Year: 2021 Runtime: 83 minutes Director/Writer: Jonas Her Rasmussen By Morgan Roberts No two immigration stories are ever the same. Sometimes the immigration story for survival differs from the one in reality. In “Flee” (2021), one such story is told. Amin is a refugee from Afghanistan. Since his youth, he has been living in Denmark, fleeing to the country as an unaccompanied minor. His entire … Continue reading Sundance Review: “Flee”
I shouldn’t be surprised that I haven’t heard of the artist Hilma af Klint. Unfortunately, one of the misfortunes of being in a patriarchal society is the fact that our history has been written by men for men. The hard work, struggles and achievements of many female pioneers have been swept to the side in order to place their male peers on a pedestal. In the same way I was stunned last year by the content of “Sisters With Transistors” (you can read my review here and interview with Lisa Rovner the film’s director here), I was left stunned and inspired by the sheer beauty and power of Hilma’s work. This outstanding documentary by German filmmaker Halina Dyrschka is worth seeking out and an important addition to the conversation surrounding women’s involvement in the history of creative arts. Continue reading Review: Beyond The Visible: Hilma Af Klint
Year: 2021Runtime: 91 minutesDirectors: Julie Cohen and Betsy West By Morgan Roberts Who was Pauli Murray? Murray was a lawyer, an educator, a Civil Right’s activist, an author, an Episcopalian priest, a labor rights activist, and a pioneer for women’s rights. Without the work of Pauli Murray, many achievements in women’s rights and LGBTQ rights movements would have never been realized. From directors Julie Cohen … Continue reading Sundance Review: “My Name Is Pauli Murray”
What happens when you fight the status quo? What happens when you fight an entity that has centuries of power? In “Rebel Hearts” (2021), we learn about the time the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary did just that in the 1960s. Back then, for some women, becoming a nun was an avenue to give back to their communities, obtain an education, and not be required to become a housewife. Continue reading Sundance Review: “Rebel Hearts”
The same summer that the famous Woodstock concert occurred, there was a concert series happening in NYC’s Harlem neighborhood. “Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)” (2021) gives us a glimpse at this concert series, lost to time. The footage from these concerts have not been seen for 50 years. Continue reading Sundance Review: “Summer of Soul (… Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”
Year: 2021Runtime:Director: Debbie Lum By Morgan Roberts There is a pressure for students to be high-achieving that has not been seen before. As time progresses, the barometer for success keeps climbing and the expectations for students pursuing a postsecondary education is increasing with it. In Debbie Lum’s documentary film “Try Harder!” we are given a glimpse of what high school students in America face as … Continue reading Sundance Review: “Try Harder!”
Year: 2021Runtime: 127 minutesDirector: Lucy Walker By Morgan Roberts Fire is portrayed as a form of destruction, but could it possibly be more complicated than purely evil? That is the tip of the iceberg in Lucy Walker‘s latest documentary, “Bring Your Own Brigade.” Intrigued by the devastation that followed the Thomas Fire, Walker sought to understand this fire and wildfires in California. The initial idea … Continue reading Sundance Review: “Bring Your Own Brigade”
Yes they did good, but did they also do harm in the process? This entirely one-sided documentary never questions any of their actions so we’ll never know. Continue reading Raindance Review: Citizen Penn
Documentaries are my favorite genre of film, believe it or not. I find that documentaries are so incredibly unique, even though one could argue they are all the same. Maybe you think if you’ve seen one true-crime documentary, you’ve seen them all–but no! The way the story is told and unfolds is what makes each documentary so attractive to me. How will the filmmakers uncover their story and grab the audience’s attention? I want to learn about something or experience something I have never seen or heard, to gain a new perspective or knowledge on the subject. That is where I feel incredibly torn about “Time”, because it fulfils this in so many ways, yet falls short. Continue reading Review: Time
“Queering the Script” is about the behind the camera battles to depict LGBTQ characters in television series with respect and compassion. From the seminal moment that “Xena: Warrior Princess” (1995-2001) arrived through all the TV characters that followed her, “Queering the Script” offers an enjoyable tour of the few steps forward and many stumbles backward in the quest for representation. Especially painful is the revelation that from 2015 through 2017, sixty-two LGBTQ female characters died in television series. Continue reading Scottish Queer International Film Festival: Queering the Script
In Their Own League 