Humans Bound by Technology in the Sculpture and Paintings of Ángel CalventeCountry: Andorra, Spain|The works of this Andorran-Spanish artist are full of classical reverence for the human body and potential, but the reminders of technological subjugation offer a fresh, ominous spin
Surreal, Delightful Political Satire With Soccer, Gender-Bending and Giant Puppies—‘Diamantino’, dir. Gabriel Abrantes & Daniel Schmidt, 2018Country: Brazil, France, Portugal, USA|The end of a soccer legend’s career makes him an easy target for Portuguese nationalists, opportunism, and greed—but will his kind heart show him the way to love and truth?
The Little Old Lady Killer: Senior Citizen Against Chinatown Mob—‘Lucky Grandma’, dir. Sasie Sealy, 2019Country: 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, 2019Country: 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 FormentelliCountry: 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 Displaced Child Prodigy’s Imagination Offers Ideas For Our Collective Future—‘Anbessa’, dir. Mo Scarpelli, 2019Country: Ethiopia, Italy, USA|Urban development in Addis-Ababa and humanity’s race for progress are explored through the eyes of a curious, talented ten-year-old boy living in a hut in the shadow of shiny new condominiums
The Complex, Bittersweet Melodies of Return to the Andean Culture—Los Kjarkas, ‘Canto a la Mujer de Mi Pueblo,’ 1981Country: Bolivia|From writing one of the world’s most recognizable dance hits to welcoming the exiled leader Evo Morales back home: the music of Los Kjarkas is the ultimate soundtrack to Bolivian RenaissanceFrom writing one of the world’s most recognizable dance hits to welcoming the exiled leader Evo Morales back home: the music of Los Kjarkas is the ultimate soundtrack to Bolivian Renaissance
Women Who Contain Multitudes: An Intimate Look Into Living With Split Personalities—‘Busy Inside‘, dir. Olga Lvoff, 2019Country: 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”, 2018Country: 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, 2019Country: 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, 2020Country: 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