Festival 2025 Thursday, Apr 3Friday, Apr 4Saturday, Apr 5Sunday, Apr 6 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 Cinema 1 10:00–12:00The Shepherd and the Bear Set high in the majestic French Pyrenees, "The Shepherd and the Bear" explores a conflict provoked by the reintroduction of brown bears amid a traditional shepherding community. The film follows an aging shepherd who struggles to find a successor as bears prey on his flock, and a teenage boy who becomes obsessed with tracking the bears. Through its breathtaking cinematography and immersive storytelling, "The Shepherd and the Bear" is a modern folktale about tradition, community, and humanity’s relationship with a vanishing natural world. 1:00–3:00Songs of Slow Burning Earth An audiovisual diary of Ukraine’s immersion into the abyss of the first two years of Russia’s full invasion, made up of places, occasional characters, rare dialogues, intraframe sounds and silences which, when put together, capture the chronology of how the war became normalized. Against the backdrop of this (meta)physical landscape of collective disaster, a new generation of Ukrainians aspires to imagine the future. 4:00–6:00The Spectacle The Spectacle is a short reflective documentary that explores the world of modern tourism. Filmed in various locations across Europe, the documentary unveils the transformation of serene landscapes into tourist attractions. What remains truly seen and felt amidst the curated snapshots of our adventures? Apple Cider Vinegar Stones are at once the most foundational and the most overlooked parts of our lifeworld. When a retired nature documentary narrator passes a kidney stone, she decides to tell one more story about this forgotten world of stone. A hypnotic essay film asking urgent ecological questions, Apple Cider Vinegar takes the viewer on a journey to meet Palestinian quarry workers, a passionate British geologist, and people living on the lava fields of Fogo.7:30–9:30The Other Side of the Mountain A filmmaker follows her father, an artist, in search of his childhood home in Southwestern China, fulfilling a wish of his aging mother. Changed by the tides of history, the streets are unrecognizable. Father and daughter meander through time contemplating what it means to see and make images.Where Dragons Live An intimate and enchanting portrait of childhood fears, imagination and the enduring power of the memories that shape our lives. Cinema 2 Fletcher 10:30–12:30The Apollo The Apollo chronicles the legacy of New York City’s landmark Apollo Theater, covering the rich history of the storied performance space over its 85 years. What began as a refuge for marginalized artists emerged as a hallowed hall of Black excellence and empowerment. In the film, Williams reflects on the struggle of Black lives in America, the role that art plays in that struggle, and the part the Apollo Theater continues to play in the cultural conversation.FREE ticket required 1:30–3:30perfectly a strangeness In the dazzling incandescence of an unknown desert, three donkeys discover an abandoned astronomical observatory and the universe.Valentina and the MUOSters In the heart of Sicily, where a scarred landscape bears the weight of environmental destruction and military imposition, Valentina, nearing 30, still lives under her family’s roof. As her father’s health declines, she must break free from the shadows of dependency to forge her own path. 4:30–6:30Mistress Dispeller Desperate to save her marriage, a woman in China hires a professional to go undercover and break up her husband’s affair. With strikingly intimate access, Mistress Dispeller follows this unfolding family drama from all corners of a love triangle. 8:00–10:00OPENING NIGHT FILM Prime Minister The Right Honorable Dame Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s 40th Prime Minister, led her nation through unprecedented challenges, implemented bold policies, and became the second leader in history to give birth in office, all while championing an inclusive and empathetic leadership style that changed global expectations of what a leader can be. Cinema 3 2:00–4:00aka MR. CHOW The documentary "aka MR. CHOW" takes viewers on a captivating journey vibrant and varied life of Michael Chow. Born Zhou Yinghua, he triumphed over trauma, loss, and prejudice through acting and art before crafting a new identity as restaurateur Mr. Chow. After decades as a successful businessman and celebrated host to artists, actors, musicians, designers, and models, Mr. Chow has turned to his first love: painting and once again redefined himself—this time, as the artist M.5:00–7:00The Infiltrators "The Infiltrators" is a docu-thriller that tells the true story of young undocumented immigrants who are arrested by Border Patrol and put in a shadowy for-profit detention center—on purpose. The protagonists are members of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, a group of radical Dreamers who are on a mission to stop deportations. And the best place to stop deportations, they