After months on the festival circuit, director Joe Winston’s documentary What’s the Matter With Kansas — companion to the Thomas Frank book of the same name — comes to Lawrence for its local debut. Kicking off its weeklong run at Liberty Hall (644 Massachusetts, 785-749-1972) is tonight’s 7 p.m. premiere, attended by Donn Teske, president of the Kansas Farmers Union and a strong presence in the movie. Winston’s film doesn’t strain to answer Frank’s question; there’s no narration, and self-described “redneck” Teske and the other onscreen Kansans speak to the complex legacy of a conservative heartland that’s indebted to the liberal New Deal. Tonight’s screening, for which tickets cost $10 ($8 for students), benefits the Kansas Democratic Party. See libertyhall.net for details.
Fri., Dec. 11, 7 p.m., 2009
