Spotlight on Documentaries #WFA2023

Wanda Johnson and Angela Williams, mothers of young Black men victimized by police brutality, come together and build a network of community-led support, mutual aid, and healing in Débora Souza Silva’s trenchant documentary spanning Oakland’s Fruitvale to the American South.
 
Long before George Floyd’s murder and the BLM protests in 2020, Oscar Grant’s 2009 killing by a BART police officer seeded public awareness and cultural consciousness of systemic racism and its discontents. Paying forward lessons learned and advocating against anti-Black violence in memory of her son, Oscar, Wanda Johnson holds space for Angela Williams, whose teen son, Ulysses, survives a brutal police attack in Troy, Alabama, living to tell his story.

The main character of the film is a Super Tusker named Lugard – he is considered a Kenyan national treasure. As large as Lugard is, he is not easy to find. Like most bull elephants, he is solitary. He is also not comfortable around humans. At 55 years old, Lugard has witnessed a multitude of atrocities including a massive poaching crisis in the ‘70s and ‘80s where the elephant population in the park was decimated. He continues to navigate the effects of climate change and is living through the worst drought the eastern horn of Africa has seen in 4 decades. The film also features Tsavo Trust, a remarkable NGO that works tirelessly to protect these incredible elephants.

FINDING LIGHT is a multi-faceted film, which at its core seeks to use dance as a convener of conversation around issues related to the protection of human rights against bigotry and hate. The film explores how the events of 9/11 led a dance choreographer to seek deeper meaning in his work. Illuminated through the story of Holocaust survivor Naomi Warren, the film takes the audience on a journey that is simultaneously situated in the past while making relevant connections to the present told through the lens of dance.

Guanglin is a blind boy in China who displays great skill at the ancient board game “Go”, in which two players place black and white pieces on a grid in an attempt to dominate their opponent. Raised by a single father with limited means, Guanglin faces deep societal prejudice against the blind.

A personal journey to find mother’s love through this unique and popular hairstyle called “Grandma Perm” in Korea.

IN·SPI·RA·TION is a short documentary following three Isle of Man artists as they complete a piece of work, discussing their sources of inspiration and identity as artists. The film aims to demystify the artistic process, and demonstrate how everyone works differently, and there is no ‘right’ way to do art; it’s a personal journey.

Inside the Beauty Bubble is a short documentary film about a renowned collector of hair artifacts fighting to keep his desert dreams alive. The Beauty Bubble Salon & Museum in Joshua Tree is the magical and kitsch-filled brainchild of Jeff Hafler. The film covers a year in the life of Jeff and his roadside attraction as they face lockdowns, protests and massive societal change. It is a film about family, fabulousness and folk art, a film that reminds us it’s sometimes the strong people on the margins that hold a community together.

A determined mother’s unusual exploration of healing, untangling trauma on the road with Olivia’s 50 Barbies.

NI AQUÍ/NI ALLÁ is a personal documentary that centers on a conversation between filmmaker Ley Comas and their mother about their gender identity. As the middle child of Christian pastors, Ley never imagined that transitioning was possible. Growing up in the Dominican Republic, Ley only witnessed trans people portrayed as evil characters, punchlines in movies and TV shows, or outcasts and victims. At home, anything that went against God´s word was an abomination. This documentary follows Ley´s physical and psychological journey to become themself, while struggling to find a middle ground with their family.

Rocco is an autistic boy who has always loved being in the ocean. Over the years, he develops confidence, grace, and remarkable balance on his surfboard. In ROCCO UP, unscripted interviews bear testimony to boundless family love, the stoke of community support, and the neuroscience behind our enchantment with water.

Studio Ukraine, a collective of artists from Ukraine who have found refuge in Berlin, are working together to make a political statement about the war, using scrap fabric to create cathartic works of art that express their situation. This short documentary introduces the viewer to three members of the group and gives us a glimpse into their lives after recently being displaced in Berlin.

New York City is currently undergoing a period of Hyper-Gentrification. This is a portrait of the communities that are fighting back.