believe, is in detention. However, when the activists try to pull off their heist—a kind of ‘prison break’ in reverse—things don’t go according to plan. Cinema 4 Elsewhere 10:00–12:00Durham Armory Opening Night Party ticket required 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 Cinema 1 10:00–12:00The Other One The life of 18-year-old Johana revolves around her sister’s mental disability. In her last year of high school, she must face inner conflicts and choose between love for her sister and love for herself.1:00–3:00Constructing an Island A mother’s comforting tales of a remote Finnish island is an imagined paradise, but a journey to the island reveals that something is missing. This essayistic documentary explores inherited emotions and behaviors and how spaces can be created to offer the opportunity of reconciliation between generations of women.Light Memories Photography, fractured memories, and family secrets converge in a visually poignant exploration that delves into the effects of absent father figures throughout a family tree. 4:00–6:00The Perfect Neighbor A minor disagreement between neighbors in Florida takes a lethal turn, with police body camera footage and interviews probing the aftermath of the state’s controversial “stand your ground” laws.7:00–9:00Selena y Los Dinos Selena Quintanilla—the “Queen of Tejano Music”—and her family band, Selena y Los Dinos, rose from performing at quinceañeras to selling out stadium tours. The celebration of her life and legacy is chronicled through never-before-seen footage from the family’s personal archive. Cinema 2 5:00–7:00SHORTS 1 The five films in this program move across landscapes to document connection to place: la Flor del Camino, The Long Valley, The Other Side of the Mountain, perfectly a strangeness, and Rat Rod. 8:00–10:00SHORTS 2 This program offers vivid explorations of women’s relationships to self and others: Constructing an Island, The Devil Is Busy, Hold Me Close, A Move, and Tiger. Fletcher 11:00–1:00la Flor del Camino A few dreamlike glimpses into the life of a young girl who is on her way to meet a beloved friend, and for whom nothing exists but the here and now.The Long Valley A meditation on humans’ difficulty accepting reality, while still finding room to dream. It documents the people and landscapes of the Salinas Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in California.The Tempest of Neptun On the Croatian island of Vis, a pan-social cast of characters engage in a stormy debate on their future, reminding us of the loss of both storytelling and listening cultures. Fishermen, youth, workers, intellectuals, the mayor, and the wealthy South African owner of the deteriorating cannery “Neptun” build up the main character of the film which is the collective culture of memory and empathy.2:00–4:00Mr. Nobody Against Putin As Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, primary schools across Russia’s hinterlands are transformed into recruitment stages for the war. Facing the ethical dilemma of working in a system defined by propaganda and violence, a brave teacher goes undercover to film what’s really happening in his own school. 5:00–7:00FOLKTALES On the precipice of adulthood, teenagers converge at a traditional folk high school in Arctic Norway. Dropped at the edge of the world, they must rely on only themselves, one another, and a loyal pack of sled dogs as they all grow in unexpected directions. 8:00–10:00Come See Me in the Good Light An unexpectedly funny and joyful love story, poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley navigate life and mortality in the face of an incurable diagnosis. Cinema 3 10:30–12:30Travis When we meet Travis Jefferies he is six years old and living with full-blown AIDS. His strong spirit, generous smile, and outgoing personality are belied by the pain and isolation forced upon him by his condition. Poignant and painfully honest, "Travis" documents the complex life of a vital child born with a terminal disease who, with the help of experimental drug therapy and his grandmother’s love and support, struggles to survive and pursue a happy life.1:30–3:30Tiger Tiger highlights an Indigenous award-winning, internationally acclaimed artist and elder, Dana Tiger, her family, and the resurgence of the iconic Tiger t-shirt company. Hold Me Close A chronicle of the power and complexity of the relationship between Corinne and Tiana, two Queer Black womxn who experience cycles of life’s joys and pains together in the home they share. A Move Elahe returns to her hometown in Mashhad, Iran, to help her parents move to a new place after 40 years. Influenced by the Woman-Life-Freedom movement, she’s also hoping for a bigger move beyond just a new apartment.The Devil Is Busy As the director of operations and security of an abortion clinic in Atlanta, Tracy doesn’t take any chances when it comes to the safety of both the patients and the staff. The Devil Is Busy is an eye-opening, on-the-ground portrayal of the shifting landscape for abortion providers in America. 