Past Film/Video | Visiting Filmmakers | Documentaries

The Rainbow Man/John 3:16 and Other Shorts

(Sam Green, 1997–2021)
Sam Green in person

A magazine called "Magazine" depicts a smiling man, mouth open, in a brightly colored rainbow wig. He wears eyeglasses and has a beard that goes down to his chest.
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Sep 28, 2022 7:00 PM
Film/Video Theater

$7 members and seniors
$9 general public
$5 students

Click here to view our latest COVID-19 protocols.

ACCESSIBILITY
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you have questions about accessibility or require an accommodation such as CART captioning or ASL interpretation to participate in this event, please contact Accessibility Manager Helyn Marshall at accessibility@wexarts.org or via telephone at (614) 688-3890. Requests made by two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the Wexner Center for the Arts will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.

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Join Sam Green as he presents a group of his diverse short documentaries that trace obsessions with fame, hidden pet cemeteries, and more. 

Rollen Frederick Stewart became a ubiquitous presence on TV screens in the 1970s and 80s, appearing at numerous live sporting events in an eye-catching rainbow-colored wig and, eventually, holding a sign reading “John 3:16.” The Rainbow Man/John 3:16 explores how his obsession with getting on television turned his life in a tragic, criminal direction. Green credits his time working on this film in our Film/Video Studio with helping to launch his career as a filmmaker. 

The evening also includes Green’s collaboration with the late underground filmmaker Sarah Jacobson, The Fabulous Stains: Behind the Movie, which pulls back the curtain on the 1981 cult film. The short Julius Caesar Was Buried in a Pet Cemetery explores a pet graveyard near an airport in Columbus, Ohio. Annea Lockwood/a Film About Listening is a portrait of the 82-year-old experimental composer, who is also featured in 32 Sounds, playing on September 29. Green introduces the program and participates in a Q&A after the screening. (program approx. 91 mins., 16mm & video)

Program lineup

The Fabulous Stains: Behind the Movie (Sam Green and Sarah Jacobson, 1999, 11 mins.)
Julius Caesar Was Buried in a Pet Cemetery (Sam Green, 2018, 4 mins.)
Annea Lockwood/a Film About Listening (Sam Green, 2021, 33 mins.)
The Rainbow Man/John 3:16 (Sam Green, 1997, 42 mins.)

See the complete Sam Green: 25 Years in Film lineup.

Read more

A magazine called "Magazine" depicts a smiling man, mouth open, in a brightly colored rainbow wig. He wears eyeglasses and has a beard that goes down to his chest.

The Rainbow Man, image courtesy of the filmmaker.

A man with a brightly colored rainbow wig wears a colorful t-shirt with the words "Jesus Saves" on the front. He has a short beard and is speaking with a person with long hair and a winter vest on.

The Rainbow Man, image courtesy of the filmmaker.

A man with a brightly colored rainbow wig is seen from the shoulders up. He wears eyeglasses and sits in front of a brown, wood-paneled wall.

The Rainbow Man, image courtesy of the filmmaker.

A man in a rainbow wig wears a plaid shirt. He is seated in a room in front of a television.

The Rainbow Man, image courtesy of the filmmaker.

A man in a rainbow wig stands among a crowd of spectators at a sporting event. He wears a white t-shirt with the words "Believe in Jesus Christ" on it. He is standing and his arms are outstretched and pointed upward.

The Rainbow Man, image courtesy of the filmmaker.

A tombstone amidst a patch of grass. On the left side is an outline of a dog. The text on the gravestone reads "Barfy 1972-1985 Mossman"

Julius Caesar Was Buried in a Pet Cemetery, image courtesy of the filmmaker.

A tombstone that reads "Harry the Cat May 17, 1964" sits in some grass

Julius Caesar Was Buried in a Pet Cemetery, image courtesy of the filmmaker.

A punk singer with their head shaved on the sides, but long in the back wears bright red eye shadow that swoops upward over their brows. They grip a tape covered microphone with their hands that have pink nail polish on each finger. They have bright red lips and their tongue is licking the lower left side of the mouth.

The Fabulous Stains: Behind the Movie, image courtesy of the filmmaker.

Tag(s)

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Cardinal Health

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Rohauer Collection Foundation

FILM/VIDEO STUDIO SUPPORTED IN PART BY
National Endowment for the Arts

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Wexner Family
National Endowment for the Arts
Ohio Arts Council
L Brands Foundation
The Columbus Foundation
Nationwide Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Mike and Paige Crane
Axium Packaging
CampusParc
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
President Kristina M. Johnson and Mrs. Veronica Meinhard
Nancy Kramer
Larry and Donna James
Lisa Barton
Johanna DeStefano
Jones Day
Alex and Renée Shumate

Discover More

Sam Green wears a black button down, long sleeve shirt untucked atop dark blue jeans. He has close cropped dark hair. He is inside a sound booth and holds a long microphone and wears headphones.
Past Film/Video

32 Sounds

(Sam Green, 2022)

Sam Green in person
With music composed by JD Samson and performed by JD Samson and Michael O’Neill
Thu, Sep 29, 2022
Black-and-white photo of a crowd marching. The person in the front middle is wearing a helmet and leather jacket and has a furrowed brow.
Past Film/Video

The Weather Underground

(Sam Green and Bill Siegel, 2002)
Preceded by lot 63, grave c and Clear Glasses
Tue, Oct 18, 2022
A black-and-white image of a large group of young people facing toward the camera. In the center of this group shot, a person holds a handwritten sign that says "Esperanto."
Past Film/Video

The Universal Language and Other Shorts

(Sam Green, 2000–21)
Sun, Oct 30, 2022
Sam green polaroid photo
READ, WATCH & LISTEN | READ

Q&A: Sam Green on A Thousand Thoughts

Tue, Jan 16, 2018
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Past Film/Video

The Rainbow Man/John 3:16 and Other Shorts

Sep 28, 2022 7:00 PM EST
Film/Video Theater

$7 members and seniors
$9 general public
$5 students

Click here to view our latest COVID-19 protocols.

ACCESSIBILITY
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you have questions about accessibility or require an accommodation such as CART captioning or ASL interpretation to participate in this event, please contact Accessibility Manager Helyn Marshall at accessibility@wexarts.org or via telephone at (614) 688-3890. Requests made by two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the Wexner Center for the Arts will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.

Become a Member