What We’re Seeing at Sundance 2021
Our fifth Sundance Film Festival is going to look a lot different this year.
I won't be taking my snow coats and boots out of storage. After-screening drinks will be consumed in my kitchen, not at Rock & Reillys. Instead of queuing up for premieres at the Eccles Theater, I'll be hundreds of miles away, on my couch in Echo Park. But optics aren't everything; despite the festival moving into the virtual sphere, we're just as excited to cover Sundance 2021.
This year, the festival released some pretty uplifting statistics about their slate. Female directors account for exactly 50% of the premiering films, while 51% of filmmakers are people of color. 15% of directors identify as LGBTQ+ and 4% identify as non-binary. Below is a list of films that we’ve secured tickets to, and are looking forward to seeing at the Sundance Film Festival.
We're All Going to the World's Fair directed by Jane Schoenbrun
Why we're excited: This image already gives us the chills, the Creepypasta chills. Jane Schoenbrun's dark feature debut promises to dive into deep emotional terrain, exploring themes of identity and isolation while skillfully creating online wormholes.
Judas and the Black Messiah directed by Shaka King
Why we're excited: This late addition was the best surprise; upon hearing Shaka King's film was set to premiere at the festival, we immediately dropped everything we were doing to snag a ticket. Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield star in this political biopic about the inner workings of the Black Panther Party and the FBI informant sent out to infiltrate their organization.
One For The Road directed by Baz Poonpiriya
Why we're excited: When we saw Wong Kar Wai credited as the film's producer, we immediately knew we had to make One For The Road a priority screening. This coming of age film is being described as an emotional watch about the bittersweet time between the flower of youth and the hard-earned realization that all things end.
How It Ends directed by Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister-Jones
Why we're excited: This Los Angeles-set, pre-apocalyptic comedy sounds like a fun time, especially considering the incredible ensemble cast: Zoe Lister-Jones, Cailee Spaeny, Helen Hunt, Olivia Wilde, Fred Armisen, Lamorne Morris, and Nick Kroll.
Land directed by Robin Wright
Why we're excited: We're looking forward to seeing Robin Wright in the director's chair. Wright's directorial debut promises to be a quiet, yet masterful journey about a woman who searches for meaning in the American wilderness (and gives us major Nomadland vibes).
On The Count of Three directed by Jerrod Carmichael
Why we're excited: "Christopher Abbott" and "Sundance" are synonymous to us at this point, we will watch anything and everything he's in. Described as an unusual existential bromance, director Jerrod Carmichael also stars in this dark comedy, making it one of our most anticipated films of the festival.
Wild Indian directed by Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.
Why we're excited: Recently named one of Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch for 2021, Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.'s reflective drama about a modern Native American man is also one of four indigenous-made films premiering at the festival.
The Sparks Brothers directed by Edgar Wright
Why we're excited: Those who know director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver) know that he is a major music buff, so it's no surprise that he turned to Ron and Russell Mael aka Sparks as the subjects for his debut documentary. He claims, "Sparks is your favorite band’s favorite band, and soon to be yours too."
Ma Belle, My Beauty directed by Marion Hill
Why we're excited: A queer drama set in the beautiful countryside of France that has the potential to follow in the footsteps of Portrait of a Lady on Fire? Yes, please! Marion Hill's directorial debut seems like it will forge its own identity though, as this drama promises to be a moody dive into polyamory.
Marvelous and the Black Hole directed by Kate Tsang
Why we're excited: The unlikely friendship between a grieving thirteen-year-old and a whimsical magician is the basis of Kate Tsang's coming of age film, starring Rhea Perlman as the unlikely mentor. It's just the kind of light-hearted, well-intentioned film we love to seek out.
Mayday directed by Karen Cinorre
Why we're excited: Grace Van Patten and Mia Goth star in this feminist fever dream about a crew of ruthless female soldiers caught in an endless war. Written and directed by Karen Cinorre and co-starring Juliette Lewis and Soko, this is definitely another one of our most anticipated films of the festival.
Homeroom directed by Peter Nicks
Why we're excited: This documentary follows the lives of Oakland high school seniors navigating college admissions, graduation, and planning their futures amidst the pandemic. The film also completes a trilogy of documentaries exploring health care, criminal justice, and education in Oakland, California from director Peter Nicks.