4:30–6:30Blue Road – The Edna O’Brien Story In 1960, Edna O’Brien, a young Irish woman, made a sensational literary debut with The Country Girls, sparking controversy in Ireland, where her books were banned and burned. She moved to London, where she led a vibrant life, hosting star-studded parties, conducting love affairs, and building a fortune. O’Brien passed away in July 2024 at 93, and in her final testimony for filmmaker Sinéad O’Shea, she reflects on her extraordinary life. Blue Road features readings from her personal journals by Jessie Buckley, with insights from Gabriel Byrne, Walter Mosley, and other notable writers. 7:30–9:30Seeds Seeds is a portrait of Centennial farmers in the geographical south. Using lyrical black-and-white imagery, this meditative film examines the decline of generational Black farmers and the significance of owning land. Cinema 4 2:30–4:30Well-Founded Fear With unprecedented access, filmmakers Michael Camerini and Shari Robertson enter the closed corridors of the INS to reveal the dramatic real-life stage where human rights and American ideals collide with the nearly impossible task of trying to know the truth. The law says asylum can be offered if someone has a well-founded fear of persecution. Three times a day, the job is to decide the applicants’ fates. Political asylum—who deserves it? Who gets it? Who decides? 5:30–7:30Reluctantly Queer This epistolary short film invites us into the unsettling life of a young Ghanaian man struggling to reconcile his love for his mother with his love for same-sex desire amid the increased tensions incited by same-sex politics in Ghana. Focused on a letter that is ultimately filled with hesitation and uncertainty, "Reluctantly Queer" both disrobes and questions what it means to be queer for this man in this time and space.Tarnation A pioneering, ahead-of-its-time work in the development of the autobiographical documentary, Jonathan Caouette’s cathartic film diary swirls together Super 8 and VHS home movies, answering machine messages, family photographs, and other records of a lifetime. It tells the story of Caouette’s tumultuous childhood, his coming out as gay, and his complex relationship with his schizophrenic mother, a former beauty queen whose life was derailed by the electroshock treatments she received in her youth.8:30–10:30The Prison in Twelve Landscapes More people are imprisoned in the United States at this moment than in any other time or place in history, yet the prison itself has never felt further away or more out of sight. "The Prison in Twelve Landscapes" is a film about the prison in which we never see a penitentiary. Instead, the film unfolds as a cinematic journey through a series of landscapes across the USA where prisons do work and affect lives. 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 Cinema 1 10:00–12:00Rat Rod A haunted mechanic muses on his experiences as an immigrant in rural America—as well as the nature of life and death as he resurrects cars.The Fabulous Gold Harvesting Machine A 60-year-old gold digger with health issues can’t afford to retire, so his son wants to build a gold harvesting machine that should bring them a better future. 1:00–3:00I’m Not Everything I Want to Be After the Soviet invasion of Prague, a young female photographer strives to break free from the constraints of Czechoslovak normalization and embarks on a wild journey toward freedom, capturing her experiences in thousands of subjective photographs. 4:00–6:002000 Meters to Adriivka In this tense and arresting follow-up to his award-winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol, Ukrainian filmmaker and Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Mstyslav Chernov shifts his attention…7:00–9:00Apocalypse in the Tropics When does a democracy end, and a theocracy begin? Apocalypse in the Tropics investigates the increasingly powerful grip that faith leaders hold over politics in Brazil. Weaving past and present, it holds up an uncanny mirror to the rest of the world. Cinema 2 11:00–1:00Asian Americans: Episode 4 During a time of war and social tumult, a young generation fights for equality in the fields, on campuses and in the culture, and claim a new identity: Asian Americans. The war’s aftermath brings new immigrants and refugees who expand the population and the definition of Asian America.Asian Americans: Episode 5 At the turn of the new millennium, the national conversation turns to immigration, race, and economic disparity. As the U.S. becomes more diverse, yet more divided, a new generation of Asian Americans tackle the question, how do we as a nation move forward together?2:00–4:00Inextinguishable Fire “When we show you pictures of napalm victims, you’ll shut your eyes. You’ll close your eyes to the pictures. Then you’ll close them to the memory. And then you’ll close your eyes to the facts.” These words are spoken at the beginning of this agitprop film that can be viewed as a unique and remarkable development. Farocki refrains from making any sort of emotional appeal. His