Sadia Shepard and Samina Quraeshi
2012 | Pakistan
Discover a contemporary Pakistan that is very different from the stereotypes portrayed in mainstream media headlines. The Other Half of Tomorrow is a vivid portrait of the lives of a diverse set of Pakistani women working to change their country. A series of seven linked chapters, the film introduces us to the disparate contexts that make up a complex culture—from a women’s rights’ workshop in a village in rural Punjab, to an underground dance academy in Karachi, to the playing fields of the Pakistan Women’s Cricket Team. Intertwining the religious, economic, social, and political issues that are facing Pakistani society, The Other Half of Tomorrow explores the richness and internal plurality within Pakistan and the urgent need for better understanding of its conflicts.
Co-presented by Asia Society
Patrick Morell
2011 | India
An exploration of the Nagaland Region, which extends from Northeast India into Northern Myanmar, this film both documents the ancient rituals that preserve the proud traditions of the sixteen Naga tribes still living in these remote forests and examines how Naga society has adapted to survive in contemporary times. Interviews with community leaders and scenes of daily life balance these rituals, illuminating how the Naga accommodate those traditions to the intrusions of the modern world. Nagaland reveals a culture that remains rich and complex even as its basic underpinnings have fewer and fewer outlets for expression in the present.
Annie Eastman, Diane Markrow, and Davis Coombe
2012 | Brazil
This moving account of the palafitas, the last of the notorious water slums in the Bay of All Saints in Bahia, Brazil, illuminates the struggle between a government aggressively trying to reclaim the bay in the name of ecological restoration and the hundreds of families forced to evacuate in the process. Filmed among the vast network of shacks built on stilts above a rising tide of garbage and scheduled for demolition, Bay of All Saints turns the plight of one community into a provocative contemplation on poverty, environmental justice, and the notion of home.
Co-presented by Cinema Tropical
Zoé Chantre
2011 | France
Zoé Chantre offers an intimate and wry self-portrait that celebrates the healing qualities of art and the power of defining one’s own story. Diagnosed as a child with a scoliosis and a large angioma of the left brain, conditions that prevented her from carrying anything heavy and caused ophthalmic migraines, Chantre found solace in creative expression—first in drawing, and eventually in filmmaking. The product of five years of collecting, recording, and editing images, this autobiographical film incorporates collage and animation to showcase a wholly unique voice and fresh visual style. Addressing her delicate, poignant, and very personal subject matter with humor and spirit, Chantre has produced a beautifully realized and original debut that marks her as an extraordinary emerging talent.
Co-presented by Inclusion in the Arts and Rooftop Films
Benjamin Kahlmeyer
2011 | South Africa, Germany
Welcome to the “shack side”—Extension 11, one of the many districts in the township of Mamelodi in Pretoria, South Africa: no running water, no paved roads, no electricity. With the 2010 World Cup as a backdrop, this is the setting for the story of the Mtsweni family—led by father Steven and his 17-year-old daughter Moskito—as they maintain the small kiosk that sustains them, shouldering poverty, illness, and the general daily challenges to survival to survival as common here as they are in any number of other countries. Meanwhile in Mamelodi is an intimateheartfelt, difficult, and ultimately uplifting portrait of one family’s dreams and disappointments, complete with teenage problems, business stress, and larger questions of hope and despair in modern South Africa—and vuvuzelas.
Co-presented by Museum for African Art
Valérie Berteau and Philippe Witjes
2011 | India, Belgium
Tons of colorful fruits and rice, giant cooking-pots, anonymous volunteers moving in unison to feed the visitors: we observe a langar, the Sikh tradition of a common canteen where all are served for free regardless of their background. Set in the Golden Temple of Amritsar, a prominent place of Sikh worship, this beautiful, wordless film captures the spontaneous choreography of hundreds of people preparing tens of thousands of meals a day to reveal the unique face of this sacred place. Himself He Cooks is at once a striking visual essay, offering insights into the meaning of charity and philanthropy, and a profound meditation on food as the nexus of culture, nature, and human necessity.
