DOC NYC, the largest American documentary film festival, has unveiled its 2017 program. The fest’s eighth edition will screen 111 feature docs, 44 of which, or about 40 percent, are women-helmed. This figure, while impressive, marks a slight dip from last year’s 44 percent.
Rachel Dretzin’s “Far From the Tree” will serve as DOC NYC’s Centerpiece film. Based on the Andrew Solomon bestseller, the doc depicts several families raising children with “extreme differences,” including Down syndrome, autism, and dwarfism. In addition to delving into the families’ pain and everyday struggles, “Far From the Tree” traces their intense love, joy, and resilience.
“Baltimore Rising” is another story about resilience. From “The Wire” actress Sonja Sohn, “Baltimore Rising” documents the aftermath of Freddie Gray’s death and the various community members — such as activists, police officers, and gangs — doing their best to save their home from violence and chaos.
“Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars,” directed by Lili Fini Zanuck, will close the festival. The doc explores the rock legend’s 50 plus-year career as a band member and solo artist, his musical influences, and his personal life via archival footage and interviews with Clapton and those closest to him.
DOC NYC will be held November 9–16, 2017. Head over to the fest’s website for the full program and screening info.
Check out all of the fest’s women-directed and co-directed features below. List and synopses courtesy of DOC NYC.
32 PILLS: MY SISTER’S SUICIDE (American Perspectives)
Dir: Hope Litoff
NYC PREMIERE — Years after the suicide of her sister Ruth, a talented but troubled artist, director Hope Litoff tries to make sense of her loss. Renting a studio, Hope begins a meticulous forensic investigation of the belongings Ruth left behind, filling the space with her artwork, diaries, datebooks and a pharmacy’s worth of prescription-drug bottles. Confronting her grief yields no simple answers and instead threatens to lead Hope on a precarious collision course with her own inner demons. (USA, 85 min.)
AMAZONA (Modern Family)
Dir: Clare Weiskopf
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE — In this skillfully constructed personal film, director Clare Weiskopf explores motherhood and its place on the spectrum between personal freedom and parental responsibility. While expecting her own first child, Clare visits her mother Val in the Amazon region of Colombia in order to heal the wounds of the past and make sense of the elder woman’s decision to leave her children behind to live in the jungle after a family tragedy. In the process, she opens a fascinating dialogue about sacrifice, guilt and self-determination. (Colombia, 81 min., in Spanish and English)
ARMED WITH FAITH (International Perspectives)
Dir: Geeta Gandbhir, Asad Faruqi
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE After 9/11, Pakistan, an American ally in the global war on terror, is plagued by both homegrown and international terrorism. The small yet heroic Pakistani Bomb Disposal Unit is on the frontline of defense, defusing bombs, navigating land mines and grappling with suicide bombers, all while dealing with financial hardship and familial pressure. Harrowing and suspenseful, Armed with Faith takes us on the ground with this dedicated squad of men who risk their own lives every day for their country. (USA, 74 min.)
ASK THE SEXPERT (International Perspectives)
Dir: Vaishali Sinha
NYC PREMIERE Dr. Mahinder Watsa, a 93-year-old retired gynecologist, is India’s foremost ‘sexpert.’ His daily newspaper column in the Mumbai Mirror dispenses practical, often humorous advice in response to some common and sometimes decidedly unusual questions about sex. Despite his popularity, Dr. Watsa is not without critics, who accuse him of contributing to the decline of Indian morality. Ask the Sexpert is a lighthearted look at India’s answer to Dan Savage. Is he a hero of progress or an enemy of traditional values? (USA, 81 min.)
ATOMIC HOMEFRONT (Fight the Power)
Dir: Rebecca Cammisa
NYC PREMIERE Oscar® -nominated filmmaker Rebecca Cammisa (Which Way Home, Sister Helen) explores the atomic secrets of St. Louis, Missouri, documenting the history of a uranium processing center. The film investigates how government and corporate negligence led to the illegal dumping of Manhattan Project radioactive waste throughout North County neighborhoods. We witness the power of a citizens’ movement that confronts state and federal agencies in an effort to get to the truth and keep their families safe. (USA, 96 min.)
BALTIMORE RISING (Fight the Power)
Dir: Sonja Sohn
Actress Sonja Sohn was unforgettable in HBO’s The Wire as Detective Kima Greggs. Now she takes on the role of documentary filmmaker to explore contemporary Baltimore. Set in the tense period after Freddie Gray was killed while in police custody, Baltimore Rising follows activists, police officers, community leaders and gang affiliates struggling to hold Baltimore together. We witness people of varying backgrounds who discover a common humanity when they often saw each other only as adversaries. (USA, 92 min.)
BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TODRICK HALL (Centerstage)
Dir: Katherine Fairfax Wright
NYC PREMIERE In the years since competing on American Idol, Todrick Hall has amassed a staggering following on YouTube, bringing his distinct voice and aesthetic to pop culture, and serving as an inclusive, inspirational figure to LGBT fans around the world. For his latest project, chronicled in Katherine Fairfax Wright’s entertaining portrait, Hall challenges himself to complete 16 elaborate videos for an autobiographical high-concept musical, Straight Outta Oz, in just two weeks, and then immediately take the live show on the road to his devoted fans. (USA, 100 min.)
A BETTER MAN (International Perspectives)
Dirs: Attiya Khan, Lawrence Jackman
US PREMIERE — While they were a couple, Steve exposed Attiya to terrifying daily verbal and physical abuse. Twenty years later, they revisit their relationship in an intimate, therapeutic context, walking through the physical — and emotional — spaces they once inhabited together. As Steve is put in a position to acknowledge and take responsibility for the abuse, will Attiya complete her long process of healing and be liberated from her demons? A Better Man explores the revelatory potential of involving the abuser in domestic violence prevention. (Canada, 78 min.)
BILL FRISELL, A PORTRAIT (Sonic Cinema)
Dir: Emma Franz
NYC PREMIERE Bill Frisell is a widely inventive guitarist who crosses musical boundaries. This intimate character portrait ‘shows a self-deprecating master whose hands seem to float while shaping sonic lines and fields that always surprise with their weird clarity’ (Georgia Straight). The eclectic list of musicians in the film includes Bonnie Raitt, Hal Willner, Paul Simon, Nels Cline, John Zorn and Jack DeJohnette. We’re treated to generous helpings of music that will be richly satisfying to Frisell’s admirers. (Australia, 114 min.)
ERIC CLAPTON: LIFE IN 12 BARS (Closing Night)
Dir: Lili Fini Zanuck
NYC PREMIERE Over a five-decade career, Eric Clapton has proven himself to be a guitar virtuoso, creating rock music deeply influenced by the blues. In this documentary, he reflects candidly on how his life experiences were channeled into music. The film traces his career through The Yardbirds, Cream, Blind Faith, Derek and the Dominos and his solo years, telling the stories behind hits like ‘For Your Love,’ ‘Layla’ and ‘Tears in Heaven.’ Filmmaker Lili Fini Zanuck draws from an extensive archive of performances and home movies to construct the film. Accompanying the footage are illuminating audio interviews with Clapton and people who played central roles in his life. (UK, 134 min.)
FACES PLACES (Short List)
Dir: Agnès Varda, JR
Winner of the Cannes Film Festival Golden Eye Award for documentary and the Toronto International Film Festival Documentary People’s Choice Award, Faces Places creates an unexpected pairing of the octogenarian French New Wave filmmaker Agnès Varda (The Gleaners & I) and the much younger street artist JR. Journeying through France, they create photo murals that celebrate ordinary people in extraordinary ways. Each stop is a revelation. Varda and JR have a humorous repartee that deepens as they travel and that culminates in a memorable visit to the home of Jean-Luc Godard. Courtesy of Cohen Media Group. (France, 89 min.)
FAR FROM THE TREE (Centerpiece)
Dir: Rachel Dretzin
WORLD PREMIERE Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book Far From the Treeexamines how parents face their children’s extreme differences. The book was influenced by the author’s own experiences growing up gay and later becoming a parent. Now filmmaker Rachel Dretzin adapts the book into a beautifully crafted documentary, produced by Participant Media, known for groundbreaking films such as Waiting for ‘Superman’ and Food, Inc. The film profiles families who offer intimate access to how they experience surprise, resilience, sorrow, courage, hope and joy. They have a lot to teach us about the depths of love as they confront conditions such as Down syndrome, autism and dwarfism. The film serves to challenge ideas of ‘normality’ and dispel fear over what’s perceived as ‘abnormal.’ (USA, 93 min.)
