THIS SCREENING IS SOLD OUT! A MATINEE HAS BEEN ADDED ON SUNDAY 6/15 at 1 PM.
The much anticipated world premiere of Sittin’ on a Million, an independent documentary made by local filmmakers Penny Lane and Annmarie Lanesey which uncovers the hidden history of Mame Faye, Troy’s most famous madam.
NOTE: to meet anticipated demand, we are holding two screenings, one at 7pm and one at 8:45pm.
We recommend you reserve your seats ASAP as we anticipate selling out both screenings. To make reservations email [email protected] with your name, a phone number, the number of your party and the time you plan to come (7:00pm or 8:45pm).
Georgie Wonders Orchestra will also be playing Big Band music, so bring your dancing shoes!
Film website: www.mamefaye.com
Film synopsis: Mame Faye did not exist. At least that’s what the history books would have you believe.
Prostitutes and madams, no matter how popular and successful, are not part of legitimate history. But the citizens of Troy, New York insist that Mame Faye did exist. Everyone past the age of retirement has a story – funny, sordid, unbelievable – about Troy’s most famous madam. Filmmakers Penny Lane and Annmarie Lanesey present these stories in all their contradictory glory, alongside vintage erotica, reenactments, and street performances.
Mame Faye ran a world famous house of prostitution in Troy, New York for almost forty years (c. 1906 to 1943). Mame’s story offers a rare view into sex, money, politics, and women’s place in society in the early 20th century. Sittin’ on a Million (2008, 25 minutes) asks us to consider the role of memory and imagination in creating history, and reminds us about all those ordinary, extraordinary people erased from the official record.
With support from Experimental Television Center and LEF Moving Image Fund.