The Hyde Park screening of a documentary about gun violence will be its last public appearance until a legal challenge against it is resolved.
The documentary Under the Gun, which explores the gun violence debate as well as state and local politicians’ responses to the increasing incidence of mass shootings, will be screened at Harper Theater on October 27.
Under the Gun is directed by Stephanie Soechtig and produced by Katie Couric. People for a Safer Society, a gun prevention organization, is hosting screenings to raise awareness and educate people about gun violence.
While the film has been shown throughout Chicago and the greater Illinois area, the Harper Theater screening will be the documentary’s last for an indefinite amount of time, the Hyde Park Herald reported.
The Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), a pro-gun organization featured in the documentary, filed a lawsuit against Soechtig, Couric, and production networks Atlas Films and Epix for defamation in September.
VCDL claims that the filmmakers manipulated the documentary’s footage to depict the pro-gun group as speechless in response to Couric’s question about the ability of felons and terrorists to purchase guns. In reality, VCDL’s suit claims, members of the group actually responded immediately.
Couric issued a statement apologizing for the filmmakers’ creative decision to add an eight-second beat after the question for “dramatic effect”. She agrees that the exchange with VCDL was misrepresented.
Under the Gun will be screened at Harper Theater on the October 27 at 6:30 p.m. and will be immediately followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session. (Anjali Dhillon)
