“Nelly” — New Film Looks at Life and Work of Canadian Writer
Arcan was both appreciated and reviled. She was a finalist for the revered French literary awards, the Prix Médicis and the Prix Fémina. Perhaps the public couldn’t forgive her for living the life that she wrote about.
Lou Andreas-Salomé, The Audacity to be Free
Reminiscent of two big movies of the late 1960s, “Isadora” and “Women In Love” — both made when the Women’s Movement was gaining traction — the film is a rich tapestry of history, emotion, and visual imagery.
5th Annual Socially Relevant Film Festival Returns to New York
Nora Armani, founding artistic director, stated that the goal of the event is to “raise awareness for everyday social issues through the powerful medium of cinema.”
“The UnAmerican Struggle” — New Documentary Looks at Bigotry in Trumpland
Heidi Beirich, Director of the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), noted that the United States has always been “deeply racist, deeply anti-Semitic.” Beirich observed, “We have a history of all that kind of bigotry. It’s part of our DNA.”
“Trumping Democracy” — New Documentary Traces Trump’s Election Win
As a candidate, Trump stated he would express the facts “plainly and honestly.” Yet, the nonpartisan fact-checking website Politifact found differently. It showed that Trump’s statements had a 4 percent veracity rate and that 33 percent of his assertions were actually false.
“Climate of Hope” Offers Cities, Businesses and Citizens as Drivers of Climate Action
Pope and Bloomberg agree that the impetus for change is not going to come from Washington. They see cities as the drivers of change and the “key” to tackling the problems of climate change.
Abortion: Stories Women Tell
Droz Tragos follows the intimate accounts of women as they grapple with the impact of their pregnancies and how the crisis impacts the trajectory of their lives. The insights revealed are quite different from the political pronouncements of elected officials.
Chinese Dissident Wei JingSheng Featured at International Human Rights Art Festival in NYC
A top highlight of the festival was the presence of Chinese dissident Wei JingSheng. He is a renowned human rights activist, a key player in the movement for democracy in China. The testament to his time in prison, “The Courage to Stand Alone: Letters from Prison and Other Writings,” was released in 1997.
Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise
Maya Angelou’s message was universal. It was the directive to believe in your own voice, and to know that you are enough.
P.S. Jerusalem: Danae Elon Returns Home
Danae Elon’s new documentary, “P.S. Jerusalem,” offers a bird’s-eye view of a society at war externally and internally. It is a three-year visual diary. Danae records her move from Brooklyn, New York back to the city of her childhood, Jerusalem.
"The Jump Rope Line" by Marcia G. Yerman is included in the Seal Press anthology Dancing at the Shame Prom.
