I WANT YOU BACK (2022)

February 11, 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. It all happens in the first three minutes. Peter gets dumped by Anne, and Emma gets dumped by Noah. We haven’t even had a chance to form any opinions of these two long-term relationships, and just like that … they are both kaput. Director Jason Orley and screenwriters (LOVE, SIMON collaborators) Isaac Aptaker and Elizabeth Berger toss us a curveball by having the dumpees form an alliance to help the other win back their dumpers. It’s an unconventional approach in this genre and it works due to some sharp writing, and the extraordinary comic timing of the two leads.

Nice guy Peter (Charlie Day, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”) loves kids, loves the elderly, and loves Anne (Gina Rodriguez, ANNIHILATION, 2018). She abruptly dumps him because he’s a bit boring and she wants a “bigger life” … her dream is to be a Broadway star. Peter is crushed when she dumps him. Emma (Jenny Slate, OBVIOUS CHILD, 2014) works as a receptionist at an orthodontist office, and Noah (Scott Eastwood, THE OUTPOST, 2019) appreciates her humor, but is turned off by her lack of career ambition. Mind you, he’s a fitness trainer. Emma is crushed when she dumps him.

Peter and Emma have a sobbing meet-cute in the stairwell of the office building where they both work, and soon, drunk karaoke and lots of alcohol lead to quite an intricate scheme. Emma will seduce Anne’s new boyfriend Logan (Manny Jacinto), while Peter will befriend Noah and talk him out of love with new girlfriend Ginny (Clark Backo). The expected results find the appropriate exes crawling back into familiar arms. It’s a plan seemingly doomed to failure, but certain to provide many opportunities for laughter.

The scenes featuring Charlie Day and Jenny Slate are easily the film’s best. These are two talented and funny actors who play off each other beautifully. Of course, we presume to know where all of this is headed, and it may involve a threesome and a balcony jump into a hot tub … or it may not. The concept of sabotaging someone else’s happiness in hopes they will return to you is a bit psychotic to say the least. But it’s all handled with kid gloves and plays off the old adage, “misery loves company.” A bit of truth and relatability occurs as both Emma and Peter dread the idea of starting over in love – a quite common dread. The film kicks off with Jimmy Durante singing “The Glory of Love”, and though you’ll likely laugh a few times, you’ll likely notice the lack of glory in the behavior of Emma and Peter.

Exclusively on Amazon Prime Video February 11, 2022

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Posted by David Ferguson

CATCH THE FAIR ONE (2022)

February 10, 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. One tragic event can certainly derail a person’s life. It’s happened in plenty of other movies, often resulting in an engaging story of redemption. There is also nothing new about a friend or family member out to save a loved one who is in peril. Director Josef Kubata Wladyka co-wrote this script with the film’s star, Kali Reis, and though it covers some familiar territory from those two premises, it’s done so in a way that feels fresh and different and important.

Ms. Reis is an accomplished boxer, having held the title in two weight classes. Her heritage is part Native and part Cape Verdean, and she brings a personal perspective into the story of her character. Kaylee Uppeshau (Ms. Reis) slogs through days waiting tables at a greasy spoon, and sleeps at night in a women’s shelter, with a razor blade tucked in her cheek for protection. She was previously known in the ring as “KO”, but for the past two years her goal in life is to track down her younger sister Weeta (Mainaku Borrerro), who was abducted while walking home from Kaylee’s gym. The girls’ mother (played by Kimberly Guerrero, whom “Seinfeld” fans will remember as Winona) has moved on by running group therapy sessions for others who are grieving. She also makes it clear that Weeta was the favored daughter.

Kaylee gets a lead on her sister, and soon finds herself drawn into the world of sex-trafficking. It’s a dangerous situation as she goes up against local scumbags Bobby (Daniel Henshell) and his father Willie (Kevin Dunn), the white men who have a market for native girls. But Kaylee is not the typical victim. She has an intensity to match her body tattoos and multiple piercings (cheeks, nose, tongue, ears, naval), and the physical training to hold her own.

It’s her acting debut, and Ms. Reis excels as Kaylee in this thriller. She creates an engrossing character who is tough, yet relatable. Ms. Reis is intense, naturalistic, and believable. It’s quite a first-time performance, and she keeps us engaged all the way through. We are never really sure if Kaylee is after justice or closure, or whether she truly holds out hope that Weeta is still alive. The subject of Indigenous women and girls being abducted is also the focus of Martin Scorsese’s upcoming film KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, based on the superb book by David Grann. Whereas that film will look at history, filmmaker Wladyka and Reis make it personal and deliver a literal and figurative gut-punch.