Cryptozoo directed by Dash Shaw
Why we're excited: We need at least one surreal magical title on our schedule, and Cryptozoo is it. Described as a fantastical feature animation for adults that takes audiences on a sublime journey toward multispecies justice, it reminds us of Netflix's The Midnight Gospel in all of the best ways.
Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir directed by James Redford
Why we're excited: We couldn't miss late-director James Redford’s final film. Son of Sundance Institute's founder Robert Redford, this documentary about one of the most important writers in contemporary fiction, Amy Tan, is sure to be an inspiring watch.
John and the Hole directed by Pascual Sisto
Why we're excited: He may look sweet but in this psychological thriller, Charlie Shotwell plays an angsty teen who traps his family in a hole in order to have the freedom to do whatever he wants. Pascual Sisto's feature promises to be an enigmatic and unsettling meditation on coming of age.
A Glitch in the Matrix directed by Rodney Ascher
Why we're excited: Do you ever wonder if the world we live in might not be entirely real? So does director Rodney Ascher (Room 237), who returns to Sundance with this fascinating and visually stimulating documentary examining simulation theory. Cue the existential crisis.
Jockey directed by Clint Bentley
Why we're excited: We're most looking forward to the layered performances from the leading cast in Clint Bentley's drama. Starring Clifton Collins Jr., Molly Parker, and Moises Arias, Jockey seems like it will be a pensive, rich film about a sport we don't see on the big screen too often.
Let's Remember This Insane Year By Giving Out Arbitrary Awards
As we near the end of 2020 (whew!), it's tradition to reflect on the year's best with a Top 10 post. Even with a slimmed-down slate, it's challenging to dilute such robust works into a numbered list. From off-kilter psychological head trips to prioritizing the soothing sounds of ASMR triggers, there were many incredible films that we felt offered unique perspectives to this year's cinematic landscape, and we want to highlight some of those under the radar films with their own special awards.
The Most "ASMR-Worthy"
These are the films that tapped into the soothing sounds of audible nirvana.
The Most "Umm... WTF?" of the Year
These are the films that created psychological brain mazes and left us wondering what we just saw.
The Best Needle Drop Moments
These are the films that had us singing under our breath or (discreetly) Shazam-ing.
The Ones That Made Us Weep
We were sad a lot this year. We were also beautifully uplifted (to tears) with these films, whose revelations of the human condition had us drying our eyes.
The Ones That Made Us Question, "Is This Real Life?"
The "Michael Stuhlbarg" Award for Best Monologue
No explanation necessary if you've seen Call Me By Your Name.
Michael Stuhlbarg- Shirley
We’ve Got Your Exclusive Trailer Premiere: 'Getting To Know You'
Getting To Know You is best described as a delightful love story for grownups. Written and directed by Joan Carr-Wiggin, this sophisticated comedy-drama has it all: romance, heartbreak, second thoughts, laughs, and festive flower leis.
Luke Manning (Rupert Penry-Jones) came to his high school reunion with a mission, to reignite the flame with his first love, the beautiful, impetuous Kayla (Rachel Blanchard). But Kayla is married with two children, and Luke isn’t a homewrecker. He shares his disappointment with Abby Sorensen (Natasha Little), a married woman staying at the same hotel, in town for her estranged brother’s funeral. So when Kayla shows up at the hotel drunk and demanding sex it seems reasonable for Abby to pretend to be Luke’s wife to defuse the situation. What could go wrong? It’s not like two strangers spending a weekend in a small town could possibly fall in love…
Gravitas Ventures will release Getting to Know You on VOD and digital platforms on Tuesday, November 24.
AFI Fest: Sofia Coppola, 'Apples' and 'My Psychedelic Love Story'
We're ending our last installment of AFI FEST 2020 coverage (previous posts can be found here and here) on a high note. We had a front-row seat to the Elvis Mitchell moderated Q&A with director Sofia Coppola, who chatted about her creative process in her new film, On The Rocks. Apples, from first-time director Christos Nikou was my most anticipated film of the fest, and it didn't disappoint one bit! And finally, we ended with Errol Morris's highly anticipated documentary, My Psychedelic Love Story, which tells the story of the "High Priest of LSD," Timothy Leary.