THE GROWING SEASON (American Perspectives)
Dir: Evan Briggs
WORLD PREMIERE Seattle’s Providence Mount St. Vincent is a nursing home that also houses the Intergenerational Learning Center, a preschool program. Over the course of a school year, elderly Mount residents regularly interact with young children over various activities. As relationships develop between those at the end of their lives and others at the beginning of theirs, both are enriched. Evan Briggs offers an intimate, bittersweet observation of both growing up and growing old. (USA, 70 min.)
HARMONY (Modern Family)
Dir: Lidia Sheinin
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE — Subtle battle lines are drawn when an elderly Russian woman finds her comfortable apartment invaded by her niece-turned-caregiver, towing four young children behind her. Struggling to find peace, apartment space, independence and affection, will the members of this family manage to locate a place for each other in their hearts? (Russia, 62 min., in Russian and English)
HOT GREASE (Science Nonfiction)
Dir: Jessica Wolfson, Sam Wainwright Douglas, Paul Lovelace
WORLD PREMIERE Over the past decade, biodiesel has developed from a curiosity to a growing industry with the potential to undercut the dominance of Big Oil and fuel America’s transportation needs — and it all starts with recycled cooking oil. Once considered waste, fast- food grease is now a hot commodity, supporting a cottage industry of grease collectors and even grease thieves. Hot Grease profiles biodiesel’s innovators, entrepreneurs and influential supporters like Senator Al Franken, working to ensure the future of this green energy source. (USA, 74 min.)
THE IRON TRIANGLE (Metropolis)
Dir: Prudence Katze, William Lehman
WORLD PREMIERE For decades, Queens’ Willets Point has been the site of an interconnected network of hundreds of small auto repair shops, known for no-frills but inexpensive, quality service. The owners, many immigrants, have persevered despite a lack of city support, but their luck may have just run out. With the Iron Triangle declared a blight and marked for lucrative redevelopment, the working class of Willets Point faces off against gentrification and urban renewal for the future of their livelihoods and community. (USA, 83 min.)
ITZHAK (Sonic Cinema)
Dir: Alison Chernick
NYC PREMIERE Widely considered the greatest living violinist, Itzhak Perlman takes us on a journey through his music and life. Filmmaker Alison Chernick (Matthew Barney: No Restraint) gains privileged access to Perlman with his family, friends and colleagues. Wheelchair-bound from childhood polio, he recounts stories of overcoming obstacles with his talent and humor. We follow him in eclectic settings, from performing with Billy Joel to visiting his native land, Israel. The film offers a poignant portrait of an artist seeking to bridge the past and the present and, through his students, the future. (USA/Israel, 82 min.)
THE JUDGE (Viewfinders)
Dir: Erika Cohn
US PREMIERE — In Palestine’s West Bank, Kholoud Al-Faqih is the first woman judge appointed to any of the Middle East’s Shari’a courts. In this documentary courtroom drama, we witness how she applies the law, sometimes with a different emphasis than her male colleagues. We also see the resistance she faces, along with her male counterpart, a progressive Sheik. Al-Faqih is a charming figure who marshals her savvy and determination to navigate a world full of obstacles. (Palestine/USA, 81 min., in Arabic and English)
KEDI (Short List)
Dir: Ceyda Torun
In the surprise box-office smash Kedi, director Ceyda Torun returns to her native Istanbul to capture her hometown from seven distinct feline perspectives, including mama cat Bengü, “jealous housewife” Psikopat, foodie Duman and hustler Sari. Following this coterie — a small sampling of the city’s hundreds of thousands of strays — through the streets as they interact with their chosen human associates, the filmmaker crafts an infectious portrait full of charm and sweetness, at once a love letter to the regal animal and to the ancient city itself. Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories/YouTube Red. (USA, 79 min.)
LARGER THAN LIFE: THE KEVYN AUCOIN STORY (Art & Design)
Dir: Tiffany Bartok
NYC PREMIERE Moving to New York City from small town Louisiana in the early 1980s, Kevyn Aucoin found acceptance as a gay man and success in the fashion world. Developing an often overlooked profession into an influential art form, Aucoin became the go-to makeup artist for — and fast friends with — supermodels and celebrities until his tragic death at the age of 40. Director Tiffany Bartok offers an intimate look at a legendary figure who made people beautiful. (USA, 102 min.)
LOVE, CECIL (Viewfinders)
Dir: Lisa Immordino Vreeland
NYC PREMIERE Cecil Beaton was a multi-talented photographer, writer and painter who also designed sets and costumes for Oscar®-winning films such as My Fair Lady and Gigi. Filmmaker Lisa Immordino Vreeland, who has previously directed major lm biographies of Diana Vreeland and Peggy Guggenheim, shows how Beaton intersected multiple worlds from British royalty to fashion to Hollywood. The film’s debut at the Telluride Film Festival was hailed by The Hollywood Reporter for its “affectionate but unsentimental eye.” (USA, 99 min.)