In theaters and VOD beginning February 11, 2022

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE PACT (2022)

February 10, 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit, but prior to this movie, I was unfamiliar with Birthe Neumann. Most of her 50-year career has been spent in Denmark projects (film, TV, stage), but her screen presence here is such that I feel compelled to seek out some of her early work in order to catch up on what now feels like a gap in my movie watching. Ms. Neumann stars as writer Karen Blixen (pen name Isak Dinesen), who published her 1937 memoir, “Out of Africa”. The adapted book became a Best Picture Oscar winner starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. A couple of years later (1987) the film adapted from Blixen’s story “Babette’s Feast” won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language film.

Director Bille August (PELLE THE CONQUEROR, 1987) and screenwriter Christian Torpe bring Thorkild Bjornvid’s memoir to the screen. You might ask why then the opening paragraph was not about Mr. Bjornvid, a noted Danish writer and poet. The answer is derived from the fact that while the process of writing doesn’t translate well to the big screen, complicated relationships definitely do … and the bond between Blixen and Bjornvid (played here by Simon Benebjerg) was about as complicated and convoluted as one can get. Ms. Blixen was somewhat of an isolated literary icon when she first met the 30ish Bjornvid in 1948. What followed can only be described as a Faustian deal where she promised to make him a great writer if he followed her every direction to a “T”. She says to him, “Have faith and I will protect you.” The stipulations included moving into her compound and being apart from his wife Grete (Nanna Skarrup Voss) and child for long stretches.

Of course, we all dream of having someone bankroll our hobby so that we may leisurely pursue our passions. This was more than that. Blixen was living with the long-term effects of her syphilis and the loss of her friend/lover/companion (detailed in her memoir). Her bitterness filled her with contempt for anything other than the sole pursuit of artistic passions, and Ms. Neumann’s performance is so authentic we are taken aback at times (just like Bjornvid). We know the price to pay for such a deal is sure to be high. Soon enough, Bjornvid becomes infatuated with Benedicte Jensen (Asta Kamma August, the daughter of the director), the wife of Neumann’s friend Knud (Anders Heinrichsen) and the temptation is too strong.

The situation and the film raise many questions. Should one follow their gift, regardless of the cost to others? Is selling the soul a fair price for reaching greatness? Is risk and pain and sacrifice necessary to reach one’s artistic peak? It’s painful to watch the young poet surrender to his elderly patron, but it’s fascinating to see how Karen Blixen spurs the writer to improvement. How far would you go to achieve your dreams?

Opening in NYC on February 11, 2022 and expanding on February 18, 2022

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Posted by David Ferguson

I’M YOUR MAN (2021, Germany)

February 9, 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. The thing about humans is that we are always looking towards the future to see how we can make things easier, better, or more exciting. This is often with an eye towards more fuel-efficient cars, smaller and more powerful computers, and more effective medical treatments. Writer-director Maria Schrader and co-writer Jan Schomburg have adapted the short story from Emma Braslavsky and turn the lens to relationships and love. Is it possible to advance inter-personal relations to the point of perfection? Would that even be desirable or preferable to the messiness that’s gone on since the beginning of time?

It’s actually the film’s premise that impresses most. Maren Eggert stars as Alma, an Anthropologist who has dedicated years of her life to leading a team documenting the earliest human use of poetry. Alma is a serious and determined woman, and one who bears the scars of a recent breakup. She’s drawn into an extraordinary experiment that blends high-tech with sociology. Advanced robots have been developed to become the “perfect” mate, and are programmed specifically for one person. Alma has agreed to the three-week trial, and her robot is Tom (played well by Dan Stevens, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, 2017).

Their initial interactions are quite awkward as Alma is skeptical and Tom is programmed to constantly and quickly learn and evolve based on Alma’s reactions. Despite Alma’s hope for companionship and recognition of her own biological clock, she seems to catch herself anytime she begins to feel a bit of joy. She never imagined that her pursuit of happiness would be dependent on advanced robotics. To monitor the progress, the program’s director, played by Sandra Huller (TONI ERDMANN, 2016) periodically checks in. And yes, she holds her own secrets.

