Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin

FAIN: TR-230822-15

Center for Independent Documentary, Inc. (Newton, MA 02458-1341)
Arwen Curry (Project Director: January 2015 to present)

Production of a 60-minute documentary film and website on Ursula K. Le Guin, a writer whose work transformed science fiction and American literature.

Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin is a 60-minute film and accompanying website exploring the remarkable life and legacy of one of America's most influential living writers: 85-year-old science fiction and fantasy legend Ursula K. Le Guin. The film tells the story of a singular writer who defiantly held her ground on the frontier of American letters until the sheer excellence of her work, at long last, forced the mainstream to embrace fantastic literature. Viewers will accompany Le Guin on an intimate journey of self-discovery as she emerges as a major feminist author, inspiring generations of women and other marginalized writers along the way. Le Guin's story allows audiences to reflect on science fiction's unique role in American culture and to look back at the 19th century roots of imaginative literature. Shot in high-definition video, Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin is aimed for public television, web, DVD, and educational distribution across broad audiences.

Associated Products

Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin (Film/TV/Video Broadcast or Recording)
Title: Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin
Writer: Arwen Curry
Director: Arwen Curry
Producer: Arwen Curry
Abstract: Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin is a feature documentary exploring the remarkable life and legacy of the late feminist author Ursula K. Le Guin. Best known for groundbreaking science fiction and fantasy works such as A Wizard of Earthsea, The Left Hand of Darkness, and The Dispossessed, Le Guin defiantly held her ground on the margin of “respectable” literature until the sheer excellence of her work, at long last, forced the mainstream to embrace fantastic literature. Her fascinating story has never before been captured on film. Produced with Le Guin’s participation over the course of a decade, Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin is a journey through the writer’s career and her worlds, both real and fantastic. Viewers will join the writer on an intimate journey of self-discovery as she comes into her own as a major feminist author, opening new doors for the imagination and inspiring generations of women and other marginalized writers along the way. The film features stunning animation and reflections by literary luminaries including Margaret Atwood, Neil Gaiman, David Mitchell, Michael Chabon, and more. Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin was created with the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, California Humanities, the Berkeley Film Foundation, and 3,185 backers on Kickstarter.
Year: 2018
Primary URL: http://worldsofukl.com
Primary URL Description: The worldsofukl website is a hub for the Worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin film and the scholarship that contributed to it. It contains information about the author, the film, bios of the crew, screening information, links to the NEH and other funders, press about the film and interviews with the director, awards information, and more.
Access Model: Currently in festivals; will be freely available to the public in Oct. 2019 on PBS American Masters
Format: Video

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