”We”re in the middle of nowhere with my almost-dead boyfriend in there.” Helena and Kira argue on the side of the road. No destination in mind, no plan to follow. The journey unfolds kilometer by kilometer; a journey that soon becomes a ritual.
A leaf sheep (Costasiella kuroshimae) is a tiny, adorable species of sea slug—or
sacoglossan sea slug—that looks remarkably like a cartoon sheep or a leaf. Found in shallow tropical waters near
Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines, these creatures are famous for being one of the few animals in the world that
can perform photosynthesis.
Girl Talk
Set in the cutthroat, male-dominated world of high school debate, where tomorrow’s leaders are groomed, five girls on a top-ranked Massachusetts high school debate team strive to become the best debaters in the US. As the Newton South girls remain steadfast in their determination to overcome the odds, they remind us that equal rights and freedom of expression are worth fighting for, both within debate and beyond.
From the Hood to the Holler
Running in the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat held by Mitch McConnell, Charles Booker attempts one of the biggest upsets in political history by challenging establishment- backed candidate Amy McGrath. Booker’s campaign across Kentucky, from the most urban to the most rural settings, with Booker and his team rewrites the campaign playbook. Instead of exploiting divisions, they lean into the idea that average Kentuckians have common bonds, united by their shared day-to-day fight to survive. Booker works to represent Kentuckians, both Black and White, who feel entirely left out of the political process. His message is simple: Whether you are from the city “hood” — like Booker — or the Appalachian “holler,” you are not invisible.
Free Renty: Lanier v. Harvard
Tamara Lanier, is an African-American woman determined to force Harvard University to cede ownership of daguerreotypes of her great-great-great grandfather, an enslaved man named Renty. The images are emblematic of the inhumanity of slavery, the racist science that supported it, and the white supremacy that continues to infect our society today. The film focuses on Lanier, following her lawsuit and the growing activism around it, and features Attorney Benjamin Crump and author Ta-Nehisi Coates. Following the screening Tamara Lanier, Attorney Preston Tisdale, Dr. David Harris (former Managing Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard Law School) and Jill Abramson (Senior Lecturer, Department of English, Harvard University) will discuss the the film and the implications of the decision issued recently by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.
Fire of Love
Katia and Maurice Krafft loved two things — each other and volcanoes. For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple roamed the planet, chasing eruptions, documenting their discoveries. Ultimately, they lost their lives in a 1991 volcanic explosion, leaving a legacy that forever enriched our knowledge of the natural world. Director Sara Dosa and the filmmaking team fashion a lyrical celebration of the intrepid scientists’ spirit of adventure, drawing from the Kraffts’ spectacular archive. Fire of Love tells a story of primordial creation & destruction, following two bold explorers as they venture into the unknown, all for the sake of love.
Fair Play
The unequal gendered division of labor in the home has long existed, with modern living only exacerbating the stress-filled dynamic between parenthood and work. With the global pandemic forcing millions of women out of the workforce, Fair Play follows four different families on their journey to better balance care work at home, illustrating how we aren’t really fighting about dishes in the sink, but much bigger societal problems. Ultimately, Fair Play makes visible the invisible care work historically held by women and inspires a more balanced and equitable future for all.
Following the screening Olivia Morgan will moderate a discussion with Jen Newsom and Lucia Small (Girl Talk). Sponsored by Women and Film and Video New England.
Exposure
Against all odds and polar advice, a Muslim chaplain, a French biologist, a Qatari princess and eight other women from the Arab World and the West attempt to ski across the melting Arctic sea ice to the North Pole. These boundary-breaking adventurers, led by veteran polar explorer Felicity Aston, navigate everything from frostbite and polar bear threats, to sexism and self-doubt in an intimate story of resilience, survival and global citizenry. These audacious women are also, to date, the last ever to ski over the ice to the North Pole.
Dear Zoe
Adapted from the heartbreaking and inspirational novel of the same name, “Dear Zoe” is a powerful story of resilience told from the point of view of a 16-year-old girl; a coming-of-age drama in which teenage Tess enlists her biological father – a lovable slacker – and the charming juvenile delinquent next door to help her come to grips with the death of her little sister.
Come Find Me
A beautiful, uplifting Latinx story about a mother and daughter facing major life changes and how their love challenges and inspires them. Veteran TV actors Sol Miranda and Victoria Cartagena shine in their first lead feature roles giving two tour de force performances in their portrayals of a mother and daughter striving to connect, belong, and search for meaning.
After Antarctica
A journey across both poles, After Antarctica follows legendary polar explorer Will Steger’s lifelong journey as an eyewitness to the greatest changes to the polar regions of our planet. Now, thirty years after his historic coast-to-coast expedition across the coldest continent on Earth, Steger heads out on the ice once again, at a time when he is not only known for being the first in history to complete these historic feats – he is also the last.
A Woman on the Outside
Kristal Bush grew up in Philadelphia watching nearly every man in her life disappear to prison. She channeled that struggle into keeping families connected as a social worker and through her van service that transports riders – mostly women – to visit partners, fathers and sons in faraway prisons. But when Kristal’s father and brother come home after decades behind bars, she confronts what it means to piece her own family back together, and create a different future for her young nephew, Nyvae. Weaving intimate vérité scenes with Kristal’s own videos, A WOMAN ON THE OUTSIDE is a tender portrait of one family striving to love in the face of a system built to break them.
A Stage of Twilight
When Barry (William Sadler) is confronted with a terminal diagnosis, he is compelled to make a decision that his wife Cora (Karen Allen) cannot support. This end-of-life struggle is heightened further when Joey, a neighbor boy who acts as a surrogate son to the childless couple, reaches a critical crossroads for his own future. Both paths ask the question: whose right is it to make life’s inevitable impossible decisions when the impact will be felt by the people we love most?
A Decent Home
When housing on the lowest rung of the American dream is being devoured by the wealthiest of the wealthy, whose dream are we serving? Issues of class and economic (im)mobility mean many mobile home park residents can’t afford housing anywhere else. They are fighting for their homes – and their communities – as private equity firms and wealthy investors buy up parks, making sky-high returns on their investments while squeezing every last penny out of the mobile home owners who must pay rent for the land they live on. Through the lives of the park residents we meet, we experience the hijacking of the American Dream by the wealthiest of the wealthy in a growing age of inequity – and witness the inspiring efforts of the growing group of mobile home owners who are rising up to take it back.
Virtual this film is Geo-Locked to Massachusetts Only
1-800-HOT-NITE
When Tommy loses his family to a police raid, he escapes custody with his friends, Steve and O’Neill. Their urban odyssey is packed with men trying to rob them, cops, a python, a fist fight, a first kiss and phone sex. Their brotherhood breaks as they cross the threshold into adulthood and Tommy turns himself in to the police, reuniting with his toddler step-brother, ready to face their future together as a family.
