Bay Area Hosts Film Screening on Lincoln Vet Irv Norman

August 16, 2025
By

Richard Bermack. Photo by Len & Nancy Tsou.

On August 3 in San Francisco, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives, in collaboration with Veterans for Peace, hosted a powerful event featuring the documentary The Truth Be Told: Irving Norman and the Human Predicament. Produced and directed by Ray Day, the film explores the haunting social surrealist paintings of Lincoln Brigade veteran Irving Norman (1906-89), created during the 1950s to reflect the human condition and political repression. Following the screening, Day spoke about Norman’s life, the creative process behind the film, and the striking parallels between the McCarthy Era and today’s sociopolitical climate. Paul Cox and Richard Berman spoke as well, and the program featured moving presentations by children of Lincoln Brigade veterans— Paul Harris (Sidney Harris), Martha Olson Jarocki (Leonard Olson), Margo Feinberg (Helen Freeman), Marci Rubin (Hank Rubin) and Cecilia London (Harold London)—who shared personal stories of trauma, resilience, and resistance, highlighting the enduring legacy of activism and the challenges faced in the present day.

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