Second season of Ragtag Cinema's Show Me Series kicks off with 'Loving'

Ragtag Cinema, Columbia's indie moviehouse that could, will kick off the second season of its Show Me Series next week with a screening of 2016's "Loving." 

The series, which jump-started at the 2021 True/False Film Fest with a screening of eventual Oscar-winning documentary "Summer of Soul," is a collaboration between Ragtag and five local partners. Ragtag programs films related to these organizations' key concerns, then hosts a community dialogue after the final credits.

Ragtag's partners are The Asian Affairs Center at the University of Missouri, Boone County Community Against Violence, Four Directions at MU, ROCK The Community and The Center Project.

ROCK The Community will join Ragtag for Thursday's screening of "Loving." The organization is "geared towards youth development and community wellness," according to its website. Specifically, it aims to "help bridge the gap between local government and policing agencies and the communities they serve."

Directed by Jeff Nichols ("Take Shelter," "Midnight Special"), "Loving" centers on real-life couple Richard and Mildred Loving (played by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga), who took their fight against miscegenation laws to the Supreme Court.

The Court's decision in 1967's Loving v. Virginia deemed such laws, which criminalized interracial marriages and relationships, unconstitutional.

Negga received a best actress Academy Award nomination for her role, and the film made many end-of-year lists. Writing for Indiewire, Anne Thompson praised director Nichols' "quiet, authentic, and true" approach to the story.

"The director opted not to sprinkle any Hollywood magic dust," Thompson added. "... And the actors, along with everyone else on his team, took the ride with him in their efforts to capture the essence of this courageous couple. That’s why this movie is so rare and brave."

Show Me Season One films included "Judas and the Black Messiah," "Cabaret," "Queen & Slim" and "Kiki." Ragtag received a grant for the series and raised funds through A Community Thrives, a crowdfunding initiative of the Gannett Foundation. Gannett is the parent company of the Tribune.

"Loving" is rated PG-13 for thematic elements. Thursday's screening begins at 7 p.m., and admission is free. For more information, visit https://ragtagcinema.org/film-series/show-me-season-2/.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Second season of Ragtag's Show Me Series kicks off with 'Loving'