A Tribute to Sofia Coppola
"Hers is a voice distinctly her own," says AFI's Bob Gazzale as he introduces director Sofia Coppola before the 30-minute conversation and retrospective of her work in one of AFI FEST's tribute series. A quick montage shows various clips from one of contemporary cinema's most recognizable directors; The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation, Marie Antoinette, and more flash across the screen in Coppola's aesthetically pleasing color palate.
Film critic and moderator Elvis Mitchell talks to Coppola about her process, including choosing the songs that have since become iconic film moments (Sleigh Bells' "Crown on the Ground" in The Bling Ring, The Jesus and Mary Chain's "Just Like Honey" in Lost in Translation). Most of the conversation hovered around her newly released Apple TV+ father-daughter dramedy, On The Rocks. This lighthearted and introspective conversation was one of many highlights from the festival and can be watched in its entirety here.
Under the Influence of the High Priest of LSD: Thoughts on My Psychedelic Love Story.
The closing night film of AFI FEST fittingly went to Errol Morris's documentary My Psychedelic Love Story, an oral history of sorts about Harvard psychologist and LSD's most notorious proponent, Timothy Leary. If you were a progressive hippie in the 60s, you idolized this man. If you were Richard Nixon, you'd do whatever it takes to restrain him and his drug-encouraging tendencies. Leary, often referred to as the "High Priest of LSD," inspired millions of young people to take the drug and was seen as the counterculture's hero. However, Leary was captured by the FBI in the early 70s on a drug conviction and, in a strange turn of events, agreed to be a government informant to shorten his prison sentence.
Leary's former partner in crime, Joanna Harcourt-Smith, is the film's sole narrator, giving us a colorful depiction of her time living, loving, and tripping with Timothy Leary. She talks directly to Morris throughout the film, answering his pointed questions about the enigma that was Mr. Leary. Harcourt-Smith is an interesting person on her own; a Parisian socialite, she was a promiscuous psychedelic activist who can carry a story, however, at times it's hard to keep the narrative straight. Perhaps those more familiar with Leary's story will have an easier time remembering all the names, places, and events, as I, admittedly, started to zone out a bit. Disclaimer: I was watching this completely sober, probably against Leary's wishes.
Following his previous successes Gates of Heaven and The Thin Blue Line, Errol Morris has another substantial cultural relic on his hands with My Psychedelic Love Story.
'My Psychedelic Love Story' is being distributed by Showtime Documentary Films and will be available to stream on Showtime later this year.
My Most Anticipated Film of AFI Was This Greek Weird Wave Dark Comedy, And It Didn't Disappoint: Thoughts on Apples
One of my favorite film genres is Greek Weird Wave, so of course, I had to add Apples to my must-see list. Christos Nikou's directorial debut is an enjoyably familiar yet excitingly unique story that slots perfectly into this niche canon, making it one of my favorites from this year's festival. It's darkly humorous; a dry and poignant study at how memories shape identity and what happens when we lose it all.
Our protagonist is Aris (Aris Servetalisamnesic), a middle-aged man who has been hit with amnesia. Amnesic spells have been spreading all across Greece, much like a pandemic, with those infected being sent to a hospital/rehab hybrid in order to either get claimed by family members or start over and rebuild a new identity. When days pass and no one comes to claim Aris, he enters the facility's "Learning How to Live" program. This program, led by two scientists–one of whom bears a striking resemblance to Colin Farrell in The Killing of a Sacred Deer– puts Aris through various memory tests and challenges, like riding a bike and going to the movies, which he is instructed to photograph as proof of completion. Aris is determined to live a normal life again and undergoes the tasks with relative ease. He meets a woman (Sofia Georgovasili) in the same identification program as himself during one of his outings and there seems to be a spark, simultaneously Aris's memory becomes slightly less hazy. But is this the result of his new relationship, or his heavy diet of apples?
Following in the footsteps of Greek auteurs like Yorgos Lanthimos and Athena Rahail Tsagkari, Christos Nikou's sense of direction further propels the genre of "Weird Wave" forward. If you're a fan of obscure comedy, 4:3 aspect ratios, and unconventional narratives that are far from mundane, then Apples is for you.