LOVESICK (International Perspectives)
Dir: Ann S. Kim, Priya Giri Desai
WORLD PREMIERE In India, where marriage is a must but AIDS carries a stigma, what are HIV-positive people to do? Dr. Suniti Solomon, who discovered India’s first case of HIV, has an answer for her HIV-positive patients: matchmaking. Directors Ann S. Kim and Priya Giri Desai follow the trailblazing doctor at home and in her office as she methodically looks for the perfect matches for patients Manu and Karthik. With compassion, humor and hope, Lovesick is an intimate story about the universal desire for love. (USA, 74 min.)
MANKILLER (Fight the Power)
Dir: Valerie Red-Horse Mohl
NYC PREMIERE — Wilma Mankiller rose from poverty to become the first female chief of the Cherokee nation. After a forced relocation from her native Oklahoma at 10, Wilma developed her activist chops in turbulent 1960s San Francisco, fighting for land rights during the Alcatraz Occupation. Back with her people, she organized around issues of social and economic justice, advocating passionately for Native American self-determination even as she battled rampant sexism, political rivals and significant health challenges. Mankiller tells the story of this guardian of Cherokee heritage and unsung American heroine. (USA, 75 min.)
MIRACLE ON 42ND STREET (Metropolis)
Dir: Alice Elliott
WORLD PREMIERE In the 1970s, New York City was hit with a financial crisis just as a planned luxury apartment building was being constructed in Hell’s Kitchen. With its future uncertain, a bold plan was hatched to offer subsidized housing to people working in the performing arts. The result was Manhattan Plaza, a harbinger for the revitalization of the neighborhood and of the theater district in neighboring Times Square. Former residents, including Alicia Keys, Terrence Howard, Larry David, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Lansbury and Estelle Parsons, share the impact of the building’s embrace of the arts in this entertaining look at NYC history narrated by Chazz Palminteri. (USA, 68 min.)
MORE ART UPSTAIRS (Art & Design)
Dir: Jody Hassett Sanchez
NYC PREMIERE Who gets to decide what is good art? For three weeks in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the general public carries as much sway as international art critics. At ArtPrize, the world’s most-attended art show, both groups have equal power to award $500,000 to the best of a pool of more than 1,500 submissions. More Art Upstairs is a fascinating and entertaining demonstration of what happens when the cultural elite butts up against Midwest populism. (USA, 77 min.)
A MURDER IN MANSFIELD (True Crime)
Dir: Barbara Kopple
WORLD PREMIERE Filmmaker Barbara Kopple explores the legacy of the 1989 murder of Noreen Boyle in Mansfield, Ohio. Her 12-year-old son Collier gave a devastating videotaped testimony blaming his father for the murder. Now, over two decades later, Collier returns to Ohio seeking to retrace his past and confront his imprisoned father, who remains in denial of his guilt. Collier’s depth of character is a wonder to behold from childhood to adulthood. Out of this tragic story, we witness the power of human resilience. (USA, 88 min.)
NAILA AND THE UPRISING (Viewfinders)
Dir: Julia Bacha
WORLD PREMIERE — Award-winning filmmaker Julia Bacha (Budrus) chronicles the remarkable journey of Naila Ayesh, who played a key role in the nonviolent Palestinian uprising known as the First Intifada. When the uprising broke out in the late 1980s, Naila was living in Gaza. Faced with a choice between love, family and freedom, she embraced all three, joining a clandestine network of Palestinian women. The film inventively combines animation with archival images to explore this hidden history. During production, the film won the DOC NYC Pitch Perfect competition and now makes its debut. (USA, 75 min., in Arabic, Hebrew and English)
NOTHING WITHOUT US (Fight the Power)
Dir: Harriet Hirshorn
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE — Combining archival footage and interviews with female activists, scientists and scholars in the US and Africa, director Harriet Hirshorn demonstrates the vital role that women have played — and continue to play — in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. An unexpectedly upbeat film about pressing global issues conveyed through intimate, evocative journeys, Nothing Without Us tells the stories of ordinary women facing their fears, cares and everyday struggles in order to fight for their communities and their very lives. (USA, 68 min.)
