As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) in Astoria is turning its attention to stories often left out of traditional narratives of American history.
Running through July 5, By the People, For the People: Real American Tales will present 14 films that examine American life through the experiences of workers, immigrants, Indigenous communities, Black Americans, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other groups historically underrepresented on screen.
The ambitious series brings together Hollywood classics, groundbreaking independent films, documentaries, and restored cinematic treasures that challenge audiences to reconsider what defines American cinema and whose stories deserve to be centered.
Among the highlights is Matewan (1987), director John Sayles’s acclaimed labor drama about West Virginia coal miners fighting for workers’ rights. The film opens the series on May 29 and remains one of the most powerful depictions of labor organizing in American film history.
Other classics include The Grapes of Wrath (1940), John Ford’s adaptation of John Steinbeck’s Depression-era novel, and Days of Heaven (1978), Terrence Malick’s visually stunning portrait of migrant workers in the early twentieth century.
The series also showcases films that expanded representation in American cinema. Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep offers a deeply personal look at life in Los Angeles’s Watts neighborhood, while Wayne Wang’s Chan Is Missing explores the experiences of Chinese immigrants in San Francisco’s Chinatown through the lens of a comic mystery.
Several selections focus on communities whose stories were rarely represented in mainstream film. The Exiles follows Indigenous residents navigating life in downtown Los Angeles, while Los Sures captures the Puerto Rican and Dominican communities of South Williamsburg, Brooklyn, before widespread gentrification transformed the neighborhood.
LGBTQ+ history also plays a prominent role in the lineup. The groundbreaking documentary The Queen explores the world of drag competition decades before it entered mainstream culture, while Buddies stands as the first American theatrical feature to directly address the AIDS crisis.
The series concludes with Salt of the Earth (1954), a landmark film about labor rights, immigrant workers, and social justice that remains strikingly relevant today.
Museum organizers say the program is designed not only to commemorate America’s founding but also to spark conversations about who has shaped the nation’s story and how cinema has reflected those experiences.
By bringing together films spanning nearly a century, By the People, For the People: Real American Tales offers audiences an opportunity to revisit American history through the perspectives of communities that helped build the country while often remaining on its margins.
All screenings will take place at the Museum of the Moving Image in Astoria, with tickets available through the museum’s website.