'Apples' is currently awaiting U.S. distribution.
We've Got Your Exclusive Trailer Premiere: 'King of Knives'
King of Knives, directed by Jon Delgado and written by Lindsay Joy with story by Gene Pope, is a film festival darling, having earned critical acclaim from audiences winning the “Best Narrative Feature Film” award at the Williamsburg International Film & Music Competition, the “Best Feature & Lead Actress” at the Milan World Cinema Festival, and seven Platinum awards including “Winner Narrative Feature” at the International Independent Film Awards.
Per Gravitas Ventures: The film tells the story of Frank (Gene Pope) and Kathy (Mel Harris) who are baby boomer parents and Sadie (Emily Bennett) & Kaitlin (Roxi Pope), their millennial daughters. Frank is screaming towards a mid-life crisis. Kathy pretends she’s happy and doesn’t drink that much wine. Sadie is the good child; convinced her first and only boyfriend is the one to marry. Kaitlin is the rebel, the entertainer; the truth-teller who will not filter how she’s feeling. Over three days, with much drama and humor, this crap-happy family careens and skids straight towards a fateful anniversary. On the way, they realize they are more alike than they know.
Gravitas Ventures will release 'King of Knives' on VOD and Digital platforms on Tuesday, December 1.
AFI Fest: 'Jumbo,' 'Notturno,' 'On the Record' and More
A continuation from our previous AFI FEST coverage, the characters in these films all have one thing in common: a desire to live their truth. Whether it's in intimate relationships, as seen in I Carry You With Me and Jumbo, or finally shedding the guilt and shame of one's past in On The Record, this collection dives deep into emotional territory and will leave audiences both inspired and self-questioning their own desires.
The Real Cost Of Chasing Your Dreams, Is It Worth It?: Thoughts on I Carry You With Me
In what is being called the next Moonlight, director Heidi Ewing's artfully crafted foreign-language drama, I Carry You With Me (Te Llevo Conmigo), is truly a sight to behold. The film, winner of the Audience Award: NEXT at the Sundance Film Festival, is a mix of non-fiction and documentary, blending fictional characters with their real-life counterparts. The older couple–whom the story is based on–is featured towards the end of the film as they play out the current-day scenes. The film as a whole unfolds in a lyrical, non-linear fashion but never lacks in its beauty or grace.
Set in Puebla, Mexico, Iván (Armando Espitia) has always been different. He dreams of being a chef in a town where job opportunities are scarce, and his limited income makes it difficult to provide for his young son. Financial struggles aside, it's the secret that he is gay which prevents him from achieving happiness. Despite finding a supportive partner in Gerardo (Christian Vazquez), Iván decides that it's only when he crosses into the United States when he'll be happy. Years later, having worked his way up from dishwasher to line cook, to the chef, and finally, to the owner of a small restaurant, Iván realizes that "success" isn't making him happy. The grass isn't greener. In fact, he misses Mexico and debates giving it all up to see his now-grown son one more time. It's a choice not to be made lightly; since Iván crossed the border illegally and is still an undocumented immigrant, leaving NYC once could mean leaving NYC forever.
I Carry You With Me is an artful love story that spans decades and distance. It gives us a glimpse into the desperation and commitment some are willing to go through to live out their dreams. It got me thinking, would I leave everything I knew for the possibility of happiness? Heidi Ewing isn't just delivering a cinematic experience with I Carry You With Me, she's also offering us a chance for reflection on what's really important in our own lives. What's worth the sacrifice? What would I do for love?
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics, "I Carry You With Me" is waiting for a release.
What Do We Do When What We Love is Against the Status Quo?: Thoughts on Jumbo
When we feel a desire for someone–or something–are we brave enough to express that love, uninhibited of others' thoughts?
And what if that something isn't human at all? But rather, an inanimate object–or in the case of Jumbo–a towering amusement park ride?
Jumbo, a French film about a shy theme park worker, Jeanne (Noémie Merlant), who falls in love with a new "attraction," explores what love means, and how we act when we feel it. What's fascinating about this idea is that Jumbo is in fact–apparently–based on a true story. And while it may sound like a silly premise for a film, Jumbo (the pet-name that Jeanne gives to The Move It theme park ride) is actually–somewhat surprisingly–heartfelt, sincere, and emotionally felt.
