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Triangle Culture Mavens Share Their Full Frame Picks

From top left, clockwise: Kate Bowler, Donovan Livingstone, Linda Shropshire, Saleem Reshamwala

    The 27th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival features a lineup of 50 films from 30 countries. With so many captivating documentaries in the 2025 lineup, how does one choose their must-sees? Sometimes recommendations help; Kate Bowler, Donovan Livingstone, Saleem Reshamwala, and Linda Shropshire share the films they’re most excited to see at the 27th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

     

    Kate Bowler sits in a blue armchair in a library where books are arranged by color

    Kate Bowler

    Kate Bowler, PhD, is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and Associate Professor at Duke University. She studies cultural narratives around success, suffering, and change. Kate’s books include Everything Happens for a Reason and No Cure for Being Human. She hosts the Everything Happens podcast and lives in Durham, North Carolina.

    See Kate’s Full Frame Picks >>

     

     

    Donovan Livingstone sits in front of a wall covered in colorful graffiti. He is smiling and looking down at an open book.

    Donovan Livingston

    Donovan Livingston, PhD, is an educator and emcee whose research broadly explores the impact of hip-hop lyricism and poetics on student success in K-12 and higher education. Donovan currently serves as a Teaching Assistant Professor in the Department of Music and the Director of College Thriving at UNC-Chapel Hill and is Chapel Hill’s Poet Laureate for 2025-26.

    See Donovan’s Full Frame Picks >>

     

     

    Saleem Rashemwala grimaces with a hand on his lower face

    Saleem Reshamwala

    Saleem Reshamwala is an Emmy-nominated Japanese-Indian-American filmmaker whose work focuses on culture, ethnicity, and music. He’s hosted two seasons of TED’s Far Flung podcast and filmed rappers and beatmakers in Senegal, Ethiopia, Fiji, Panama, and the Democratic Republic of Congo for the PBS Digital Studios series “Beat Making Lab.” He has studied, worked, or hung out in over 50 countries (but now calls Durham, NC home).

    See Saleem’s Full Frame Picks >>

     
     

    Linda Shropshire sits on a bench in Ella West Gallery, looking directly into the camera. The walls of the gallery are hung with many pieces of colorful art.

    Linda Shropshire

    Linda Shropshire is the Founder and Lead Curator for Ella West Gallery, a contemporary art gallery that anchors culture in the middle of Durham’s Black Wall Street. As a gallerist, Linda curates exhibitions that transcend traditional boundaries, spotlighting works that explore themes of migration, identity, gender, and intergenerational traditions. Linda is also a Trustee of the North Carolina Museum of Art.

    See Linda’s Full Frame Picks >>

    March 24, 2025