Erik Moe Art & Design

Following last month’s disheartening news about Philly’s International House, an alarming note hit my inbox yesterday from SaveTheOakStreet.com in Minneapolis, and I would like to take this opportunity to ask any and all of my readers to consider their noble effort to save a remarkable repertory cinema. The Oak Street Cinema is one of my favorite institutions, and favorite film venue anywhere. It hasn’t been around since the days of French fur trappers, but it was invented at least a few years before I needed it and has been around ever since. Sometimes I wonder if I really spent an entire summer bicycling to and from Oak Street’s screenings of the complete works of Francois Truffaut or if I invented the whole thing out of some desire for the Minneapolis of my imaginary memoirs to be a little more like the Paris of Bertolucci’s The Dreamers.

I’ve always thought that in the not-too-distant future I’d be better able to repay the Oak Street for all it gave me. I can’t do much as a struggling freelancer living a thousand miles away, but maybe some of you are better positioned to help out.

Update: You’ve gotta love Minnesotans