Thursday, October 1, 2026
Five Towns residents gathered at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library for the inaugural meeting of a new film society launched by community members.
The newly formed Cognitive Film Society was at the library on June 6, to watch and discuss “Rear Window” the classic 1954 Alfred Hitchcock thriller starring Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly for the society’s first ever meeting.
Sticking to a 1950s theme, the group watched “What’s Opera Doc,” a Warner Bros. short cartoon before they began the film.
Around 70 residents filled the library’s Gold Theater to participate in the society’s first movie screening.
Michelle Young, the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library director, said that it is always encouraging to see the community so passionate about the arts and involving the library in new groups.
“I think it’s fabulous,” Young said. “I mean, we’re the arts and music library, and I think that’s great that they want to do this. “I love partnering with community groups. You know, that’s one of our goals. Our strategic plan is to do this to bring people from the outside in. So this is really up our alley.”
Hewlett resident Douglas Hesney is the founder of the Cognitive film society and wanted to partner with the library to increase programming and have more people from the community be involved.
Foster Hirsch, an author who primarily writes about film and theatre, joined the group to speak with residents about the movie.
Hirsch and Heseny had a Q&A session before and after the screening of the film and residents were allowed to ask questions throughout.
Hirsch said that he believes the 1950s was the greatest era for movies because it was so important to attract people back to the movie theater as watching television at home began to capture viewers.
“It was an era where the studios had to be invented to bring people back from the ultimate body snatcher, television,” Hirsch said, invoking a portion of the 1956 movie “Invasion of the Body Snatchers,” name. “Television was taking people away from the theater, so Hollywood in many ways had to reinvent itself by putting on films, the kinds of films that you couldn’t see at home.”
Hesney said that the society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and that he hopes to fund and expand programming to the library in addition to the movie nights that the group already hosts.
He added that his love for movies and the theater at the library sparked the idea for the film society.
“The library has just an incredible space, they have an incredible theater,” Hesney said. “I’m a big movie fan. I love the idea of seeing movies on the big screen. I think they should be seen on the big screen and with an audience. I think it’s a fight against the brain rot of streaming culture and trying to get people up off their couches and out of their houses.