This is a clever film that delves a bit deeper into human emotions than we originally anticipate. It also contains quite a bit of humor – the initial dance club introductions are pretty funny, as is Tom’s facial expression each time he’s tweaking his algorithms. We do learn flirting is “difficult to program”, although in today’s society, that’s a treacherous path anyway. Of course, Alma slowly comes around to the idea of an artificial relationship – one that by definition can never be real. The film is not at the level of EX MACHINA (2014), although it’s less about technological advances and more about self-realization. Ms. Schrader’s film is plenty entertaining to watch and one that slyly points out many flaws of us human beings, while delivering an unexpected ending.

Available for streaming on multiple platforms

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Posted by David Ferguson

DEATH ON THE NILE (2022)

February 8, 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. For us Agatha Christie fans, a certain amount of trepidation exists every time a new movie or TV version of her work hits. Stress level was reduced a bit this time since director-actor Kenneth Branagh and screenwriter Michael Green are back following their collaboration on Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (2017). Although the star power this time isn’t quite at the level of ‘Orient’, it seems Mr. Branagh has grown quite fond and confident of his own Hercule Poirot, the Belgian super-sleuth.

Director Branagh takes an unusual approach with a black and white Prologue from 1914 as a young Poirot shows flashes of his intellect as a soldier in WWI. The real purpose of this segment is to show Poirot was once a young man in love, and then a wounded soldier in love, and then a broken-hearted wounded man who would go on to become the world’s greatest detective. The prologue also provides backstory on the infamous mustache that is so much a part of Poirot.

We then flash forward to a 1937 London speakeasy where a fastidious Poirot fusses over dessert while watching the formation of a shaky love triangle unfold on the dance floor as Salome Otterbourne (Sophie Okonedo, with singing vocals from Sister Rosetta Tharpe) belts out her bluesy tunes on stage. Initially it’s Jacqueline de Bellefort (relative newcomer Emma Mackey) in the throes of lustful dance moves with her fiancé Simon Doyle (Armie Hammer in the last gasp of a once skyrocketing career). Things change quickly when Jacqui’s former schoolmate, Linnete Ridgeway (Gal Gadot), makes her show-stopping appearance in a glittery metallic gown. Flash forward again, this time 6 weeks, and its Linnete and Simon tying the knot at the picturesque Cataract Hotel in Aswan on the River Nile. See, Linnete is an heiress to her less-than-scrupulous father’s fortune, and Simon had no trouble trading up. Jacqui, on the other hand, doesn’t take it so well.

Of course the fun part of Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries involves getting to know the players and watching as the clues reveal themselves, and then how Poirot handles the big reveal. This film’s only real weakness is the character development of everyone not named Hercule Poirot. We only skim the surface of Euphemia Buoc (Annette Bening) as Buoc’s (a returning Tom Bateman) disapproving mother, Dr. Windlesham (an unusually reserved Russell Brand), Linnete’s chambermaid Louise (Rose Leslie), Linette’s Godmother and her “nurse” (Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, respectively), family attorney Andrew (Ali Fazal), and Salome’s niece and manager, Rosalie (Letitia Wright), the proverbial sharpest knife in the drawer.

So what do we get? Well, first and foremost, a fully formed Poirot. Branagh seems to have embraced the character and the mustache, having a blast with his scenes. We also get stunning work from cinematographer Harris Zambarloukos, as he films the beautiful people, the beautiful wardrobes, and such sites as the Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, Ramses statues of Abu Simbel, and the excellent set piece known as the Karnak luxury steamer. There are some metaphorical effects inserted that periodically startle us, and seem unnecessary, but then over-the-top moments are not unusual in film presentations of Christie’s writing. She passed away in 1976, and now there are almost 200 film and TV projects associated with her work.

Love and betrayal are key elements here, and for fans of the original book and the 1978 film version, comparisons are unavoidable. Ms. Mackey’s jilted lover stalker is a marked improvement over Mia Farrow’s character, while Salome and Rosalie and terrific additions. Ms. Saunders and Ms. French follow in the footsteps of cinematic heavyweights Bette Davis and Maggie Smith, and your choice of Branagh or Peter Ustinov as Poirot is one left up to you. It’s tough to beat ‘whodunnit escapism’, though it’s a personal choice on which of Christie’s stories serve up the best puzzle pieces on the big screen.

