Documentary company Kartemquin Films to be honored for defense of free speech
July 30, 2010In the late 1970s, an unlikely mix of militant black workers, gay and lesbian activists, and women's health movement protestors gathered around a table in New York to talk about the problem they had in common: How to get their banned films on the air.
One of those filmmakers was Gordon Quinn, co-founder of Kartemquin Films, best known for the award-winning documentary, "Hoop Dreams." The film that was banned was "The Chicago Maternity Center Story," a documentary about women's health.
"Over the 45 years we've been around, we've had our battles with freedom of expression issues," said Quinn from his Chicago office. "There were films that didn't get shown on television. But we were always aggressive about pushing them."
On Saturday, Kartemquin Films (KTQ) will receive the Newberry Library's 2010 Altgeld Award for Freedom of Speech. Named for former Illinois Gov. John Altgeld, who lost an election after pardoning three men convicted of the 1886 Haymarket riot, the annual award honors defenders of free speech and ideas.
July 30, 2010
In the late 1970s, an unlikely mix of militant black workers, gay and lesbian activists, and women's health movement protestors gathered around a table in New York to talk about the problem they had in common: How to get their banned films on the air.
One of those filmmakers was Gordon Quinn, co-founder of Kartemquin Films, best known for the award-winning documentary, "Hoop Dreams." The film that was banned was "The Chicago Maternity Center Story," a documentary about women's health.
"Over the 45 years we've been around, we've had our battles with freedom of expression issues," said Quinn from his Chicago office. "There were films that didn't get shown on television. But we were always aggressive about pushing them."
On Saturday, Kartemquin Films (KTQ) will receive the Newberry Library's 2010 Altgeld Award for Freedom of Speech. Named for former Illinois Gov. John Altgeld, who lost an election after pardoning three men convicted of the 1886 Haymarket riot, the annual award honors defenders of free speech and ideas.
