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‘States of Grace’ screening at Wayne Theatre on April 6

Chris Graham

states of grace wayne theatreA screening of the emotionally-charged “States of Grace” will be screened on Thursday, April 6, at the Wayne Theatre as part of the On-Screen/In-Person documentary series.

Co-director Mark Lipman will be on hand at the Wayne for the screening and for an audience Q-and-A afterward.

The screening begins at 7 p.m.

“States of Grace” intimately captures the transformation of a revered physician, pioneering AIDS specialist Dr. Grace Dammann, and her family in the wake of a life-changing accident. After seven weeks in a coma and a dozen surgeries, Dammann awakened with her cognitive abilities intact, though her body was left shattered.

The film follows her return home to the Buddhist community, where she and her partner, Nancy “Fu” Schroeder, live with their teenage daughter, Sabrina.

“This film is an extraordinary look into what happens when your life changes literally in an instant,” said Tracy Straight, the executive director of the Wayne Theatre.

Lipman has worked as a documentary filmmaker for 30 years, exploring a wide range of subjects, ranging from domestic violence to human sexuality to affordable housing and community organizing.

He has produced media for non-profit organizations throughout New England including the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where he documented the creation of new artwork by internationally renowned artists-in-residence. As a freelance editor, he has worked for the “NOVA” series at WGBH/Boston and for many other Boston-area companies.

Lipman has an MFA in filmmaking from the Massachusetts College of Art and a BA in psychology from Harvard.

His appearance in conjunction with the On-Screen/In-Person film series is through a program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Wayne Theatre was one of 10 sites selected to present the series. On Screen/In Person is designed to bring some of the best new independent American films and their respective filmmakers to communities across the Mid-Atlantic region. The filmmakers will tour with their films and work with the host sites to develop community activities that provide audiences context and greater appreciation for their respective work and the art of film.

Admission for the films and discussion are $10 for adults or $7 for students.

The Wayne Theatre is located at 521 W. Main St. in Waynesboro.

Info: (540) 943-9999 or waynetheatre.org.

More info on film online at statesofgracefilm.com.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].