Opens in theaters on February 11, 2022

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE SEVERING (2022)

February 6, 2022

Slamdance Film Festival 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. Mark Pellington is a renowned music video director, having worked with such acts as Bruce Springsteen, U2, Leonard Cohen, Pearl Jam, INXS, Demi Lovato, and Imagine Dragons. He’s also done TV work, as well as some feature films, including ARLINGTON ROAD (1999), THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES (2002), HENRY POOLE IS HERE (2008), and THE LAST WORD (2017). Despite a successful and varied career, it’s difficult to imagine he’s ever had a project as bizarre as his latest “experiential” film, which was named the “Spotlight Feature” at this year’s Slamdance Film Festival.

Billed as “Pina” meets “Saw”; however, it’s difficult to believe a Pina Bausch production would offer similar style, and it’s clear that the gore and violence here is imagined and implied rather than sprayed across the screen. However, some empathy must be allowed for whomever was tasked with marketing Mr. Pellington’s film. It’s 70 minutes of interpretative dance. And I do mean interpretative. There is no story playing out, but rather sequences of dancers in what the one-time narrator describes as a fourth dimension.  

These sequences are abstract and oblique. Nothing is obvious. In fact, there is no attempt to draw us in. We are purely observers and interpreters. The title cards/text insertions are purposefully obtuse rather than helpful or inviting. The opening note in the films states that we never open ourselves to others, keeping instead to our protective shell. This sentiment is followed by dancing that represents grief, pain, sex, and other emotions.

The dancers are body-covered in chalky make-up and grease paint, while wearing non-descript skimpy costumes that more resemble tattered rags. Dark and shadowy is the best description for the lighting and you won’t find movie sets more stark than the few used here. Six dancers receive credit, and sequences feature one, two, or four dancers at any given time. These dancers are extraordinary in their athleticism, and ability to contort and twist. The same solo dancer is featured in the opening and closing, and she is especially impressive in her loose-jointed and intense floor writhing, often reaching positions that most of us can’t fathom. Every scene is shot in slow-motion, and all are accompanied by an electronic score that drones on in its sameness. Nina McNeely is the featured choreographer, and the dancing/movement is quite something to behold. We only wish it was a bit more accessible and certainly a bit shorter in run time.

**Slamdance Film Festival embodies its mantra: By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers. Though Slamdance has greatly evolved since the early years, its mission and organization remain the same. Slamdance serves new and emerging artists, filmmakers, and storytellers from around the world. Slamdance programmers gravitate towards films that embody the true spirit of DIY guerilla filmmaking.

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Posted by David Ferguson

HANNAH HA HA (2022)

February 6, 2022

Slamdance Film Festival 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. We open on Hannah and her dad relaxing by the fire pit one evening. It’s their happy place … or is it contentment? Is there a difference? This first feature film from co-writers and co-directors Joshua Pikovsky and Jordan Tetewsky, is also the first film for most of the cast, including Hannah Lee Thompson in the titular role. Ms. Thompson is a musician by profession, and she proves to be a natural in front of the camera.

Hannah is nearing her 26th birthday and still lives with her dad (Avram Tetewsky, the co-director’s real father) in a small town outside of Boston. She spends her days working the family farm, walking the neighbor’s dog, giving guitar lessons to kids, and any other odd job that might pop up or be beneficial to the community. Hannah is overweight and gay, but seems fine with her life until her corporate-type older brother Paul (Roger Mancusi) begins urging her to get a “real job” with a career path and health benefits. This leads to an awkward job interview in the city and a further blow to Hannah’s self-esteem.

Paul means well with his counseling, but is overbearing and condescending in his approach, leading Hannah to a mostly silent response. This is a textbook case of one person encouraging another to be what you think they should be, rather than what they want to be. Hannah settles on a kitchen job at a local “gourmet” fast food establishment. She’s a very hard worker and takes in the often harsh life lessons that most of us learn along the way. There is a particularly poignant scene where Hannah, while on a smoke break, quietly observes others living their life. It’s a prime example of how turning points need not be accompanied by fireworks and booming music.

