An insider’s look at Seattle’s outsider poet

The Teledramatic Arts and Technology Department at CSU Monterey Bay will present a screening of “I Am Secretly an Important Man” at the Osio Theater in Monterey on March 5.

The documentary film, directed by Peter Sillen, will be shown at 7 p.m.

In the film, Sillen examines the life of subculture hero Steven Jesse Bernstein. Bernstein, a songwriter, poet and performance artist, was a literary rebel and vivid presence in Seattle’s underground scene in the 1970s and ’80s. Cited as the “godfather of grunge,” he opened concerts for Nirvana and Soundgarden and recorded albums of songs and poetry for Sub Pop Records.

The film’s title comes from one of his poems, “Come Out Tonight.” It became an inspiration and an anthem for the grunge-rock movement.

Using video and audio clips of his subject, along with interviews with the artist’s family, friends and colleagues, and powerful footage of the darker side of Seattle, Sillen shows the poet’s self-examination and what Bernstein called just plain “doing your job.”

The director will be on hand to introduce the film and to take questions from the audience after the showing. A New York based documentary filmmaker, Sillen is best known for his low-tech approach and sensitivity to his subjects and their environment. He has screened his films at a wide array of festivals and venues including the Sundance Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, South By Southwest, Slamdance, the Museum of Modern Art, Brooklyn Academy of Music and San Francisco’s Castro Theater.

Mike Plante, an associate programmer of the Sundance Film Festival who has worked with TAT for several years, selected the film.

According to TAT department chair Enid Blader, “Mike selected it not only because it fits with the literary tradition of the Monterey Bay area, but also to continue championing films that might otherwise go unseen, and to support a filmmaker who is telling a story in a distinct and stylish way.”

Tickets can be purchased at the door at the regular Osio prices: $9 for general admission, $6.25 for seniors, $6.75 for students/military with ID.

Whether he’s a grunge footnote, a beatnik wannabe, or a beautiful, belated loser, the film allows you to decide. – Seattle Weekly