I.S.S. isn’t much of a stretch as tensions flare on the International Space Station as war breaks out between the United States and Russia. Gabriela Cowperthwaite directs a tense thriller that will have audiences sitting on the edge of their seats. I.S.S. feels like one of those films that could have been ripped from the headlines. Interestingly enough, the film’s production notes point out that the Russian invasion of Ukraine started after they went into…
"I.S.S. – Tribeca 2023"Tag: Tribeca Festival
We Dare to Dream puts the spotlight on the Refugee Olympic Team as they prepare to compete during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. We’re living through the worst refugee crisis in decades. People might think about the crisis as just being something that saw in the news. But for this film, it humanizes the Refugee Olympic Team athletes. It tells us their stories at a personal level. Who are they? Why did they leave? What…
"We Dare to Dream – Tribeca 2023"
Filmmaker Stephen Kijak delivers an intimate portrait of Rock Hudson and adds to his legacy in Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed. Rock Hudson came up through the Hollywood studio system at a time when it was not safe to be openly gay. I mean, sure, it could be an open secret among friends in the industry. To come out in the open and still take on macho roles would have been unheard of. However,…
"Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed – Tribeca 2023"
Kris Bowers and Dahi travel the country in Anthem to find out what the national anthem would sound like if it were American-based. In watching the film, it marks the first time that I learned that “The Star-Spangled Banner” uses a British tune for the music. Now, I know that it was a very different time when Francis Scott Key penned the lyrics in 1814. But still, it just sounds really wrong for the American…
"Anthem – Tribeca 2023"
While focusing on three intersex individuals, Every Body digs deep into the archives but is an eye-opening look at the lives of intersex people. I’m so used to watching Julie Cohen co-direct with Betsy West so to see her on a solo venture just feels different. Regardless, Cohen uses her platform to lift up a community that needs to lifting up. It comes at a time when transgender people are already marginalized. Intersex people might…
"Every Body – Tribeca 2023"
Richland is a documentary that explores the Washington state town next to the Hanford Nuclear Site and reckoning with the mushroom cloud. To say that this documentary is heartbreaking would not be an understatement. Say what you will about the Manhattan Project and its role in ending World War II in Japan. However, we as Americans need to reckon with the fallout on U.S. soil. Families in this Washington town were exposed to plutonium, killing…
"Richland – Tribeca 2023"
Rather is a superb and brilliant documentary about the life and career of the iconic CBS News anchor and reporter Dan Rather. Dan Rather left the CBS Evening News anchor desk in early 2005 after a 24-year stint. He was the second of the Big Three news broadcasters to step down–Tom Brokaw went first late 2004 and Peter Jennings would have his final broadcast days later in 2005. Being a child of the 1980s, they…
"Rather – Tribeca 2023"
Take Care of Maya is a documentary that follows the Kowalski family and their daughter’s battle with a rare illness, CRPS. Please note that the film comes with a few content warnings for child abuse, suicide, etc. I cannot stress enough that the documentary is not an easy watch by any means. What should have been a routine visit to Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital ended up becoming something much worse. The medical team suspected…
"Take Care of Maya – Tribeca 2023"
An Israeli profiler profiles a recent Palestinian assassin in The Future, leading to some very intense conversations with each other. The film stars some time after a young Palestinian student, Yaffa (Samar Qupty), shoots the Israeli Minister of Space and Tourism at point blank. This comes as an Israeli spacecraft is on the brink of landing on the moon. Anyway, Dr. Nurit Bloch (Reymonde Amsellem) is brought in to profile the university student to find…
"The Future – Tribeca 2023"
A married gay couple have to navigate a custody battle over their son during a divorce that starts getting messy in Our Son. Gay couples are no different than straight couples. They can fall out of love and end up getting divorced–yes, even after fighting for the right to get married. However, it’s just as messy for gay parents as it is for straight parents when it comes to custody over their children. When we…
"Our Son – Tribeca 2023"