The interesting contrast here is between Hannah’s relationship with brother Paul, and her relationship with her aging father, who offers his insight: “it’s good to be thinking about the future”. His statement can be interpreted multiple ways, and it’s quite likely Paul and Hannah view it differently. Hannah and her dad live a life which they are comfortable with. Is it mundane? Yes. Is it boring? Not to them. “Twilight Zone” marathons, ice cream cones, fresh tomatoes, and beer around the fire … that’s enough for them. Ms. Thompson’s restrained performance draws us in, and allows us to contemplate the importance of contentment. Worthy of its Slamdance Grand Jury Award, it’s a nice film festival entry and a debut of note from the filmmakers and Ms. Thompson.

**Slamdance Film Festival embodies its mantra: By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers. Though Slamdance has greatly evolved since the early years, its mission and organization remain the same. Slamdance serves new and emerging artists, filmmakers, and storytellers from around the world. Slamdance programmers gravitate towards films that embody the true spirit of DIY guerilla filmmaking.

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Posted by David Ferguson

KILLING THE EUNUCH KHAN (2022)

February 6, 2022

Slamdance Film Festival 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. It’s best not to take the film or its synopsis at face value. This bears no resemblance to a conventional film and the synopsis would have you thinking this is a traditional crime thriller. Iranian writer-director Abed Abest makes no effort to formulate an easy-to-follow story, and instead gives us a glimpse at war atrocities – here based during the Iran-Iraq War. Though it’s not a straightforward story to follow, the film is visually stunning and reminiscent (at times) of Jodorowsky and Kubrick.

A teenage girl and her young sister are collecting items in the yard of their large, sparsely decorated home. As they go back inside to display the reflective items, simultaneously a bombing mission is carried out. Due to storm, things don’t go according to plan. Filmmaker Abest delivers an artistic aftermath of the bombing, and we see the girls’ father return home to the tragic scene. What follows is a surreal, dreamlike depiction of the grieving father’s visions. Time, people, and events are blurred, and the visuals take over the emotional aspect.

Outside of one interrogation scene, there is very little dialogue … but plenty of walking. Much of what we see is left to our interpretation, and the imagery provided by cinematographer Hamid Khozoule Abyane is nothing short of stellar. The camera often seems to float above those we are following and red/blood flows throughout the city. Viewers who try to make sense of every scene or assemble the pieces will surely be frustrated, but the best approach is to take in the visuals and process in your own time.

**Slamdance Film Festival embodies its mantra: By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers. Though Slamdance has greatly evolved since the early years, its mission and organization remain the same. Slamdance serves new and emerging artists, filmmakers, and storytellers from around the world. Slamdance programmers gravitate towards films that embody the true spirit of DIY guerilla filmmaking.

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Posted by David Ferguson

ACTUAL PEOPLE (2022)

February 6, 2022

Slamdance Film Festival 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. Spicoli (Sean Penn in FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH) was the poster child for stoners in the 80’s. Julie (Deborah Foreman in VALLEY GIRL) taught us the annoying Valley Girl speech patterns, some of which have ‘like’ stuck around. The Dude (Jeff Bridges in THE BIG LEBOWSKI) epitomized slackers, and Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman in THE GRADUATE) showed the messiness of post-graduation aimlessness. We can only hope that following in these era-defining cinematic footsteps was what writer-director-producer-star Kit Zauhar had in mind with her character of Riley – the prototype of a stereotypical whiny Millennial.

Riley is an Asian-American Philosophy major with only a couple of weeks left until graduation. She’s also rudderless, frightened by the demands of independence, and unaccepting of society’s structure and demands for adults. She was recently dumped by her boyfriend of three years, and is now aimless and unable to function and effectively finish the miniscule amount of schoolwork remaining in order to graduate. Riley seems only capable of whining, while she turns her attention (such that it is) to finding a new soul mate. Somehow this supersedes her need to complete college and move on with life.

The approach she takes is all about partying. Drugs, alcohol, sex, and cigarettes become part of her daily life. Friends come and go, and cringe-inducing conversations revolve around things like Boba tea, race relations, and vagina yogurt. Riley becomes obsessed, or at least misdirected, with emotions for one particular young man. She believes that their one-night stand combined with their sharing bi-racial backgrounds and a hometown of Philly equate to their destiny of togetherness. She’s blind to the obvious disconnect with his feelings.

