Richard Davis, Lynda Barry, and The Wisconsin Idea: FULL

This event is now full. 

Advanced tickets required. 

Wisconsin Film Festival in collaboration with the Division of the Arts celebrates the UW’s 175th Anniversary with this program of campus based documentaries featuring UW professors Richard Davis and Lynda Barry. The program also features some raw newsreel footage shot on the UW - Madison campus in the 1920s and some live Bass music and demonstrations courtesy of the Richard Davis Foundation.

Movietone News in Wisconsin, Part 2

USA  12 MIN

This special selection of silent and sound outtake footage from Fox Movietone newsreels of the 1920s was all filmed on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison! The program includes the testing of a model rotor ship in the Physics Dept. (1925), an archery class in action (1925), a look at a Badger football practice, and University President Glenn Frank struggling to complete a monologue "on beauty" (1929). The material is all archived in the Digital Collections of the University of South Carolina Libraries and the selection will be presented by Daniela Currò, Moving Image Research Collections Director.

A Room Alive!

Documentary • USA • 2023 • 28 MIN

Director: Tommasina (Tommie) Capelli Cast: Lynda Barry, Jeffrey Butler, Julia Tanenbaum

UW faculty member Lynda Barry takes center stage in this charming documentary about the “Comics Room”, where Dr. Barry and her students–including a student turned faculty, comics veteran Jeff Butler–explore their creativity through the medium of comic books, creating a lively community of artists in the process. (LSL)

Presented with support from UW-Madison Center for Humanities

String Theory: The Richard Davis Method

Documentary • USA • 2024 • 60 MIN

Director: Michael Neelsen Cast: Richard Davis, Christian McBride, John Clayton, Diana Gannett, Virginia Dixon

String Theory: The Richard Davis Method is a heartfelt and inspiring documentary that delves into the life and legacy of one of the greatest bass players in history, Richard Davis. Set against the backdrop of the renowned Richard Davis Bass Conference for Young Bassists at UW - Madison, the film captures the essence of Davis's profound impact on the world of music. While Davis is most known for gracing stages and recording studios with music icons like Miles Davis, Van Morrison, and Eric Dolphy, his transition from a celebrated performer to a revered professor at UW in the 1970s forms the crux of this story, highlighting his dedication to nurturing young talent. Featuring interviews and candid footage of Davis and other legendary bass players passionately instructing students as young as elementary school. The film is a testament to the transfer of generational wisdom, showing these maestros shaping the next generation of musicians. String Theory is particularly poignant following Richard Davis's passing in Madison in 2023. It stands as a timeless tribute to his enduring influence and the unbreakable bond he forged between music and education. This film is not just about the notes played but the lives touched by a man who believed in the power of music to transcend boundaries and inspire dreams.(BR)

Presented with support from UW Madison’s Division of the Arts