Courtesy of Summit County Library
The Summit County Library will host the first free screening of Books to Film and a discussion for the new year on Thursday 13 January.
The library will present “Blinded by the Light” by Gurinder Chadha, rated PG-13, at 6 p.m. at the Summit County Library Kimball Junction Branch, 1885 W. Ute Blvd.
The film, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2019, is based on the memoirs of journalist Sarfraz Manzoor in 2007, “Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N ‘Roll”.
The film follows a teenager, Javed Khan, played by Viveik Kalra, who reconciles with his family, intolerance and life in England with the help of Bruce Springsteen’s music.
“When I first saw the movie on DVD a few years ago, I did not realize it was based on a book,” Compton said. “Once we learned that it was based on memoirs, we knew we had to do it for the club, because I think the audience is really happy.”
You can check the book in the library and audio and e-books are available through the Libby app, according to Compton.
Compton will also host a group discussion after the screening.
“Everyone can watch movies at home, but the reason why we like this program so much and the reason it was successful is because we get interesting prospects from the different group participating in these events.”
Compton enjoys conversations almost as much as he enjoys reading books and watching movies.
“I like to hear how the team feels about these books and movies, and I think Blinded by the Light will be a great example,” he said. “I think it will resonate with anyone who has had to move to a new country and learn the language, culture and customs trying to make your parents proud, who are stuck in their old ways.”
Compton also believes the film will shed light on some of the issues facing immigrants around the world.
“I think it’s good that Sarfraz told his story and I think it will be interesting to hear the team’s perspective on it,” he said.
In addition, “Blinded by the Light” also deals with the power of music, Compton said.
“No matter where they are from or what their background is, people can relate to different kinds of music and, for whatever reason, music can change their lives,” he said. “I think this will also be a good point of discussion.”
The book club is open to anyone, Compton said.
“We have a core group of people who have been coming for years, but you do not need to join to enjoy the books and movies,” he said. “Anyone can just show up, even if they have not read the book. . Sometimes people just show up and stay for the conversation. Sometimes they will not do it, and we do not mind. “We just want people to enjoy art.”
The Summit County Library Books to Film program began in February 2014, Compton said.
“We’ve been going for a while now and trying to pick movies based on novels or memoirs and non-fiction books,” he said. “Hopefully, the movies and books have received a lot of positive reviews. “Sometimes you get one or the other, but we try to find books and movies that are both enjoyable.”
To date, the Summit County Library has scheduled these monthly screenings and discussions until June. (See accompanying box).
“We had to be more creative finding more movies, because a lot of them go straight to Netflix and other streaming platforms,” Compton said. “Therefore, we can not get permission to display them publicly. So, we’re planning some titles that are a little older. “
Because Books to Film screenings take place in person, the library will take steps to ensure social distance, Compton said.
“We try to reach out to people as much as we can and encourage people to wear masks,” he said. “If people want to wear masks or if they forget their own, we will have masks available.”
