First, a screening of the second episode of Roberto Rossellini’s “Paisan,” a classic post-war Neorealist film from 1946. After the Allies invasion and capture of Naples’ port, an orphaned boy, Pasquale, encounters an African-American soldier, Joe (played by Dotts Johnson), who is about to become a victim of a robbery. They run off, and Joe tells Pasquale about his experiences. When Joe awakens from a nap, his boots are missing and Pasquale is gone. But soon enough, he finds the boy and learns a difficult lesson.
After the screening, Dr. Luvada Harrison, associate professor of musical theater and voice at the University of Alabama, and a relative of Dotts Johnson, will discuss the life of the actor-musician and his experiences in Italy immediately following the end of World War II. The presentation will include live musical performances by Stephen Washington and Zandrina Dunning, featuring Johnson’s compositions.
