THE DATING GAME

WORLD PREMIERE Filmmaker Nadia Louis-Desmarchais tries to untangle the complex knot of race and identity that lies at the center of her life. As the daughter of a Haitian mother, adopted by a white family in Quebec, she uses her camera to illustrate an identity that is as intricate and beautiful as she is. Within a world that divides people into Black and white, Louis-Desmarchais discovers a spectrum to which she can belong. - Bedatri D. Choudhury

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/writer Nadia Louis-Desmarchais and additional director of photography Sandrine Maltais.

The second screening will be followed by a Q&A with director/writer Nadia Louis-Desmarchais.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

Accessibility alert for November 13 and November 15 screenings of A Thousand Colors: We have been recently informed by Village East Cinemas that the room where this screening takes place is currently only accessible via a short flight of eight stairs. We apologize for the inconvenience. However, the film is available to view at home as part of DOC NYC’s online festival. Please reach out to ticketing@docnyc.net with any questions.

US PREMIERE An enigmatic portrait of an unconventional life lived with precision and vulnerability. Paul, who calls himself a “simp,” navigates mental health struggles through domestic service for dominant mistresses, finding purpose in cleaning as ritual and discipline. Online, his “Cleaning to Save My Life” philosophy transforms into a performance of self and a lifeline to others. With sensitive, unobtrusive cinematography, the film explores intimacy, stigma, and the enigmatic ways people construct meaning and resilience. - Ruth Somalo

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with producer Karine Bélanger and film protagonist Paul.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

Accessibility alert for November 17 screening of Paul: We have been recently informed by Village East Cinemas that the room where this screening takes place is currently only accessible via a short flight of eight stairs. We apologize for the inconvenience. However, the film is available to view at home as part of DOC NYC’s online festival. Please reach out to ticketing@docnyc.net with any questions.

NYC PREMIERE Collaging together home videos and phone conversations with her late father, filmmaker Karla Murthy creates a portrait of an immigrant who left everything familiar in pursuit of the American Dream. It is also a singular story of a specific kind of love, distinctive in its special joys and grief. A personal memorial but also a reminder of the resolve and love immigrants bring into this country—especially poignant at a time of divisive America First-ism. - Bedatri D. Choudhury

The first and second screenings will be followed by a Q&A with director/producer/editor Karla Murthy, producer Rajal Pitroda, and executive producer DJ Rekha.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

WORLD PREMIERE Bodybuilder. Athlete. Gladiator. Shelley Beattie was a proud deaf woman and a graceful powerhouse whose impressive physique often obscured her human struggles. Reaching the height of her fame on American Gladiators as Siren, Beattie’s professional success masked her mental health battles from her family, friends, and partners. Director Irene Taylor joins forces with Hollywood veteran Marlee Matlin to guide the viewer through an exploration of Beattie’s life in this touching biography. - Brandon Harrison

The first screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Irene Taylor and producer Marlee Matlin.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

NYC PREMIERE Gorgeously rendered through picturesque cinematography, Always offers a meditative portrait of an adolescent wannabe poet in rural China. Director-cinematographer Deming Chen follows the protagonist from ages 9 to 13, capturing family life, both its hardship and resilience, without sentimentality. Poetry lives in both intertitles and luminous images of land, labor, and people. Expansive and patient, touching on poignant themes of abandonment and perseverance, Always establishes Chen as a striking new voice in documentary. - Murtada Elfadl

The first and second screenings will be followed by a Q&A with producer Hansen Lin.

All in-person screening venues provide sound amplification headphones upon request with venue management. IFC Center can also provide a T-Coil loop for compatible devices.

Accessibility alert for November 13 and November 16 screenings of Always: We have been recently informed by Village East Cinemas that the room where this screening takes place is currently only accessible via a short flight of eight stairs. We apologize for the inconvenience. However, the film is available to view at home as part of DOC NYC’s online festival. Please reach out to ticketing@docnyc.net with any questions.