Co-presented by Asia Society and Flanders House
This film will be followed by a reception and dance party in the Cullman Hall of the Universe with DJ Rekha. Admission is free with a 2012 Mead ticket stub.
Aleksei Vakhrushev
2011 | Russia
Vukvukai, a Chukchi reindeer herder from a remote peninsula along the Bering Sea region of eastern Russia in the Arctic Circle, lives by the traditions of his ancient, nomadic culture—following practices that have allowed them to survive in one of the harshest climate zones on earth. Centering on Vukvukai and his community, this gorgeous and often lighthearted documentary by Yupik filmmaker Aleksei Vakhrushev follows the community from the snow-bleached winters to the budding spring, offering a glimpse into a land, a culture, and a people that few have been able to witness.
Co-presented by CEC Artslink
Stefan Wittekamp and Suzanne Arts
2012 | USA, The Netherlands
When Bible teacher and Christian radio presenter Harold Camping predicted that May 21, 2011 was to be Judgment Day, he earned many followers as well as detractors. Dutch filmmakers Stefan Wittekamp and Suzanne Arts follow some of Camping’s adherents and their loved ones, chronicling their hopes, fears, and loneliness as they prepare for May 21st and cope with the disillusionment of its aftermath. Their actions inevitably create a mutual sense of incomprehension between them and the unbelieving outside world. The film’s sensitive portrayal of their isolation reveals the power of persuasive ideology.
MARGARET MEAD FILMMAKER AWARD CONTENDER
Co-presented by the Consulate General of the Netherlands and UnionDocs
Ram Devineni and Cano Rojas
2012 | India, Chile, Spain (Catalonia)
The culture of one of the world’s most unusual and spectacular team endeavors — the building of multi-storey human towers, which stems from parallel traditions in Catalonia and India — provides the framework for this exhilarating story of perseverance and triumph. Following teams from India, Chile, and Spain, The Human Tower unfolds as three separate dramas connected by common themes of passion and teamwork that transcend race, age, and national borders. Cutting among the three countries, the film leads up to a breathtaking climactic scene that highlights each team’s individual challenges and accomplishments.
Co-presented by Asia Society
Najeeb Mirza
2012 | Tajikistan
Donning protective gear that includes tank helmets from old wars, the players of Tajikistan’s wild and violent polo-like sport of Buzkashi prepare for competition as if going into battle. Rivalries, alliances, and political intrigues pit ancient values of honor and integrity against ego-driven hunger for power and wealth, and this film, both an exploration of the game and a character study of three of its top players, opens an intriguing window on this former Soviet republic. While scenes of hundreds of riders on horseback racing across the plateaus of this mountainous country are striking and viscerally thrilling, the personal lives of the protagonists—husbands and fathers devoted to their families and with deep roots in their communities—emerge as surprisingly familiar.
Co-presented by CEC Artslink
Paul Gurrumuruwuy, Fiona Yangathu, Jennifer Deger, and David Mackenzie
2012 | Australia
The complex sorrows and joys of Christmas in northeast Arnhem Land, one of the largest and most isolated tracts of Aboriginal land in Australia, are imbued with the transformative cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Narrated by Yolngu director Paul Gurrumuruwuy, this film examines how stories first brought by missionaries in the mid-20th century have become the basis for celebrating the enduring place of the ancestral in the modern world. Manapanmirr, an expression that refers to a state of being joined or brought together, is a theme that pervades this moving film, which grew out of co-director and producer Jennifer Degerʼs ongoing explorations of Yolngu image-making and aesthetics, a two-decade project of creative collaboration with Yolngu artists and performers.
Co-presented by Center for Religion and Media, NYU.