Zoé Wittock directs the film with such compassion (and sensuality) that you really could substitute "Jumbo" with anything at all and the film would still hold strong as an involving, stimulating movie about forbidden love. But the fact that Jumbo is specifically about this sort of tilt-a-whirl attraction is what gives the film its visual identity, which Wittock uses to highlight its oscillating movement, and kaleidoscopic light design, which Jeanne is succumbed by.
Jumbo really only works because of the lead performance from Noémie Merlant (who audiences will recognize from Portrait of a Lady on Fire). Merlant gives an incredibly vulnerable, yet sincere and committed performance as Jeanne, who we as the audience may or may not recognize is suffering from mental health issues of her own (I felt a similarity to Alison Brie's character in Netflix's Horse Girl).
And also of note is the committed performance of Emmanuelle Bercot as Jeanne's mother, who also pushes herself to understand her daughter's odd expression of love.
While Jumbo is certainly strange in its conceit, it does also show bravery in what committed, true love looks like.
Distributed by Dark Star Pictures, "Jumbo" is waiting for a release.
#MeToo Didn't Include The Stories of Black Women, Until Now: Thoughts on On The Record
When #MeToo first went mainstream in 2018, courageous women began shedding their anonymity and calling out their abusers publicly. There was a horrifying, but not surprising, number of women who claimed they were sexually assaulted by men in the workplace. #MeToo was empowering women to speak up and it was a revolutionary moment, but as director Kirby Dick and his longtime collaborator Amy Ziering expose in On The Record, black women were still being unheard. They felt excluded from this movement and it was painful to feel as if their experience didn't matter.
Former Def Jam and A&R executive Drew Dixon is one of the women who stayed silent. On The Record follows Dixon as she grapples with the life-changing decision on whether to allow The New York Times to publish her story about the abuse she faced from her high-profile, powerful male bosses, former Def Jam mogul Russell Simmons and head of Epic Records, L.A. Reid. After much internal back and forth, Dixon agrees to speak up. Now is the time for BIPOC to be heard and more importantly, believed.
Don't be fooled, this isn't a victim's story. This is a warrior's story. Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering are gentle, yet unrelenting as they showcase how sexual harassment has been baked into the entertainment culture as they talk to multiple women who have experienced similar sexual assaults by Russell Simmons. A powerhouse of a film, On The Record forces us to look inward and really think about who we listen to? Up until now, it hasn't been the marginalized voices.
Distributed by HBO Max, "On The Record" is now streaming on HBO Max.
We Shouldn't Look Away: Thoughts on Notturno
Academy Award-nominated director Gianfranco Rosi (Fire at Sea) delivers another richly cinematic documentary with Notturno, and this time we're transported to the heart of the Middle East where communities are still reeling from past and future wartime chaos. Rosi and his crew shot Notturno over the last three years along the borders of Iraq, Kurdistan, Syria, and Lebanon, capturing a plethora of emotional moments. The beauty in the mundane, the heartache of reality, and the perseverance in the face of an unknown future are at the heart of this film, which lends itself to be a heavy but highly-rewarding, watch.
The opening shot shows small groups of men running laps around a track at what looks like dawn. The image is jaw-dropping, beautifully yet simply composed. It feels eerily reminiscent of Claire Denis' Beau Travail or Andrey Zvyagintsev's Leviathan where the camera is steady and the subjects that run in and out of frame provide the spontaneous artistic direction. The rest of the film follows suit, where long takes create drawn-out scenes to create a sense of being there too. Perhaps the most devastating scene is when we observe a child therapist asking different children to explain their drawings, which depicts various scenes of what they've survived under ISIS control. Listening to these innocent children describe beheadings, watching people get burned alive, and sharing that they still cry when they think about those moments makes me want to reach through the TV screen and give them all a big, tight hug.
Notturno gives a voice to a human drama and struggle in the Middle East. For as much as we might want to look away and not face the sick reality of violence and hardship, it is our duty as brothers and sisters of the world, and fellow humans, to acknowledge the tragedies and try to alleviate their pain. Watching this film and becoming aware of their daily struggles is a great first step.
Distributed by The Match Factory, "Notturno" is waiting for a release.