ONE OF US (Short List)
Dir: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Oscar®-nominated directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady (Jesus Camp, Detropia), recipients of the Robert & Anne Drew Award for Documentary Excellence at this year’s DOC NYC Visionaries Tribute, “have made their most powerful and complex film” (The Hollywood Reporter). One of Us profiles three members of New York’s Hasidic Jewish community who wish to explore more secular lives. To do so puts them at risk of leaving behind their families and facing hostile opposition. As their stories unfold over several months, the film plays like a suspenseful thriller. Courtesy of Netflix. (USA, 94 min.)
THE OTHER SIDE OF EVERYTHING (Fight the Power)
Dir: Mila Turajlic
NYC PREMIERE — Acclaimed filmmaker Mila Turajlic (Cinema Komunisto) follows the recent troubled history of Serbia through the experiences of her mother, Srbijanka, a tireless dissident against multiple regimes. Over the course of several months, Mila and Srbijanka engage in probing and humorous dialogues over Serbia’s past, present and future. Their country has typically gained more media attention for its war criminals than its dissidents. This poignant film lets us into a world we’ve seldom seen. (Serbia/France/Qatar, 100 min., in Serbian and English)
THE PINK HOUSE (International Perspectives)
Dir: Sascha Ettinger Epstein
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE — When she’s not tending her garden or taking in stray animals, genteel 70-year-old Carmel runs the oldest working brothel in the remote gold-mining town of Kalgoorlie, Australia. This madam with a heart of gold and her faithful yet troubled sex worker BJ try to stay afloat despite challenges from new online escort services and a nefarious crosstown rival. Director Sascha Ettinger Epstein reveals a quirky, entertaining story of friendship, loyalty and sex in a small town. (Australia, 76 min.)
PLAYING GOD (New World Order)
Dir. Karin Jurschick
US PREMIERE To reckon with the aftermath of 9/11, the US Congress set up a special fund to compensate victims of national disasters, and called upon Ken Feinberg to dispassionately assess claims. Decades before, the compensation specialist had determined damages for Agent Orange-exposed Vietnam vets. Later, he oversaw compensation for the victims of Deepwater Horizon, Sandy Hook, the Boston Marathon bombing and the 2008 bank crisis. In this candid, complex portrait, director Karin Jurschick reveals the man who puts a dollar value on human lives. (Germany, 90 min.)
REBELS ON POINTE (Centerstage)
Dir. Bobbi Jo Hart
NYC PREMIERE New York City’s Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo has charmed audiences for more than four decades, bringing the dance form to a modern audience… with a decided twist. Formed in an era of newfound gay liberation, the Trocks, as the all-male troupe is affectionately known, fuses camp humor with classical ballet, performing in drag and lending a refreshing satirical edge that upends elitist expectations of the art form. Bobbi Jo Hart reveals the past and present of this talented ensemble as they perform around the world. (Canada, 90 min.)
RISK (Short List)
Dir. Laura Poitras
Starting in 2011, filmmaker Laura Poitras (Citizenfour) got unique access to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and his team. Assange was making headlines over the leaks of US State Department cables, but was also sought by Swedish authorities over charges of sexual assault. Poitras creates a complex portrait of Assange and his colleagues Jacob Appelbaum and Sarah Harrison. As Assange continues to command international attention from his refuge in London’s Ecuadorian embassy, this film serves as a vital document of his character. Courtesy of NEON/Showtime Documentary Films. (USA, 87 min.)
SIGHTED EYES/FEELING HEART (Centerstage)
Dir: Tracy Heather Strain
NYC PREMIERE — Lorraine Hansberry, best known for A Raisin in the Sun, was a black writer, communist, feminist, lesbian and outspoken trailblazer at the height of the Civil Rights Movement. She led an active life, befriending James Baldwin, inspiring Nina Simone, breaking barriers from Broadway to Hollywood, being monitored by the FBI and seeking love on her own terms, all before her untimely death at age 34. After many years in the making, director Tracy Heather Strain delivers the rich biography that Hansberry deserves. (USA, 118 min.)
SILAS (Viewfinders)
Dir. Anjali Nayar, Hawa Essuman
US PREMIERE Liberian activist Silas Siakor is a tireless crusader against illegal logging. He’s watched multinational corporations wreak havoc on the environment by enriching themselves and impoverishing Liberians. This kind of corruption has gone on for so long that it can induce fatigue. But Silas is a bracing wake-up call to the power of citizens to fight back. Filmmakers Anjali Nayar and Hawa Essuman chronicle Siakor’s work over five years as he exposes ties between loggers and politicians. (Canada/South Africa/Kenya, 80 min.)
