“Don’t worry. It’s gonna be nice, David.” The feature film Caravan opens with an out-of-focus shot, first trained on the bright overhead sun, then panning to the glimmering sea below. Gentle ambient music accompanies the soft sound of waves splashing onto the shore. Still focused on this shot, viewers hear the above words—the opening dialogue [click to continue...]
With 433 sites covering more than 85 million acres across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories, the United States’ National Parks offer a plethora of opportunities for visitors to engage with the country’s natural and cultural resources. The National Parks are a much-beloved American attraction, but it might not be immediately obvious how [click to continue...]
Watching “Forward Thinking” feels like peering into an off-kilter, adjacent reality. The film opens on a crowded bulletin board, with a tan-colored flyer sitting front and center of the frame. The flyer, written using friendly Comic Sans, is titled “Coffee with Cops,” and offers the chance to meet with officers at a local park “at [click to continue...]
Entertainment and Media Fellow
Polio. Iron lungs. These one-time commonalities from a bygone era play a central role in Director Andrew Reid’s short film, Iron Lung. Set in New Mexico in 2002, and revolving around two sisters, Norma and Luisa Peña, the film opens on a shot of a darkened sky with heavy rain falling outside the window, flashes [click to continue...]
“I think I’m taking it better than I thought I would” “What did the neurologist say?” “The, uh.. the neurologist, I think… is pretty sure I have Parkinson’s. I’m pretty sure I have Parkinson’s. I have so many of the symptoms.” In Third Act, filmmaker Tadashi Nakamura depicts a poignant portrait of his father, Robert [click to continue...]
Content Warning: Discussions of suicide/suicidal ideation “Good luck selling your house once there’s been a suicide in it!” Just barely 3 minutes in, and viewers are slapped with this line when protagonist Jo bitterly shouts it at her (now ex-) boyfriend as she storms out of a cafe while patrons and waitstaff look on, aghast. [click to continue...]