What we have is Riley, an aimless protagonist who seeks answers, while paying no attention to the life lessons she’s receiving. Supporting work is provided by Scott Albrecht, Randall Palmer, Isabelle Barbier, and Tanya Morgan. The latter has one of the film’s best scenes as a therapist/counselor for Riley. The stress of senior year and the adulthood that immediately follows graduation is certainly a hefty burden and one that weighs on many students. Unfortunately, Riley offers us little to care about as viewers. By this stage in life, being without a partner should not be debilitating. She’s had four years to focus on what comes next, rather than who. We see Riley reading a Miranda July book, and it would be understandable if filmmaker Zauhar models her approach after the talented Ms. July, but the incessant whining and lack of backbone would probably not be found in a July project. Riley is tough to watch, especially when her crush describes their time together (in the film’s best line) as “special in the moment, not significant.” We hold high expectations for Ms. Zauhar’s future as an actor and filmmaker, and let’s hope she’s learned her lessons better than Riley.

**Slamdance Film Festival embodies its mantra: By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers. Though Slamdance has greatly evolved since the early years, its mission and organization remain the same. Slamdance serves new and emerging artists, filmmakers, and storytellers from around the world. Slamdance programmers gravitate towards films that embody the true spirit of DIY guerilla filmmaking.

Leave a Comment » | Drama | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by David Ferguson

SYLVIE OF THE SUNSHINE STATE (2022, doc)

February 6, 2022

Slamdance Film Festival 2022

Greetings again from the darkness. Parenting is difficult. Pandemic parenting is a whole new level of difficult. No helpful guidebook exists and there is no recent similar time in history from which to take lessons. That leaves instinct, and in my first documentary of this year’s Slamdance Film Festival, single mother Sasha Levinson has inexplicably (and to my horror) put her pandemic parenting instincts on display for all to witness.

A terrific opening shot of Sylvie riding her bike in circles around the backyard pool reminds us that separating kids from friends during the pandemic has likely stunted the social development of many, while also forcing them into independence mode. We soon learn Sylvie is a 9-year-old in the process of repeating second grade. She has names for her many dolls and converses with an imaginary friend. Her mother Sasha has explained the purpose of filming their daily activities, and why they are quarantined.

Despite the title and the fact that the lens is regularly focused on her, this isn’t really about young Sylvie. It’s about Sasha. It’s about Sasha’s challenges with parenting, and her own self-centeredness. It’s also about Sasha’s need for emotional support, and her disturbing attempts to get her daughter to provide it. Don’t misunderstand. Sasha clearly loves Sylvie and provides a nice home. The best we can hope is that many of these mother-daughter interactions were Sasha’s attempt to create the conflict necessary for what she considers an interesting story. Whether that’s the case, or if what we are subjected to is what Sasha considers acceptable parenting, much of what we see is uncomfortable at best, and truly frightening at times.

Sylvie does have a special relationship with her father, who initially is quarantined in upstate New York. When he finally visits, we see the connection they have. But the visit is only temporary, and not long after, Sylvie has a horrific health scare that results in a seizure, ambulance ride, and a hospital stay. Once recovered, the chaos of online school is back in full force. At the end of the semester, another litmus test serves as a reminder of Sasha’s parenting skills. It turns out that her daughter … you’ll recall Sylvie is already repeating second grade … is in danger of failing yet again due to a sea of missed assignments. That’s correct. This mother has made no effort to assist her daughter with the structure and discipline required in the new world of virtual education.

Although Sylvie’s dad is living far away, other family members live close by. Grandma Mimi, Grandpa John, and Great-Grandmother Gigi (who has a real thing for ‘handsome’ Al Gore), all live nearby and get short, masked-up, socially-distanced visits. Even these rare family visits aren’t without conflict. Sasha’s strained relationship with her own mother, and the associated tainted childhood memories she has, are intensified when Sasha tries to convince Sylvie how lucky she is to have the mother she has. I’m choosing not to re-live the segments where Sylvie exhibits body image issues, or when Sasha tells her daughter, “I thought you liked your dad more.” Instead, I go back to my original confusion as to why any mother would put such emotional pressure on a young kid, film it, and then put it on display for all to see. When Sylvie asked, “Mommy, when will the virus be over?”, all I could wonder was how many kids have been so negatively impacted over the past couple of years.

**Slamdance Film Festival embodies its mantra: By Filmmakers, For Filmmakers. Though Slamdance has greatly evolved since the early years, its mission and organization remain the same. Slamdance serves new and emerging artists, filmmakers, and storytellers from around the world. Slamdance programmers gravitate towards films that embody the true spirit of DIY guerilla filmmaking.

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Posted by David Ferguson

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