Documentary “The Life Over There,” Director Dan Ollman Featured in Visiting Artist Lecture Series

The latest work of Milwaukee-based independent filmmaker Dan Ollman, “The Life Over There,” will be screened Monday, May 3 as part of the 2009-10 Lawrence University Visiting Artist Lecture Series. The film will be shown at 7 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center cinema followed by a question-and-answer session and reception with Ollman. The event is free and open to the public.

The 2009 film examines three different lives from the part of America’s inner cities known simply as “the hood.” Providing rare glimpses into the street life of “the black neighborhood,” Ollman’s movie offers images that are shocking, disheartening and yet still provide a collective hope for a better tomorrow. “The Life Over There” was one of six feature films showcased last fall at the Milwaukee Film Festival.

Ollman also has directed the 2004 documentary “The Yes Men,” which won the Audience Award at the Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival and 2006’s “Suffering and Smilling,” a documentary focused on the legendary African singer and activist Fela Kuti, his son Femi, and the impact of their politically charged music.

Ollman’s visit is sponsored by Lawrence University department of art and art history.