AUGUSTA — There will be a free screening of the 2006 animated adventure and comedy “Curious George,” on Saturday, March 2, followed by the documentary, “Monkey Business: The Adventures of Curious George’s Creators.” The movie will be at 10:30 a.m. and the documentary at noon, both at the Maine State Museum, Library and Archives, 230 State St.
A discussion led by David Greenham, associate director of The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine, will follow the film at 1:30 p.m.
Authors Hans and Margaret Rey, Jewish Holocaust survivors with a dramatic story of their own, created the story of the mischievous monkey 77 years ago.
The Maine State Museum will offer free admission all day, highlighting the museum’s newest exhibition, “Maine + Jewish: Two Centuries.”
The 2006 cartoon film “Curious George,” starring Will Ferrell and Dick Van Dyke, tells the story of The Man in the Yellow Hat and his irrepressible friend George, whose curiosity turns out to be more beneficial than anyone could have imagined. This film is appropriate for families with young children. Seating is limited to 100 people
Was Curious George almost a Holocaust victim? The surprising answer is yes. German Jews living in Paris during the rise of Nazism, the authors narrowly escaped Hitler’s troops by fleeing on makeshift bicycles — carrying the yet-to-be-published Curious George manuscript with them. Lovers of this classic will revel in the beautiful animation and archival materials from the Rey estate, including wartime journals, photographs, letters and unpublished Curious George sketches and notes. Seating is limited to 100 people.
For more information, call 207-287-2301 or e-mail Maine.Museum@Maine.gov.
