Sights & Sounds is your weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene. Documentary filmmaker Sara Maamouri told KALW’s Jen Chien about three great events happening around the Bay this weekend.
- Women's March in Oaklandon January 21st.
- Listen for a Change: Social Justice Storytelling Gala at the Octopus Literary Salon on January 26th.
- Asphalt Jungle as part of Noir City Festival at the Castro Theatreon January 20th.
The Women's March in Oakland is one of three taking place in the Bay Area on Saturday, with others in San Francisco and San Jose. These marches are only a few of the many taking place both nationally and internationally, with the most notable being the Women's March on Washington, where there is an expected turnout of more than 200,000. The Oakland March will take place from 10 a.m to 3 p.m.
SARA MAAMOURI: The great thing is that they've timed them so that you can do more than one march.
In 2015, a small group of friends came together one evening over a novel idea: to have a fancy "fundraiser" where the goal was to raise awareness instead of money. Thus, Listen for Change was born. On January 26th, three storytellers will share personal accounts on transgender rights, Black Lives, and Mexican immigration. The event is free and open to the public, though space is limited, and ticketing is strictly enforced. Organizers also request attendees "dress nicely."
SARA MAAMOURI: I do think that, in general, my interests have been slowly pushing towards social justice. But given the events this fall, [it's] kind of give me a bigger push in that direction.
Noir City Festival is annually held at the Castro Theater to honor one of San Francisco's favorite movie genres. This year's theme is "The Heist." The classic Asphalt Jungle — a movie about a major jewelry heist — is playing on Friday night at 9:10 p.m.
SARA MAAMOURI: It's a great ensemble cast, and I believe Marilyn Monroe's first film. ... It's a great escapism thing for me. I love watching heist films.