point of departure is the following: “When napalm is burning, it is too late to extinguish it. You have to fight napalm where it is produced: in the factories.”Night and Fog Ten years after the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps, filmmaker Alain Resnais documented the abandoned grounds of Auschwitz and Majdanek in "Night and Fog" (Nuit et brouillard), one of the first cinematic reflections on the Holocaust. Juxtaposing the stillness of the abandoned camps’ empty buildings with haunting wartime footage, Resnais investigates humanity’s capacity for violence, and presents the devastating suggestion that such horrors could occur again.Something Strong Within Created for the Japenese American National Museum’s exhibition, "America’s Concentration Camps: Remembering the Japanese American Experience," this critically acclaimed, award-winning film features haunting compilation of rarely-seen home movies of the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII.5:00–7:00Asian Americans: Episode 4 During a time of war and social tumult, a young generation fights for equality in the fields, on campuses and in the culture, and claim a new identity: Asian Americans. The war’s aftermath brings new immigrants and refugees who expand the population and the definition of Asian America.Asian Americans: Episode 5 At the turn of the new millennium, the national conversation turns to immigration, race, and economic disparity. As the U.S. becomes more diverse, yet more divided, a new generation of Asian Americans tackle the question, how do we as a nation move forward together?8:00–10:00SHORTS 3 This compilation of films features creative assembly in their portrayal of varied perspectives: Confessions of Undecided Women, Mail Myself to You, Mama Micra, The Spectacle, and Your Opinion, Please. Fletcher 11:00–1:00Speak. Five top-ranked high school oratory students spend a year crafting spellbinding spoken word performances with the dream of winning one of the world’s largest and most intense public speaking competitions. 2:00–4:00The Librarians Librarians emerge as first responders in the fight for democracy and our First Amendment Rights. As they well know, controlling the flow of ideas means control over communities. 5:00–7:00Deaf President Now! "Deaf President Now!" recounts the eight days of historic protests held at Gallaudet University in 1988 after the school’s board of trustees appointed a hearing president over several very qualified Deaf candidates. The protests marked a pivotal moment in civil rights history, with an impact that extended well beyond the Gallaudet campus, and paved the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).8:00–10:00We Want the Funk! "We Want the Funk!" is a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning African, soul, and early jazz roots to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown’s dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, the story also traces funk’s influences on both new wave and hip-hop. Cinema 3 10:30–12:30Your Opinion, Please As America enters the new millennium, listeners across Montana call into Yellowstone Public Radio to express their views on everything from state politics to the Iraq war, or the meaning of poetry. Mama Micra A stop-motion animation about the filmmaker’s mother, whose tremendous thirst for freedom compelled her to go into the big wide world.Mail Myself to You "Mail Myself to You" explores the legacy and future of the correspondence art movement through stop-motion animation and 16mm direct cinema. The film focuses on the Oberlin College Mail Art Collection, asking how an archive can best preserve the memory of art that resists convention.Confessions of Undecided Women An animated short documentary about thirty-something women who confront the biggest question of their lives while the biological clock is ticking.1:30–3:30Coexistence, My Ass! Noam Shuster Eliassi grew up the literal poster child for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process before making a hard pivot to stand-up comedy and political satire. But as the region sinks deeper into devastating violence, she must meet the moment by challenging her audiences with hard truths that are no laughing matter.4:30–6:30Predators To Catch a Predator was a popular television show designed to hunt down child predators and lure them to a film set, where they would be interviewed and eventually arrested. Predators is a surprising exploration of the scintillating rise and staggering fall of the show, and the world it helped create. 