Cinema

*Film is priced to own and includes a nearly hour-long interview that film distributor Magnolia Pictures conducted via Zoom earlier this summer with Betsy West and Julie Cohen, the film’s directors.

Oliver Sacks: His Own Life
Directed by Ric Burns, Cast: Oliver Sacks, Roberto Calasso, Kate Edgar, Shane Fistell
Genre: Documentary, 1hr 51mins

On January 15th, 2015, a few weeks after completing his autobiographical memoir, the writer and neurologist Oliver Sacks learned that the rare form of cancer for which he had been treated nine years earlier had returned and that he had only a few months to live. A few weeks later, he sat down with Ric Burns for a series of marathon filmed interviews in his apartment in New York. For eighty hours, across five days in February and on three more occasions in April and June – surrounded by family and friends, books and minerals, notebooks from six decades of thinking and writing about the brain –he talked about his life and work, his dreams and fears, his abiding sense of wonder at the natural world, and the place of human beings within it. He spoke with astonishing candor and clearsightedness, a profoundly gifted 81-year-old man facing death with remarkable courage and vitality while facing the end. He was determined to come to grips with what his life has meant and what it means to be, as he put it, “a sentient being on this beautiful planet.”

Drawing on these riveting and profoundly moving reflections, Oliver Sacks: His Own Life also features nearly two dozen deeply revealing and personal interviews with family members, colleagues, patients and close friends, including Jonathan Miller, Robert Silvers, Temple Grandin, Christof Koch, Robert Krulwich, Lawrence Weschler, Roberto Calasso, Paul Theroux, Isabelle Rapin, Billy Hayes, Kate Edgar, Mark Homonoff, Jonathan Sacks, Steve Silberman, Shane Fistell, Atul Gawande, and Lowell Handler, among others. The film also draws on unique access to the extensive archives of the Oliver Sacks Foundation. It is in part the biography of an extraordinary physician and writer who was dogged by his own neuroses and by the rejection of his medical colleagues but nonetheless redefined for millions of readers the nature of the human mind, through the simple act of telling profoundly compassionate stories. It is also a deeply illuminating exploration of the science of human consciousness and the nature of subjectivity, and a meditation on the deep and intimate relation between art and science and storytelling.

Virtual Cinema

Join us for a 4 part class to learn how to eat better on a budget. Register here to receive an email with links to four videos that you can watch on your own schedule.

Not sure what to do with local harvests? Learn how to save money and get healthy with Allison Messier as part of her 10 Tips Cooking series! At the completion of the course receive a copy of the local cookbook Know Your Veggies published by the Merrymeeting Food Council.

Register here: curtislibrary.libcal.com/event/7131724

Join one of SASSMM’s free, private online support groups!

Our online HelpRoom is an anonymous space for people impacted by sexual violence to connect with one another virtually. Our trained advocates help facilitate these group discussions to make sure the HelpRoom is a safe and supportive place for everyone. We are offering three groups this fall for anyone impacted by sexual violence. This includes sexual assault survivors, friends and family of survivors, and anyone concerned about sexual violence. Pick the time that works best for you and join us at the scheduled group time by visiting https://affiliate.rainn.org/helproom/sassmm and enter the chat. No sign up necessary! You can join us for one session, weekly, or for multiple groups.

Visit www.sassmm.org/helproom to view the details of each HelpRoom group.

Our Thursday group will meet at 6:00 – 7:30 pm (EST). Please see our other listings if you are interested in our Tuesday or Friday groups available this fall.

Thursday Group Sessions:

• Thursday, September 10 @ 6:00 – 7:30 pm
• Thursday, September 17 @ 6:00 – 7:30 pm
• Thursday, September 24 @ 6:00 – 7:30 pm
• Thursday, October 1 @ 6:00 – 7:30 pm
• Thursday, October 8 @ 6:00 – 7:30 pm
• Thursday, October 15 @ 6:00 – 7:30 pm

Please check our social media pages or website for any changes!

Facebook @SASSMM    |    Instagram @sassmm_maine    |    Website: www.sassmm.org

If you’re looking for immediate support, you can reach an advocate anytime by calling our 24-hour Helpline at 1-800-871-7741. Text and chat options are also available Mon-Fri 8am-8pm. To text, send your message to the Helpline number. To chat, visit our website at www.sassmm.org/help-now.