A Grieving Family, A Cryogenically Frozen Toddler and a Death, Postponed— ‘Hope Frozen’, dir. Pailin Wedel, 2018

When a father’s attempts to stop his young daughter’s terminal cancer fail, he persuades the family to look into cryonics so that the girl could have another chance at life in the remote future

Country: Thailand, USA|

The Sheltering Power of Art and Pedagogy in Occupied Palestine—‘Hurdle’, dir. Michael Rowley, 2019

An intimate documentary about two men who seek freedom from Israeli occupation through creativity and kinship unfolds into an antidote to toxic masculinity

Country: Palestine, USA|

The Extremity of Loss—‘I Lost My Body’, dir. Jérémy Clapin, 2019

A severed hand seeks to be reunited with its body in a highly imaginative, morbid yet affable animated feature co-written by one of the authors of "Amelie" and nominated for the Oscars

Country: France|

Supamodu Map Mapping the world

At the Intersection of Queer and Samoan Identity, Nature, Magic, and Decolonization Through Poetry—Dan Taulapapa McMullin, ‘Coconut Milk,’ 2013

While reclaiming his culture from the Tiki bars, Samoan poet and artist dwells on his fa’afafine identity, his family history within colonialism and the enchanting environment of Tutuila island

Pain Is Stronger Than Homophobia—‘Tu Me Manques’, dir. Rodrigo Bellott, 2019

A father seeks to get to know his dead gay son, as the son's ex creates a play that will change the country in a nesting doll of autobiographical narrative and fiction from Bolivia's leading director

The Fierce and Tender Drag Legend of Lucha Libre—‘Cassandro, the Exótico!’, dir. Marie Losier, 2018

Glitter and queerness are not what most people expect from Mexican wrestling, yet they're what Cassandro dabbles in: meet him and the ghosts that haunt him in this breathtaking documentary

The Great Black British Artist and the Fruit of Her Toils—Lubaina Himid

A tireless scholar of the intersection of black identity and labor, visual artist Lubaina Himid creates work that has a lot to teach us about separating the self from production in the current moment

The Breakaway State on the Cusp of Adulthood—‘Transnistra’, dir. Anna Eborn, 2019

An intimate and haunting portrait of six teenagers in rural Transnistria shows the splintered prospects and the many limitations of growing up in a melancholy landscape

Namibian Artist Tuli Mekondjo Creates a Space Where Her Fractured Identity Can Be Whole Again

Born in exile during the country's war for independence, the interdisciplinary artist seeks to find ways to belong and to explore trauma through works of striking beauty and proximity to the earth

A Dog’s Heart—‘Marona’s Fantastic Tale’, dir. Anca Damian, 2019

Abstract art meets unconditional love in an animated film about a dog's history living with humans: a dazzling all-age feature from Romanian auteur and an international team of visual artists

The Great Black British Artist and the Fruit of Her Toils—Lubaina Himid

A tireless scholar of the intersection of black identity and labor, visual artist Lubaina Himid creates work that has a lot to teach us about separating the self from production in the current moment

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The Little Old Lady Killer: Senior Citizen Against Chinatown Mob—‘Lucky Grandma’, dir. Sasie Sealy, 2019

Country: China, USA|

Packed with dark humor, visual delights, and action, this film is a diaspora gem with an incomparable heroine who defies all conventions you might have about cinematic portrayals of advanced age

Four Women Dance Innocence and Experience to the Choreography of Isadora Duncan’s Grief—‘Isadora’s Children’, dir. Damien Manivel, 2019

Country: France, South Korea|

A triptych in which different women reinterpret legendary dancer Isadora Duncan’s choreography she created after the death of her two small children

Women Who Contain Multitudes: An Intimate Look Into Living With Split Personalities—‘Busy Inside‘, dir. Olga Lvoff, 2019

Country: Russia, USA|

The mindblowing documentary showcases Dissociative Identity Disorder through the eyes of vulnerable young woman Marshay, therapist Karen Marshall, herself juggling 17 personalities, and others

Furries, Terraforming and a Drop of Romance in Mexican Artist’s Dark Sci-Fi—Geladaa, “Yiffing in Hell: Secret Reunion in Carfax Lodge”, 2015 and “Yiffing in Hell: (Not) Freak Squeal”, 2018

Country: Mexico|

Choose your own adventure in the surreal, fantastic fantasy world of the art comic books where dystopian scenes and curated soundtracks offer an unmatched immersive experience

The Exhausting Reality of Being on the Vanguard in the Fight for Trans and Sex Worker Rights in Brazil—‘Indianara’, dir. Marcelo Barbosa & Aude Chevalier-Beaumel, 2019

Country: Brazil|

A consummate portrait of Brazilian organizer Indianara follows her through joy and pain, rites of passages, and a tense fight for the respect, inclusion, and protection of which her community is constantly robbed