7:30–9:30Third Act Generations of artists call Robert A. Nakamura “the godfather of Asian American media,” but filmmaker Tadashi Nakamura calls him Dad. What begins as a documentary about his father’s career takes a turn with a Parkinson’s Disease diagnosis, and evolves into an exploration of art, activism, grief, and fatherhood. Cinema 4 11:30–1:30Southern Comfort Southern Comfort tells the story of Robert Eads, a 52-year-old female-to-male transgendered person and his family of choice in their rural Georgia community. Eads, his…2:30–4:3076 Days On January 23, 2020, China locked down Wuhan, a city of 11 million, to combat the emerging COVID-19 outbreak. Set deep inside the frontlines of the crisis in four hospitals, 76 Days tells indelible human stories of healthcare workers and patients who struggle to survive the pandemic with resilience and dignity.5:30–7:30Spit on the Broom "Spit on the Broom" is a surrealist documentary that explores the margins of the history of the African American women’s group the United Order of Tents, a clandestine organization of black women organized in the 1840s during the height of the Underground Railroad. The film uses excerpts from the public record, newspaper articles related to the Tents from over the course of 100 years, and a visual tapestry of fable and myth as a way to introduce a history that remains secret.Tonsler Park In "Tonsler Park," Kevin Jerome Everson trains his black-and-white 16 mm camera on the activity around voting precincts in Charlottesville, Virginia (future site of the infamous white supremacist Unite the Right rally), on Election Day, November 8, 2016—a day that would prove pivotal in the course of American democracy. Capturing, in detail, the vital work of mostly Black civil servants and citizens engaging in the democratic process, Everson pointedly centers their participation in a system that has long sought to disenfranchise them.8:30–10:30WTO/99 An immersive archival documentary that reanimates the clash between the then-emerging World Trade Organization (WTO) and the more than 40,000 people who took to the streets of Seattle to protest the WTO’s impacts on labor, the environment, and the future impacts of continued globalization. 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 1:00 Cinema 1 10:00–12:00Viktor Elegantly fusing rigorous reportage with cinematic subjectivity, "Viktor" offers a deeply personal perspective on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A young man living in Kharkiv embarks on a journey to find his place amidst a war he cannot hear and is denied to fight. An audiovisual experience delicately crafted to mirror that of its subject, "Viktor" is a testimony of a Deaf person navigating through chaos and violence. 1:30–3:30The Last Partera At 100 years old, Doña Miriam confronts the end of her life cycle, passing on her wisdom as the last living traditional Costa Rican midwife in the region. Inspired by her courage and strength, a new generation pushes for stronger women-centered healthcare at the foot of an active volcan4:30–6:30Sunday Encore 3 The Sunday Encore 3 will be announced on Sunday, April 6. Cinema 2 11:00–1:00Inextinguishable Fire “When we show you pictures of napalm victims, you’ll shut your eyes. You’ll close your eyes to the pictures. Then you’ll close them to the memory. And then you’ll close your eyes to the facts.” These words are spoken at the beginning of this agitprop film that can be viewed as a unique and remarkable development. Farocki refrains from making any sort of emotional appeal. His point of departure is the following: “When napalm is burning, it is too late to extinguish it. You have to fight napalm where it is produced: in the factories.”Night and Fog An extraordinary, disturbing film that probed Nazi concentration camps in an exercise of memory, using camera tracking to evoke mood and theme. Actual photographs and…Something Strong Within Created for the Japenese American National Museum’s exhibition, "America’s Concentration Camps: Remembering the Japanese American Experience," this critically acclaimed, award-winning film features haunting compilation of rarely-seen home movies of the forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII. Fletcher 11:00–1:00Helen and the Bear A rebellious young hippie marries a prominent Republican politician twenty-six years older than her. Four decades later, as they anticipate his death, she wrestles with their marriage, her sexuality, and what’s been lost and won through a life by his side. 2:30–4:30Sunday Encore 2 The Sunday Encore 2 will be announced on Sunday, April 6.5:30–7:30FREE CLOSING NIGHT FILM SALLY Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space, but beneath her unflappable composure was a secret. Sally’s life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, reveals their hidden romance and the sacrifices that accompanied their 27 years together. FREE ticket required Cinema 3 10:30–12:30The White House Effect Three decades ago, the world was poised to stop global warming. Using exclusively archival material, "The White House Effect" tells the origin story of the climate crisis and how a political battle in the George H.W. Bush administration changed the course of history.2:00–4:30Sunday Encore 1 The Sunday Encore 1 will be announced on Sunday, April 6.5:00–7:00Sunday Encore 4 The Sunday Encore 4 will be announced on Sunday, April 6. Cinema 4 Elsewhere 11:30–1:00Durham Armory Awards Barbecue ticket required
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