The thought-provoking documentary “Can Art Stop a Bullet?” — a testament to art’s power to inspire change — will open Movies With Spirit’s 17th season at 7 p.m. this Saturday, Sept. 17 at the Kingston Library, 55 Franklin St. The screening will be part of Arts Mid-Hudson’s Art Walk Kingston celebration.

“An intriguing journey through the history of violence and a study of the human condition … all executed through the prism of the artwork central to the film,” writes film critic Rhys Cavallin in the Daily Review.

“Essential viewing for every living creature that believes the world can be a better place than it is right now,” writes critic Seth Eelen in Into:Screens.

The film uses the creation of a monumental work by U.S. artist and human rights advocate William Kelly as a launching point for a five-continent exploration of art’s influence as a tool of activism.

His work, “Peace or War/The Big Picture,” 42 feet high and more than 5 feet wide, hangs in a public library’s massive six-story, rotunda-shaped reading room in Melbourne, Australia.

The film shows Kelly as he creates “The Big Picture” along with interviews with 29 of the world’s most socially engaged artists, thinkers and activists who Kelly visits and talks to for inspiration.

Kelly redraws or re-creates some of the artists’ iconic works and integrates them into his piece. The film lets viewers visually map Kelly’s progress and hear his explanations about why he makes the creative choices he does.

Others interviewed include Hiroshima survivors, Iranian musicians, Indigenous Australian artists, and photographers of Northern Ireland’s sectarian violence. Also commenting is actor and pacifist Martin Sheen, involved in many nonviolent acts of civil disobedience.

“I know art has power,” Kelly says, “and I am absolutely convinced that although a painting will never stop a bullet, a painting can stop a bullet from being fired.”

The 2019 film runs 90 minutes and is not rated. Its 29 critic, festival and humanitarian honors include awards of excellence at California’s Accolade Global Film Competition, the WorldFest–Houston International Film Festival and the New York Festival TV & Film Awards. Its trailer can be found on YouTube at tinyurl.com/CanArtStop-MoviesWithSpirit.

The screening will be followed by a facilitated discussion. Refreshments will be served. Attendees over age 12 are asked to contribute $10 a person. Movies With Spirit screenings comply with all federal, state and local health and safety protocols, including those of the screening venues.

For more information about “Can Art Stop a Bullet?” and the rest of the series, call organizer Gerry Harrington at 845-389-9201 or write to him at gerryharrington@mindspring.com. Details are also available at facebook.com/MoviesWithSpirit.