All hands on truck
Aug. 12—A quote by the writer Willa Cather appears at the bottom of the screen mere seconds into the 1997 documentary Hands on a Hardbody. It reads, "The end is nothing; the road is all."
The film itself follows a winding road with sharp turns, starting as a comedy and unfolding into a deeper glimpse into the human psyche. The plot is simple: In 1995, a Longview, Texas, Nissan dealership holds its fourth "Hands on a Hardbody" competition, in which people are invited to place their hands on a new pickup truck. The truck is the prize, and the person standing longest while touching it is the winner. A narrator takes viewers through the drama that follows, including unintended statements about materialism and capitalism.
It's preceded by the 1978 short film Welcome to Spivey's Corner, about the National Hollerin' Contest in a North Carolina town. The overall show is curated by Benjamin Kujawski. Admission is free; donations are accepted. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 12, No Name Cinema, 2013 Pinon St., nonamecinema.org, Masks are required.
