A pair of double features—we’ll do the math: that’s a … quadruple feature—by pioneering mid-20^th century film documentarian Pare Lorentz will be screened this weekend at the Historical Society of Long Beach in Bixby Knolls. By sad historic coincidence, that’s not far from the sites where the unforgettably-glorious-but-long-gone Crest and Towne movie theaters stood during the mid 20^th century. But we digress.

The four Lorentz documentaries kick off a mini film festival that will span most of the next three weekends at the Historical Society—4260 Atlantic Ave., 562.424.2220—which was chosen by the International Documentary Association to play host to this traveling show of groundbreaking movies from around the world. All screenings begin at 6 p.m. Admission is $10, kids under 5 free.

This weekend’s schedule begins Saturday with Lorentz’ 1936 Great Depression Dustbowl chronicle, “The Plow That Broke the Plains,” a short film made in response to a personal request from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to show the event’s natural and man-made devastation. It will be followed by Lorentz’ gripping account of the 1948 Nazi war crimes trial, “Nuremburg: It’s Lesson For Today.

On Sunday comes another Lorentz double feature—his 1938 short, “The River,” will be followed by 1941’s “The Fight For Life,” a collaboration with author John Steinbeck.

And we’ll the Historical Society’s press release take it from here:

The following weekend (Nov. 14-15), the series will move into the modern world of documentary film. The three feature-length films to be screened are all winners of the International Documentary Association’s Pare Lorentz Award, which the IDA gives each year to the one documentary which “best represents the activist spirit and lyrical vision of the acclaimed Pare Lorentz.”

The schedule:

Saturday: “The Plow That Broke The Plains,” (1936); and “Nuremburg – It’s Lesson For Today,” (1948).

Sunday: “The River” (1938); and “The Fight For Life” (1941).

November 14: “Garbage Warrior” (2008).

November 15: “Mandela: Son of Africa, Father of a Nation” (1997).

November 21: “Sugihara: Conspiracy of Kindness” (2000).

Tags: bixby knolls, Crest Theater, docmentary film, historical society of long beach, Pare Lorentz, Towne Theater