Being There Free Film Screening and Concert

Arthouse HOUSTON aka Friends of River Oaks Theatre and Buffalo Bayou Partnership co-present a FREE outdoor screening of the satirical film Being There. In partnership with Powered by People, a community-led voter registration effort will also be included at the event.

Directed by Hal Ashby (Harold and Maude, The Last Detail), Being There stars Peter Sellers in one of his final film roles and, according to the actor, his best performance.

The program will begin with a solo performance by Ukrainian professional cellist, Larysa Horichenko-Balema. A 2023 graduate from Lviv National Music Academy, Larysa has an MD in Performing Art and has performed in European countries, Türkiye, and Middle Eastern countries with chamber ensembles, groups, bands, and show orchestras since 2018. Following the war in Ukraine, Larysa moved to the U.S. in October 2022 to start a new life and help her family and people as much as possible.

Following the concert, photo-based artist & visual researcher, Jake Eshelman will introduce the film. Eshelman is the contributing editor of Ecological Thinking with Plantings Journal and is pursuing an M.A. in Ecology & Spirituality at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

Grab your picnic blankets and join us for an evening of reflection on important topics such as human nature, life, and American society. A limited number of chairs will be available for rental.
Film Synopsis: In one of his most refined performances, Peter Sellers portrays the innocent and childlike Chance, a gardener whose life takes an unexpected turn when his wealthy guardian passes away. Chance finds himself thrust into the wilds of Washington, D.C., and unexpectedly becomes a celebrity. Guided by a tycoon (Melvyn Douglas, delivering an Oscar-winning performance), Chance’s horticultural musings are mistaken for profound philosophical insights. Meanwhile, the tycoon’s wife (Shirley MacLaine) sets her sights on Chance as her desired companion. Drawing inspiration from Jerzy Kosinski’s novel, this satirical film, both deeply melancholic and hilarious, marks the culmination of Hal Ashby’s remarkable filmography in the 1970s. It serves as a meticulously crafted exploration of the ideals, anxieties, and media-driven delusions that shaped American culture during that transformative decade.