Rob Fruchtman and Lisa Fruchtman
2012 | Rwanda, USA
Powerful sounds pierce the silence of the countryside. Curious children gawk outside the gate. This is something new in Rwanda—a group of women, 60 strong, pounding out rhythms of power and joy. They are Ingoma Nshya, Rwanda's first and only women's drumming troupe, open to women from both sides of the conflict in which close to a million were killed by neighbors, friends, and even family. When, with the help of Brooklyn ice cream purveyors, the troupe decides to open the country’s first ice cream shop, this spirited film evolves into a surprising and joyful tale of courage, ingenuity, and hope in the face of the unthinkable. Sweet Dreams follows this remarkable group of women as they emerge from the devastation of the genocide to create a new future for themselves.
Ticketholders at this screening will receive ice cream courtesy of Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream.Free ice cream for all ticketholders at this screening from Brooklyn’s Blue Marble Ice Cream.
This program will be preceded by a drumming event with Universal African Dance + and Drummers in the Hall of Birds of the World at 4 pm.
Co-presented by Museum for African Art
Aaron Walker
2011 | USA
The three Mardi Gras Indian Chiefs at the center of this vibrant film are driven by an urgent need to pass on and preserve their unique culture. Icons of a centuries-old blending of African and Native American traditions, they sew elaborate costumes to parade through the streets on Mardi Gras, singing songs that add another layer to the city’s already rich musical vernacular. The stories of these very different men collectively create a window on the difficult history of African Americans in New Orleans, before and after Hurricane Katrina. Their humor, vitality, and perseverance—along with the exuberant joy of their music—illuminate the strong and resilient human spirit.
Pietra Brettkelly
2011 | New Zealand
Ngaa Rauuira is a prodigy and a political force to be reckoned with as he rails against the statistics of his society: the predominance of uneducated youth, 40% imprisonment among adults, and alarming suicide rates. He is also 16 years old and about to leave New Zealand to attend classes halfway around the world at Yale University. In this inspiring coming-of-age profile, this young national hero shoulders the weight of what everyone (including himself) believes to be his destiny—to become the voice and hope of his people—while at the same time trying to fit in with his peers and maintain some normalcy in a teenage life that is anything but ordinary.
Laura Nix and Julia Meltzer
2012 | Syria
At her Qur’an school for girls in Damascus, the conservative Muslim preacher Houda al-Habash immerses her students in rigorous study, challenging them to live according to Islam without giving up their dreams. This profile of al-Habash reveals an extraordinary leader who is breaking barriers and working to reform the role of women in Islam while holding fast to her conservative beliefs. Shot just before the recent uprising in Syria, The Light in Her Eyes is both a timely examination of a cultural shift underwayunder way, as women claim more space within the mosque, and a deft study of an inspiring hero who galvanizes the girls and young women in her community to reconcile faith and personal empowerment.
Billy Luther
2010 | USA
Filmmaker Billy Luther, who belongs to the Navajo, Hopi, and Laguna Pueblo tribes, offers this captivating look at the little documented tradition of Grab Day, a community-wide prayer of abundance, thanks, and renewal in Laguna Pueblo villages that exists at the intersection of traditional Native and contemporary Western cultures. Grab Day, which began 300 years ago when the Spanish brought Catholicism to the Southwest, honors the feast days of specific saints, which the Laguna Pueblos celebrate by throwing food and gifts from the rooftops of their homes. Luther grew up with the tradition and returns home to find out how it has evolved. His intimate portrait of three families as they prepare for the annual event offers a fascinating look at Laguna Pueblo society through the lens of this joyful holiday.
Mark Kitchell
2012 | Various
A big-picture exploration of the environmental movement, A Fierce Green Fire spans 50 years of grassroots and global activism, delving deeply into five emblematic stories and focusing on the passionate and committed people who pushed them forward. While the issues at the heart of these stories—conservation, pollution, alternative energy alternatives, global resources, and climate change—are vital and compelling, the film’s depiction of the stories’ protagonists is set it apart: David Brower and the Sierra Club halting dams in the Grand Canyon, Lois Gibbs and the housewives of Love Canal fighting 20,000 tons of toxic waste, Chico Mendes and the rubbertappers saving the Amazon rainforest. This film is a dynamic ethnography of environmentalism.
