Grab a seat, and experience the life of Lange

Troy University is presenting a motion picture capturing the life of Dorothea Lange as part of its Southern film circuit.

The showing of “Dorothea Lange: Grab a Hunk of Lightning,” which is sponsored by the Troy University Office of Civic Engagement, will allow students to attend the showing of the movie for free.

The film will feature the life story of the famous photographer Dorothea Lange. Lange was most well-known for her picture the “Migrant Mother,” an image that is famous for capturing the effect of the Great Depression on the American people.

The film is a deeper look into the life of the famous photographer, as it explores her inspirations and experiences.

Dyanna Taylor, who is an award-winning filmmaker as well as Lange’s granddaughter, created the film.

On the day of the showing, Taylor will be moving from the position of creator to viewer as she will be attending the showing of the film as well. Afterward there will be a short question and answer session with the filmmaker about the movie and the creator herself.

“Dorothea Lange was my grandmother,” said Taylor in a director’s statement on the film. “She was brilliant, charismatic and complex.

“Her photographs grew out of her depth as a person.”

Taylor also said that she wanted to make a film about her grandmother’s life so people could grasp the broadness of Lange’s work, as well as understand the way she perceived the world.

This film will be the first of several yet to come throughout the rest of the semester. The next movie set to show at Troy’s campus will be the film “American Made.”

“American Made” is a film about the revitalization of the American manufacturing industry. It will appear after spring break in March. The next film is titled “Althea” after Althea Gibson. It is about a black athlete who broke the color barrier in tennis.

Jonathan Cellon, the head of the Troy Office of Civic Engagement, said he hopes that these films will increase any and all students’ interest in the arts.

“We wanted to give students a shared experience in engaging in the arts and interactions with filmmakers and to think about issues pertinent to today’s time,” he said.

The event will be on Monday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m. in Claudia Crosby Theater.