AFRICA

In Postwar Chad, Vengeance Is Served With Freshly Baked Bread, by a Boy With a Gun—‘Dry Season’, Dir. Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, 2006

Country: Austria, Belgium, Chad, France|

In the aftermath of the Chadian war, a young man looks to avenge his father's death but instead finds a father figure in this stunning parable about the humanity hiding beneath the scar tissue

A Senegalese Village, Swiss Drama and a Masterful Critique of Globalization From Senegal’s Finest Filmmaker—’Hyenas’, dir. Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1992

Country: France, Italy, Netherlands, Senegal, Switzerland, United Kingdom|

An anti-neocolonialist gem from legendary Mambéty: human nature and capitalist indoctrination are under scrutiny when a billionaire agrees to give money to her struggling hometown—on her terms

Fighting for Change, Against the Odds and with Each Other, a Look Into the DRC Protest Movement—‘Kinshasa Makambo’, dir. Dieudo Hamadi, 2018

Country: DR Congo, France, Germany, Norway, Qatar, Switzerland|

An incendiary documentary about three brave men at the forefront of the uprising against Joseph Kabila’s rule shows just how much the protest movements across the world have in common

Great Art Stays With You Even After You Die—The Fantasy Coffins of Ghanaian Legend Paa Joe

Country: Ga-Adangbe People, Ghana|

Rooted in the tradition of his Ga people, Paa Joe’s coffins are whimsical, yet concise impressions of their owners—and a staggering reimagining of what art and death really mean to us

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ASIA

How a Cultural Appropriation Dispute Among ‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ Obsessed Artists Lead to a Celebration of the Many Indigenous Cultures of the Ex-Soviet Territories

Country: Azerbaijan, Bashkortostan, Belarus, Chuvashia, Crimean Karaites, Georgia, Hutsul People, Kalmykia, Kamchadals, Karelia, Kazakhstan, Komi, Kuban Cossacks, Kyrgyzstan, Mari El, Moldova, Mordovia, Nivkh People, Pontic Greeks, Roma, Russia, Sakha, Selkup People, Tatarstan, Tuva, Udmurtia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan|

In a wholesome display of Twitter de-escalation, Kazakh artists used the hashtag #AvatarSNG to shed light on the many cultures of CIS-countries and beyond

Small Business Owner Against the City Authorities in Pre-Epidemic Wuhan—‘City Dream’, dir. Weijun Chen, 2019

Country: China|

A close look at the law enforcement systems in the Chinese city of Wuhan through the story of a street vendor who decides to battle gentrification in a very flamboyant fashion

Worker Exploitation and Misogyny: Where the Real Looting Happens in the Retail Industry—’Made in Bangladesh’, dir. Rubaiyat Hossain, 2019

Country: Bangladesh, Denmark, France, Portugal|

A sizzling drama about a feminist uprising and union organizing at a garment factory in Dhaka puts the necessary spotlight on the exploitation of labor of which many consumers remain oblivious

Manga Bears, Latex Pigs and Tireless Activism in Japan’s Struggle for Equality and Queer Acceptance—‘Queer Japan’, dir. Graham Kolbeins, 2019

Country: Canada, Japan, USA|

A head-spinning tour of the many ways in which queerness manifests itself in Japan, from art-forms to infrastructure, from communities to mass media, made with affection for every featured voice

EUROPE

Four Women Dance Innocence and Experience to the Choreography of Isadora Duncan’s Grief—‘Isadora’s Children’, dir. Damien Manivel, 2019

Country: France, South Korea|

A triptych in which different women reinterpret legendary dancer Isadora Duncan’s choreography she created after the death of her two small children

A Long Distance Art Practice Is Here to Heal a World Where Families Are Split Apart By the Pandemic —‘Sister Octopi’, Natalya Konforti & Justine Formentelli

Country: France, Italy, UAE, United Kingdom, USA|

Two cousins separated by time zones and oceans create together to overcome shared trauma, lack of concrete roots and keep the family close-knit despite the distance

A Vulnerable Portrait of Girlhood Between Two Cultures Is a Searing Indictment of the Commercialization of Budding Sexuality— ‘Cuties,’ dir. Maïmouna Doucouré, 2020

Country: France, Senegal|

In a much-discussed coming-of-age comedy-drama, French filmmaker of Senegalese origin does not pull any punches while shedding light on the way cultural excesses harm those caught between them

A Searing, Claustrophobic Portrait of Family Homelessness in Ireland—’Rosie’, dir. Paddy Breathnach, 2018

Country: Ireland|

Based on a screenplay by Roddy Doyle, this film is as relevant as ever in the times of COVID economy and focuses on the hidden homelessness where families with kids are left without shelter

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NORTH AMERICA

Furries, Terraforming and a Drop of Romance in Mexican Artist’s Dark Sci-Fi—Geladaa, “Yiffing in Hell: Secret Reunion in Carfax Lodge”, 2015 and “Yiffing in Hell: (Not) Freak Squeal”, 2018