This film is presented in conjunction with the reopening of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial. Audiences are encouraged to visit the renovated gallery and explore the Museum’s own conservation legacy.
Anand Patwardhan
2012 | India
In India, members of the Dalit ("Untouchable") caste were systematically discriminated against and oppressed for thousands of years, denied education, and treated as bonded labor. By the 1920’s Bhimrao Ambedkar broke the taboo winning doctorates abroad and fighting for the emancipation of his people. His legend still spreads through poetry and song. This film was shot over 14 years by acclaimed political documentarian Anand Patwardhan, whose work pursues diverse and controversial issues at the crux of Indian social and political life and has been frequently targeted by state censors. Epic in its scope and ambition, the film stands as both a record of recent history of the Dalits and an eloquent testimony to the power of countering superstition and religious bigotry with reason.
This screening will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Dr. Arjun Appadurai, a contemporary social-cultural anthropologist and the Paulette Goddard Professor of Media, Culture, and Communication at NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.
Co-presented by Human Rights Watch Film Festival
Alethea Arnaquq-Baril
2010 | Canada
A young woman’s quest to revive the ancient Inuit tradition of face tattooing becomes a riveting personal journey into the history of her culture. Inuit tattoos have been forbidden for a century and almost forgotten as Alethea Arnaquq-Baril tries to find out all she can before being tattooed herself. Meeting resistance from some of her fellow Inuit, she eventually finds a number of elders willing to talk about the tattoos, and the massive and sudden cultural changes that led to their decline.
Children of Srikandi Collective
2012 | Indonesia, Germany, Switzerland
The first film created by and about queer women in Indonesia, Children of Srikandi ties together eight authentic and poetic stories from different directors. Deeply personal and diverse in outlook and form, these contemporary stories are interwoven with beautiful shadow theater scenes that tell the story of Srikandi, a mythological character of the Mahabharata who is neither man nor woman, moving fluidly between both genders. Srikandi’s tale is frequently used in the traditional Javanese shadow puppet theatre plays; here it anchors a collective anthology that transcends the borders between documentary, fiction and experimental film.
Co-presented by NewFest
Giovanni Giommi 2011 | Bangladesh, England, Germany
Banishanta Island, a tiny sliver of land 100 meters long and 10 meters wide in the Bay of Bengal, south Bangladesh, is notable for two reasons: it i’s on the frontline of climate change, and its population is made up primarily of a community of sex workers. With the rising river, soil erosion, and frequent cyclones gradually destroying what is left of the island, Razia, Khadija, and Shefali, three of the last 65 women left living there, are in a battle for their homes, the future of their families, and even their quest for true love.
Co-presented by Asia Society
Adam Isenberg
2011 | Nicaragua
Quiet yet profoundly provocative, this is a haunting story of two siblings born deaf in rural Nicaragua. Dulce Maria (28) and her brother Francisco (22) have never strayed more than a few miles from the farm where they were born. With no written, spoken, or signed language, the siblings were never exposed to the traditional modes of communication and learning we allothers take for granted. When a Deafn NGO worker arrives to try to teach them their first words, the unsettling drama that unfolds poses difficult questions about the meaning and nature of language, of aid work, and of documentary film.
This screening will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Ann Senghas, the Tow Associate Professor of Psychology, Barnard College of Columbia University.
Co-presented by Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts and NYU Council for the Study of Disability
Marcelo Machado
2012 | Brazil
In the late 1960s, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes, and Tom Zé were creating the soundtrack to the artistic movement that sent shockwaves through Brazilian culture. Combining recently recovered archival material and encounters with these musicians and other icons of the movement, Tropicália shines a contemporary light on this vital moment in the history of the country—and of popular music around the world. A rare and thrilling document of the brilliant sparks that fly when art, culture, and politics collide.
This screening will be followed by the 2012 Margaret Mead Filmmaker Award Ceremony and a Brazilian Dance party with Maracutu NY and Nation Beat in the Wallach Orientation Center.
Co-presented by Cinema Tropical
