Gesa Power House Theatre presents a work-in progress screening of the upcoming documentary film Triggered on Friday, April 23 at 7:00PM with an encore screening on Wednesday, April 28 at 7:00PM.
A Pacific Northwest artist with a stellar pedigree, Charles Krafft was riding high as the bad boy of ceramic sculpture until, in 2013, a Seattle newspaper published a piece by local art critic Jen Graves, labeling Krafft as a holocaust denier and white nationalist. The response was instantaneous and foreshadowed the rise of cancel culture: within months, galleries and museums the world-over removed Krafft’s work from exhibition and cancelled his participation in shows, symposia, and events.
Where there had previously been a casual acceptance of his irreverent work, which included exquisite pieces of Delftware china featuring Nazi iconography, suddenly Krafft found himself shunned by friends and colleagues who had previously laughed at his pleas for “forgiveness” for the Third Reich, and who had previously defended his right to make racist and homophobic comments.
Following nearly two decades of filming, director Nadeem Uddin reveals that the truth is far more complex. Triggered is the story of how the Seattle art world ignored, enabled, and were even amused by his descent into a rabbit hole of conspiracy and white nationalism. The film also explores how Krafft’s growing obsession with Holocaust revisionism closely tracks with the growth of a massive glioblastoma tumor in his brain.
Before Krafft died in 2020, he gave filmmakers access to his own archives and granted permission for an in-depth portrayal of his life and work.
“While his obsession with Nazis is unpleasant,” says director Nadeem Uddin, “And his holocaust revisionism disgusting, Charles Krafft was also a unique and important figure in the cultural life of the Northwest.”
General admission seating ($15 Adults, $10 Students) are available online or by calling the box office at 509-529-6500. Seating for each screening is capped at 100 patrons, as allowed under Phase 2 of Washington’s Safe Start Plan. Additional precautions including required mask use and physical distancing between households will be observed.
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Bonus video: A conversation between Director of Film Programming and two of the filmmakers: Nadeem Uddin (director), and Ash Meer (editor).
Season Sponsors:
KAPP-KVEW TV, Pacific Power, Northwest Public Broadcasting, Hayden Homes
Additional support provided by:
Walla Walla County, Port of Walla Walla, City of Walla Walla
Each Coldwell Banker Office is Independently Owned and Operated