SKY & GROUND (New World Order)
Dir. Talya Tibbon, Joshua Bennett
WORLD PREMIERE A compelling, ground-level immersion into the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time, Sky & Ground accompanies the Nabi clan, a large, extended Syrian-Kurdish family, as they painstakingly make their way from their home in Aleppo, bombed out by the war, to the Idomeni refugee camp on the border of Greece and Macedonia. Their goal is Berlin, where they will reunite with family members and seek asylum but first they must make the arduous and dangerous journey through Serbia, Hungary and Austria. (USA, 86 min.)
SPIRAL (New World Order)
Dir. Laura Fairrie
US PREMIERE Anti-Semitism, Holocaust denial and physical and verbal assaults against Jews are on the rise throughout Europe, particularly in France. In response to rising tensions and fears, many in the Jewish community decide to leave. Others, like lawyer Julien, remain behind to fight back against those who would fan the flames of hate, like popular comedian Dieudonné, known for his signature inverted Nazi salute. Director Laura Fairrie presents an urgent, alarming look at the impact of this free reign of hatred on the lives of ordinary people. (USA, 79 min.)
STEP (Short List)
Dir. Amanda Lipitz
For her feature debut, a rousing film about young women striving for success, Tony Award-winning producer Amanda Lipitz received a Sundance Film Festival special jury award. Step focuses on three high-school seniors in the inaugural class of the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women, whose mandate is to send every student to college. Taking inspiration from their mothers and powerful female mentors, these young women show determination both academically and on their fierce step-dancing team. Courtesy of Fox Searchlight. (USA, 83 min.)
THE STRANGER (Viewfinders)
Dir. Nicole N. Horanyi
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE Amanda, a 25-year-old single mother, meets the man of her dreams on Facebook. Casper is charming and worldly, and he eventually reveals that he is the sole heir to an outrageous family fortune. Soon enough, the couple moves in together, but Amanda and Casper don’t exactly live happily ever after… This inventive new project by Nicole N. Horanyi (Motley’s Law, winner of DOC NYC’s Viewfinders prize in 2015) moves elegantly between nonfiction and re-enactment as Amanda uncovers Casper’s secrets. (Denmark, 100 min.)
THANK YOU FOR COMING (Modern Family)
Dir: Sara Lamm
NYC PREMIERE — More than a decade after learning she was conceived via a sperm donor, filmmaker Sara Lamm is still on the hunt for her biological father. Using online registries and the scant clues provided by her parents, she is able to track down Jennifer, a woman sharing remarkable similarities who might just possibly be her half-sister. Working together, they become genealogical detectives, navigating ancestry databases and DNA tests as they explore the meaning and power of family in this alternately funny and bittersweet personal film. (USA, 86 min.)
UNFRACTURED (Fight the Power)
Dir: Chanda Chevannes
INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE — For the past 35 years, biologist Sandra Steingraber has tried to protect people’s health by safeguarding the environment. Branded a “toxic avenger” by Rolling Stone, Steingraber emerges as a leader of New York’s biggest grassroots movement in decades. Shot over the last year of the historic fight against fracking in New York state, Unfractured offers a raw, intimate look at the commitment of this steadfast advocate, and the sacrifices made for the struggle. (Canada/USA, 91 min.)
WHAT HAUNTS US (True Crime)
Dir: Paige Goldberg Tolmach
NYC PREMIERE Why are the men of Charleston, South Carolina’s Porter Gaud School killing themselves? Alarmed by the latest in a long-running series of suicides from her high school in 1979, filmmaker Paige Goldberg Tolmach returns to her hometown for answers. Stonewalled by administrators, she mines her own memories, and those of her former classmates, to uncover long-held secrets, revealing a disturbing cover-up centered around a popular teacher and sports coach. (USA, 69 min.)
ZERO WEEKS (Fight the Power)
Dir: Ky Dickens
NYC PREMIERE In most countries, workers are given several weeks of paid leave and job security should they need time off to care for a newborn or a sick relative or to tend to a personal health emergency. Only two nations offer exactly zero weeks: Papua New Guinea and the United States, where individuals are often forced to choose between keeping their job or taking care of their family or health. Through powerful human stories, director Ky Dickens demonstrates the urgent need to address this vital issue. (USA, 86 min.)
