In Koromousso, Big Sister, co-directors, Habibata Ouarme and Jim Donovan, give us a peek into the journeys of three women who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and are reclaiming their autonomy through reconstructive surgery. Ouarme is featured in the film, acting as the Big Sister (Koromousso) to these women, having had her own reconstructive surgery…
Freedom on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom sees Israeli-American director Evgeny Afineevsky putting together harrowing footage and interviews from Ukrainians across the country. The film displays the fighting, struggling, surviving and living that everyday people face during the Russian invasion. This film comes after Afineevsky made a film in 2014 called Freedom on Fire where…
“Dividers need us to stay in our own little bubbles talking about each other rather than to each other. We need to try something else.” We live in a politically polarized world. For many, this has led to a deep cynicism about the political process. When two sides won’t even talk to each other, how…
?I have no idea where my prayers are going.? We enter the world of hospital chaplaincy in A Still Small Voice, a documentary by Luke Lorentzen. Lorentzen was recognized at the Sundance Film Festival with the Directing Award in US Documentary. Mati Engle is in a one year residency with the Department of Spiritual Care…
Here are a few more shorts from the Slamdance Film Festival. These come from three different sections, and include some of the award winning shorts. Good Grief (11 minutes, directed by Rob Sharp). The terrible grief of the loss of a child is portrayed through four mothers. The grief becomes symbolized as both darkness and…
?There?s people that paint with colour and it?s called abstract. I don?t think it?s abstract at all. Colour is the most important thing.? ? Peter Bradley Directed by Alex Rappoport, With Peter Bradley is a deep dive into one man?s impact on the history of American art culture. Forging a career in the midst of systemic racism,…
Shorts are always an important part of any film festival. That is really true for Slamdance, which often features filmmakers who are working with very limited resources. But those short films often demonstrate as much power and skill as longer films. Often even more so because they are so compact. One of the sections for…
Here are more films that are playing at Slamdance Film Festival. You can see these and others at https://slamdance.com/festival. Sweetheart Deal, directed by Elisa Levine and Gabriel Miller, is one of those documentaries that turns into something entirely different than it sets out to be. The film focuses on four sex workers in Seattle and…
Written and directed by Sujaat Saudagar,?The Underbug?takes place in India as the country is ravaged by violence. On the eve of its Independence Day, rioters have taken to the street, demanding change. However, in the process, the nation is also being torn apart. Fearing for their lives, two rioters (Ali Fazal and Hussain Dalal) take…
Here are a few more of the films currently playing at the Slamdance Film Festival. The festival will be available online January 23-29. You can find out how to see the films at https://slamdance.com/festival/. Where the Road Leads, directed by Nina Ognjanovi?, comes to the festival from Serbia. The film opens with a young woman,…
