What: As part of a number of Portland State University events commemorating and celebrating the life of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Portland State Library Artists and Writers Series present two showings of Jonathan Demme's latest documentary, "New Home Movies from the Lower 9th Ward." Filmmaker Daniel Wolff will also talk about his experiences in New Orleans producing the documentary after the screenings.

The film consists of "portrait" documentaries filmed in New Orleans over the course of 2006, leading into January 2007. The five short films chart the efforts of a disparate group of New Orleanians who braved adversity after the floods of 2005 in an attempt to reclaim their homes, their neighborhoods -- primarily in the Lower 9th Ward -- and their shattered lives and livelihoods. The residents presented in the unfolding seasonal format include teachers, ministers, a retired chef, volunteer workers, the owner of the legendary "Mother-In-Law Lounge," librarians and workers from all walks of life.

When: Friday, January 18, 2008, and Saturday, January 19, at 7 p.m.

Where: 5th Avenue Cinema (510 SW Hall).

Cost: Admission is free and open to the public. Donations to the Oregon Food Bank accepted at the door.

Contact: For more information contact Kimberly Willson-St. Clair at 503-725-4552 or willsons@pdx.edu.

Background: Jonathan Demme won an Oscar as best director in the 1991 film "Silence of the Lambs," and a Gotham award for his documentary "The Agronomist" in 2005. He has previously made several documentaries on Haiti as well as portrait films on Nelson Mandela and Robert Castle.

Other MLK 2008 events at Portland State include a noon interactive student session and evening lecture with Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president of the Children's Defense Fund, on January 17, 2008. For more information please visit www.pdx.edu/events/15847/.