Industry
A welcomed addition to the AFI FEST lineup this year is six episodes of the new HBO Max series, “Industry.” Running close to an hour per episode, “Industry” is a British drama set in the high-stakes world of finance. Based on the first episode alone, the series will center around fresh-faced American ex-pat Harper Stern (Myha’la Herrold) as she navigates life in a new country, office politics, and getting ahead, all while concealing a deep secret that could upend everything if it gets revealed.
Per HBO: The show will take aim at issues such as gender, race, and class in the workplace through the eyes of young graduates who are fueled by ambition, romance, and drugs, as they attempt to forge their own identities within the pressure cooker environment of Pierpoint & Co.’s trading floor.
The first episode is directed by Lena Dunham and from what I’ve seen so far, “Industry” will be the next binge-worthy show. Akin to HBO’s other highly successful series “The Newsroom” and “Succession,” “Industry” is another fast-paced and quick-witted show that seems to reinforce that there's no rest for the wicked. And I'm here for it!
"Industry" premieres Monday, November 9th at 7:00 pm on HBO and HBO Max.
AFI Fest: 'Sound of Metal,' '76 Days,' and 'Sisters With Transistors'
Like most things, AFI FEST (presented by Audi) looks a little different this year.
Instead of queuing up to see a film at the TCL Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd., or having the chance to see a filmmaker Q&A at the Egyptian Theater, Cinemacy and the rest of Los Angeles audience-goers are attending the festival online. But AFI FEST still promises the same cutting-edge festival experience, with world premieres, to video conference conversations with filmmakers and top talent, we’re enjoying it all from the comfort of our couches. Below are a few early standouts from the festival, which will be available to stream later this year as films find distribution.
Losing Your Hearing and, In Turn, Your Identity As a Musician: Thoughts on Sound of Metal
As a musician, the most important instrument you have is your hearing. Sound of Metal, written and directed by Darius Marder and story by Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine), explores the emotional and physical unraveling of what it’s like to lose your identity beyond all control.
Riz Ahmed plays Ruben, a heavy metal drummer who unexpectedly starts to go deaf before playing a show with his bandmate and partner, Lou (Olivia Cooke). Terrified and confused, Ruben learns that with only a 20% hearing capacity, his lifestyle as a touring musician is forced to stop. Ruben is stubborn to accept his new reality but throughout the course of the film, he begins to understand the beauty in the unknown.
The way in which director Darius Marder works with sound–the ringing of tinnitus, the strain of trying to understand the muffled conversations, and the phenomenal performance from lead Riz Ahmed (one that will certainly be discussed come awards season) are the film's biggest strengths. When I was younger I used to play the "would you rather" game with friends: would you rather be without sight or sound? My answer has varied throughout the years, and Sound of Metal really puts you into the mindset of a character who never got to choose. But the takeaway here is that being deaf isn't a weakness or a handicap when viewed with the right perspective. When one sense is obstructed, it allows the others to expand and grow, leading to appreciating moments that, otherwise, may have gone unnoticed.
‘Sound of Metal’ is being distributed by Amazon Studios and will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video on December 4, 2020.
If You Were a Soul Waiting To Be Born, How Would You Prepare to Live?: Thoughts on Nine Days
A highly conceptual film that’s both spiritual and sci-fi, Nine Days is ultimately more rewarding for the cerebrally-stirring questions that it asks the audience to think about after it’s done than being an exciting watch in the moment.
The film begins ambiguously, with a mysteriously quiet and bespectacled man, Will (Winston Duke), observing a wall of old televisions–one stacked on top of the other–each playing through life moments from first-person POVs.
We soon learn why he pores over these life moments: (somehow) Will is directly responsible for choosing the souls that will begin a life on Earth, a gatekeeper or god-figure, however you choose to see it. And so, over nine days' time, we see Will interview a collection of characters, asking them all a variety of life-affirming questions with a searing intensity that gives the film its conceptual identity.
Nine Days has a very interesting premise, but the film–directed by Edson Oda–doesn’t give Will anything for us to invest in. Zazie Beetz is underutilized as Emma, a character interviewing for life on Earth, whose countered-openness and positivity challenges the cynically over-stoic Will into rethinking who should be granted life.
While the film is too slow-paced and loose for a great watching experience, Nine Days should be rewarded for being a daring and original film.
