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Posted Documentaries

Somewhere With No Bridges

It’s been more than two decades since fisherman Richie Madeiras perished off the coast of Oak Bluffs in Martha’s Vineyard. His distant cousin Charles Frank revisits the life of this much beloved husband, father and friend by creating a moving tapestry of memories. He visits Oak Bluffs, ventures out with Richie’s son and his best friend, interviews those who knew and loved Richie best and even interviews his mother and father. This eulogy paints a portrait of a dynamic character, full of life, who was tragically taken from his loved ones and his community far too soon. The documentary is a tone poem, weaving tender memories and powerful visuals into a lyrical piece that will envelop the viewer. Somewhere With No Bridges is unlike any biographical documentary I’ve ever seen. It requires patience and calm, which is a welcome respite in our fast-paced world.

“My greatest hope is that this film will remind anyone that feels divided or distant from someone they love to search for that one thing that connects them. To build a bridge in a place that seems to have none.”

Director/writer/producer Charles Frank

Somewhere With No Bridges releases Spring 2022 from First Run Features.

Posted BIPOC

Double Exposure Film Festival: Elena

Elena is a 20-something social worker living in the Dominican Republic. She’s the daughter of a Haitian sugar cane worker and is struggling to get her government issued ID so she can continue her work. An ID would allow her to vote, give her more rights as a citizen and open up educational and career opportunities for her. But there is a deep-seated animosity that Dominicans feel towards Haitian immigrants. It’s one that is deeply entrenched into the history of the Hispaniola and is not changing anytime soon.

Directed by Michèle Stephenson, Elena is a moving short documentary about the strife between Haitians and Dominicans as told the story of one woman. I’m half Dominican and have studied the history of my mother’s homeland over the years. Anyone who has read Edwidge Danticat’s The Farming of Bones or knows anything about Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo’s  government imposed massacre of Haitian immigrants will know that this has been a longstanding problem on the island. For others, Elena will serve as a gentle and worthwhile introduction to this ongoing conflict. Stephenson chose a great subject for this poignant documentary. I was thoroughly invested in Elena’s story and by the end felt I like I made a new friend.

Elena was part of the 2021 Double Exposure Film Festival.

Posted Documentaries

Double Exposure Film Festival: Burning

The Australian bushfires of 2019/2020,  aka the “black summer”, was one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent history. It would have been one of the defining events of 2020 had the COVID pandemic not spread like wildfire around the world. Over 59 million acres burned causing mass devastation to homes, forests and wildlife and 33 people lost their lives. This catastrophic event is a prime example of the consequences of climate change but many, including Australia’s prime minister Scott Morrison, continue to ignore the warning bells.

Directed by Eva Orner, Burning is a sobering look at the effects of climate change. It’s brutal, unflinching and unfortunately necessary to watch. I’m not sure climate change deniers will be convinced that this situation is real and not caused by “arsons”. But it is enough to wake up anyone even remotely worried about the future of our planet.

Trigger warning: there are images of raging fires and dead animals that some viewers will find disturbing.

Burning was part of the 2021 Double Exposure Film Festival.

Posted BIPOC

Double Exposure Film Festival: The First Wave

Directed by Matthew Heineman, The First Wave chronicles the early days of the pandemic with a focus on Long Island Jewish Medical Center in Queens. New York was one of the hardest hit during the first wave and became the epicenter of this deadly pandemic. This documentary shows ER doctors and nurses in action, trying to save lives, trying to rehabilitate or trying to let go when all other options were exhausted. Two particularly bad COVID cases, that of Ahmed and Brussels, are spotlighted giving viewers painful but necessary insight into what critical COVID patients face in the ICU.

I’ve watched a lot of news coverage and plenty of documentaries about the disastrous effects COVID-19 had on our nation and on the world. None of that prepared me for The First Wave which left me an emotional wreck. I was particularly struck with Ahmed’s story and was rooting for him every step of the way. I can see this film being screened for the public with audience members crying and applauding at different poignant moments. The documentary also touches upon the murder of George Floyd, the subsequent protests and also includes footage of then New York governor Cuomo.

This is an emotional film that serves as a reminder just how truly awful those first months of the pandemic truly were.

The First Wave was part of the 2021 Double Exposure Film Festival.

The First Wave is distributed by Neon.

Posted Documentaries

Double Exposure Film Festival: United States vs. Reality Winner

An eye-opening documentary reveals just what went down with the FBI’s treatment and the eventual incarceration of whistleblower Reality Winner.

In 2016, upon discovering crucial information regarding Russian interference with the United States presidential election, Reality Winner leaked confidential documents from her work at the NSA to journalists at The Intercept. What followed was a media showdown, an FBI investigation and a complicated trial. Reality Winner became the eighth whistleblower to be prosecuted under the Espionage Act of 1917 and was soon sentenced to 5+ years in Federal prison. The document she leaked is now public information but at the time of her trial the classified documents couldn’t even be discussed.

Directed by Sonia Kennebeck, United States vs. Reality Winner illuminates the real tension between the public’s right to know crucial information that affects them and the government’s stronghold on that information. It paints a portrait of Reality Winner, someone who believed in exposing the truth but became the pawn in a very dangerous game and paid the price. Throughout the film there are interviews with other whistleblowers, including Edward Snowden, journalists, friends and family, including her mother and sister. It also includes declassified audio of the FBI’s interrogation of Reality Winner, which was released in February 2021  under the Freedom for Information Act.

United States vs. Reality Winner was the opening night film at the 2021 Double Exposure Film Festival.

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