Country: Mexico|

Choose your own adventure in the surreal, fantastic fantasy world of the art comic books where dystopian scenes and curated soundtracks offer an unmatched immersive experience

The Exhausting Reality of Being on the Vanguard in the Fight for Trans and Sex Worker Rights in Brazil—‘Indianara’, dir. Marcelo Barbosa & Aude Chevalier-Beaumel, 2019

Country: Brazil|

A consummate portrait of Brazilian organizer Indianara follows her through joy and pain, rites of passages, and a tense fight for the respect, inclusion, and protection of which her community is constantly robbed

The Transformative Power of Native American Art—‘Love and Fury’, dir. Sterlin Harjo, 2020

Country: Arapaho Nation, Arikara People, Cherokee Nation, Cheyenne Nation, Chicano People, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation, Colville Tribes, Crow People, Delaware Tribe of Indians, Diné Nation, Hidatsa People, Iñupiat People, Kānaka Maoli, Kiowa People, Lakota People, Mandan People, Muscogee People, Nez Perce People, Ojibwe People, Osage Nation, Pawnee People, Seminole Nation, Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate, Swinomish People, Tlingit People, White Mountain Apache Tribe, Yup’ik People|

A documentary collage of indigenous artists from various nations and tribes in North America offers a deeply personal look into their creative processes and the barriers they’ve faced throughout their careers

An Enlightening Journey to the Heart of Mezcal and Tequila Production—‘Agave: The Spirit of a Nation’, dir. Nick Kovacic & Matthew Riggieri, 2018

Country: Mexico, USA|

Through portraits of three distillers and a thorough exploration of their process, this gorgeous documentary shows the role of mezca in Mexico’s economy, society, and environmental landscape

OCEANIA

The Glitz and Gravity of Australian Indigenous Drag—‘Black Divaz’, dir. Adrian Russell Wills, 2018

Country: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Australia, Biripi People, Dunghutti People, Iwaidja People, Malak Malak People, Tiwi Islands, Torres Strait Islands|

A dazzling, empathic film follows six drag queens competing in Australia's inaugural Miss First Nations contest, as they find empowerment and share vulnerabilities

Carved Bamboo Canes as Ritual Objects and a Form of Writing in Kanak Artist’s Revival of Melanesian Heritage

Country: Kanak People, Melanesian People, New Caledonia|

Bamboo canes with intricate designs had been made by the Indigenous New Caledonians for generations. Micheline Néporon is adapting the technique to link the heritage of her ancestors to the future

There Are No Bad Kids, Just Bad Approaches to Them—‘In My Blood It Runs’, dir. Maya Newell, 2019

Country: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, Arrernte, Australia, Garrwa People|

A stunning documentary about a gifted unruly child decries the imperialist methods of education and punitive discipline in place in Australia. Its subject matter, however, is ubiquitous

Film: Judas Collar, dir. Alison James, 2018

Country: Australia|

Look at the consequences of human interference with the camel populations of Australia in this powerful women-made narrative short that is currently contending for the Oscars' shorts nomination

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SOUTH AMERICA

Disaffected Youth, Colonization and the Spirit-Ridden Forrests of the Amazon—‘The Dead and the Others’, dir. João Salaviza & Renée Nader Messora, 2018

Country: Brazil, Ge people, Indigenous Peoples of the Americas, Kraho people, Portugal|

A coming-of-age story set in a Krahô people reservation shows the double bind of alienation that an indigenous young man has to grapple with as he becomes the man of the house

Trans Body as a Weapon: The Personal and the Political In Gender Insurgency—‘Bixa Travesty/Tranny Fag’, dir. Claudia Priscilla & Kiko Goifman, 2018

Country: Brazil|

A riveting showcase of Linn da Quebrada, an Afro-Brazilian trans rap star from the favela, who dismantles racism, the binary and the patriarchy with her militant music, performances, and life

Brilliance, Blackness, and Brutality of Brazilian Revolutionary Hero—The ‘Marighella,’ dir. Wagner Moura, 2019

Country: Brazil|

A powerful portrait of a man who tried to take down the Brazilian Military Dictatorship is necessary viewing on the question of violent resistance

A Shy Girl, Her Shy Dad, and the Tempests That Rage Within— ‘Alba’, dir. Ana Cristina Barragán, 2016

Country: Ecuador, Greece, Mexico|

A debut feature offers an incomparable exploration of the growing pains of femininity in a searing story about a pre-adolescent girl who is sent to live with her estranged—and very strange father

ISSUES

POST-SOVIET TERRITORIES

CAPITALISM

QUEER VOICES

FEMALE POWER

BLACK ART MATTERS

MIGRATION

POLITICS

INDIGENOUS

COLONIALISM

COMING OF AGE

DISABILITY