‘Nine Days’ is being distributed by Sony Pictures Classics and is scheduled to be released on January 22, 2021.
Without These Female Visionaries, Electronic Music Wouldn't Be What It Is Today: Thoughts on Sisters With Transistors
If I were to ask you to name one woman in the electronic music scene, could you do it? And no, Paris Hilton doesn't count. In the much overdue documentary highlighting the women pioneers of this genre, Sisters With Transistors is a historical and empowering look at the heroines who paved the way. The names Clara Rockmore, Daphne Oram, Bebe Barron, Pauline Oliveros, Delia Derbyshire, Maryanne Amacher, Eliane Radigue, Suzanne Ciani, and Laurie Spiegel may not be household names, but there's no doubt you've heard their contribution to the scene without even knowing it.
Narrated by avant-garde composer Laurie Anderson, Sisters With Transistors proves that this never was just a "man's field." Director Lisa Rovner artfully tells the story of how, dating back to 1928, radical experimentations with machines have redefined the boundaries of music. Enabled by the technology of the times, making music was a sense of freedom for these women. It was therapeutic both physically and emotionally. As with many artistic outputs of the times, men dominated the scene and the female pioneers were dismissed or not acknowledged at all.
It's better late than never to watch this tribute to the female visionaries and tastemakers who changed the electronic music scene.
'Sisters With Transistors' is awaiting distribution.
What I Learned From Watching Wuhan's Response To Fighting COVID By How They Treat Their Elderly: Thoughts on 76 Days
A new documentary, 76 Days, captures the heart-pounding and heartbreaking moments inside the walls of Wuhan's hospitals during their nation’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak (the film's title accounts for the number of days when Wuhan first began lockdown in January to when the country re-opened seventy-six days later).
76 Days is mostly devoid of a formal narrative, instead, it follows the many different moments that happen within the two hospitals during this chaotic time. From seeing the respiratory health scares, the medical team’s exhausted states, and the inevitable deaths that begin to rise, 76 Days captures the full spectrum of how the devastating virus actually cripples a country.
What makes 76 Days so impactful is that there are no politics or punditry injected into the film, instead, only choosing to show incredibly-captured footage of Wuhan's medical teams working at breakneck speeds on the frontlines to treat at-risk patients and contain the virus.
Director Hao Wu, along with Weixi Chen and director left as "Anonymous," captures the relationships and heartfelt moments between the medical team and their patients, showing the best in humanity and what we’re all collectively fighting for.
‘76 Days’ is being distributed by MTV Films and a release date is TBD.
A Preschool Director Reviews 'Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America'
Quick Take: A quality early childhood education is not just learning A-B-C’s
The debate about ways to enhance our system of education often lacks voices to represent our youngest learners. Our concern about increasing test scores for school-age children and similar standards of evaluation fails to shed light on the conversation we really should be having, and that is the attention to the earliest years. Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America director Willa Kammerer effectively highlights this too often neglected topic in a powerful way.
We see this movement begin to take shape at the top levels as Governors from states like Montana, North Carolina, Virginia, Mississippi and most notably Alabama, collectively recognize that our future depends on our ability to meet the needs of young children by providing consistent high-quality education experiences before they start kindergarten. Most importantly, however, is understanding what that education looks like.
We quickly learn that, of all the states in our nation, Alabama is a shining star, leading the nation as an example of how to prioritize and embrace quality early learning. The collaboration they have established between the public, private, and business sectors to achieve this common goal is beyond impressive. The results of their efforts over the years continue to reflect undisputable positive results, and we should all be taking notes.
As an early childhood educator for over 25 years, I found this documentary to be more than inspiring. It really captures the essence of what a quality early education looks like, which is not just learning A-B-C’s. Starting at Zero reminds us all that, if we want to foster creative, collaborative, socially responsible individuals, we need to find a way to give all children a safe environment with high-quality teachers, so they can play, learn, create, laugh and eventually make a positive impact in the world.
– Sandra Rojas, Director of Sand Tots Parent Participation Nursery School
Distributed by Abramorama, Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America is available to stream on VOD.
OFFICIAL TRAILER | Starting at Zero: Reimagining Education in America from Starting at Zero on Vimeo.