Witness a rare screening of The Century of the Self, a BBC documentary by Adam Curtis. The documentary is a four-part series: “Happiness Machines,” “The Engineering of Consent,” “There Is a Policeman Inside All Our Heads” and “Eight People Sipping Wine in Kettering.” Each episode lasts for one hour and stands alone in case time doesn’t permit you to see them all. Starring Sigmund Freud, Hitler, Marilyn Monroe, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, this film explores the history of today’s politics, advertising and psychoanalysis. Why do people buy what they don’t need? The theories of Freud’s nephew Edward Bernays are explored along with Anna Freud’s influence on national mental health. The ’60s are reflected as being a time when people stopped protesting the government and started reinventing themselves through consumerism. If that isn’t heavy enough, part of the documentary will also focus on politicians adopting a new range of marketing techniques to reach the masses. Free. June 1, 3:30 p.m. & 7 p.m.; June 2, 7:30 p.m.; June 3, 7:30 p.m. Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St. 704-358-9298. www.neighborhoodtheatre.com.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2008.
