Sightings, April 2004
San Francisco was the site of the latest screening of the movie version of We the Living. Duncan Scott productions presented the film at the Castro Theater on March 3rd and 4th. The movie played to audiences of about 100 per showing for four showings. The screening included an introduction of the film by Duncan Scott, the owner and distributor.
Scott participated with Ayn Rand and Erika and Henry Mark Holzer in restoring the film, which was made illegally in fascist Italy during World War II. When the director saw no way to legally obtain the movie rights to the novel he stole them. His goal was to make an anti-fascist movie under the noses of the fascist censors. He succeeded because although the story is set in Soviet Russia the criticism of the book applies to all totalitarian regimes.
Ayn Rand had no knowledge that the film had been made for many years. When she saw it she loved it stating, "The cast, direction and production are excellent" and "the performance of the girl in the starring part is magnificent." She received no initial royalties for the use of her work.
Scott decided to re-release the movie based on his experience at The Objectivist Center Summer Seminar at Bentley College last year. The film received rave reviews from the seminar attendees and he was encouraged to bring the film back to revival theaters. It also played at the Egyptian Theater in Los Angeles in December.
You can own a video of the two-part We the Living movie through the Objectivism Store. If you want to bring the movie to your local area you can contact Duncan Scott through his website
Thor Halvorssen recently resigned as Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. Halvorssen had been either the Executive Director or CEO of FIRE since the organization was founded in 1999.
FIRE is devoted to freedom of speech, due process, religious liberty and academic freedom. They have been very successful in representing students and academics who have had their first amendment rights abridged. Chairman Alan Charles Kors gave a well-received talk at the TOC Fall Conference.
Halvorssen will now serve as a member of the Board of Advisors for the organization. He is turning his efforts to promoting civil liberties, human rights and democracy in his native country of Venezuela. Logbook congratulates Thor Halvorssen on his work at FIRE, and wishes him great success in his new endeavor.
Regular Summer Seminar Speaker Dr. Stephen Hicks had his article "Ayn Rand and Contemporary Business Ethics" published in The Journal of Accounting, Ethics and Public Policy (Volume 3, Number 1). The article is also posted on Hicks' website www.stephenhicks.org . Hicks will speak at this year's Summer Seminar on "Philosophy and the Origins of Modern Art."