Skip to content
The Whitsell Auditorium and the Northwest Film Center Equipment Room are closed to the public in an effort to further stem the spread of COVID-19. All classes canceled until further notice. Stay connected to art, film, and more by signing up for our newsletter.

Demme Monde

June 28, 2017 – July 1, 2017

Perhaps best known for his acclaimed features such as Melvin and Howard, Something Wild, Silence of the Lambs, Manchurian Candidate, and Philadelphia, not to mention classic music docs like Stop Making Sense, Storefront Hitchcock, and Heart of Gold, Jonathan Demme (1944–2017), had still other dimensions that made him a singular master. Three of his less-seen works reveal his unique curiosity, heart, and commitment in recognizing unique people with something to tell us.

Cousin Bobby

Directed by Jonathan Demme

In Cousin Bobby, Demme introduces us to his cousin Reverend Robert Castle, an Episcopalian minister who worked within the African …

Swimming To Cambodia

Directed by Jonathan Demme

“It would be wrong to think of Swimming to Cambodia as a one-man show, even though it captures the performance …

The Agronomist

Directed by Jonathan Demme

Jonathan Demme’s career as a feature filmmaker was paralleled by personal documentaries focusing on music and human rights, with a …

The Northwest Film Center recognizes and honors the Indigenous peoples of this region on whose ancestral lands the museum now stands. These include the Willamette Tumwater, Clackamas, Kathlemet, Molalla, Multnomah and Watlala Chinook Peoples and the Tualatin Kalapuya who today are part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, and many other Native communities who made their homes along the Columbia River. We also want to recognize that Portland today is a community of many diverse Native peoples who continue to live and work here. We respectfully acknowledge and honor all Indigenous communities—past, present, future—and are grateful for their ongoing and vibrant presence.