US veterans and active-duty service members come together through a workshop led by poet Seema Reza to combat their traumatic military pasts via the written word. Sharing fears, vulnerabilities and victories, their writing becomes a tool for empowerment and healing culminating in the live performance of a collaborative poem under the direction of Jeffrey Wright. […]
In 1978, inspired by the popularity of NFL cheerleaders, Playboy organized a pictorial feature approved by team management happy for the media exposure. But when the resulting pictures set off a critical backlash, cheerleaders were fired, exposing society’s hypocrisy around female sexuality. Courtesy of A&E IndieFilms/Lifetime Films.
On Governor’s Island, an ambitious program works to restore once-bountiful oysters and the environmental benefits they bring to New York Harbor. Take Back the Harbor highlights students at a remarkable public high school where environmental stewardship is part of the curriculum. Courtesy of Discovery/Motto Pictures.
NYC PREMIERE Tungrus is a short documentary that observes a week in the peculiar lives of a middle-class suburban Mumbai household, which is turned topsy-turvy when they adopt a chicken as a pet. The once adorable chick soon grows into a hell-raising rooster – taking up too much of their space, defecating on their spotless […]
Born without legs and growing up in the foster care system, Zion Clark moved from one home to another as he grew up. Floyd Russ’ inspiring portrait reveals how his discovery of wrestling in the second grade provided not only a therapeutic outlet, but a sense of family. Courtesy of Netflix.
This program presents two films appearing in our Short List: Shorts section recognizing some of the top documentary shorts films of the year. ’63 BOYCOTT DIR: Gordon Quinn In 1963, more than 250,000 students boycotted Chicago’s public schools to protest racial segregation. Combining period footage with reflections from participants, ‘63 Boycott links the past with […]