Documentary Shorts Program 2

A Girl Against The World

This is the story of a teenage girl who was molested by her father. This film is a mirror to the lives of many African girls during the Covid-19 lock down. Because many women and girls are under lock down with their abusers.

Dear Kilah

Dear Kilah tells the story of Russ, a 28-year-old, homeless, Black father who struggles between trying to provide for his young daughter and wanting so desperately to be a part of the Black Lives Matter movement that erupts in his backyard.

His journey plays out at the base of the Robert E. Lee Memorial in Richmond, Virginia, which the New York Times named among the most influential works of American protest art, and captures the unbounded energy and loving community that he and so many others find in this reclaimed space. This is a story of a father’s unwavering love and commitment to his daughter and her future, and his refusal to give up hope during one of our country’s darkest moments.   While the months-long fight to remove the Lee statue drags on, last month’s historic election brought a renewed sense of optimism about the future of race relations. Dear Kilah is a reflective piece that goes beyond the headlines with a deeply personal love letter from one father to his daughter.

Save Our Sisters Alaska- Silent No More

This is the story of Harriet Lane who was raped, tortured and murdered in the tiny northern village of Point Hope, Alaska in 1985. Of the three perpetrators only one did one year of time and the other two were never even charged. This lack of justice caused her children to go down a road of self-destruction they are only just now beginning to confront and heal.

Unclaimed in Los Angeles

Roughly 60,000 people die in Los Angeles county every year. More than 1,000 of those pass without a next-of-kin or without identification. With no one to claim these bodies and see to their final disposition, the county takes responsibility for putting them in the earth. Unclaimed in Los Angeles is a short documentary that tells the story of how LA's county officials, religious leaders and residents provide a dignified service for its forgotten citizens.

The Art For George Floyd

An online protest created by performing artists just after the murder of George Floyd.

When We Gather

When We Gather (2021) is a five minute film that celebrates the women who have played an elemental role in the progress of the United States and offers a call to create a path forward for the leaders of the future. Conceived by renowned artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons, in collaboration with LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs and Okwui Okpokwasili, the artists choreographed circular movements and gestures from diverse traditions evoking storms, spirals, and ancestral energy. The soundscape incorporates both lyrics and a poem written by Diggs for the project. When We Gather was originally inspired by the election of the country’s first female vice president and performed during a pandemic by seven artists in separate studios and outdoor spaces in Brooklyn, Houston, Boston and Nashville then woven together by the film director Codie Elaine Oliver [Black Love, OWN].  The film project was produced over an eight week period by San Francisco based gallerist Wendi Norris.

Sex Sells

Sex Sells the Prostitution Debate in America is a comprehensive and intimate exploration of the ongoing nationwide debate about the place sex work has in society. At the moment, prostitution is overwhelmingly banned in most states throughout the United States. The film centers around Kristy Childs, Lucy Bloom, Tatyana Foltz, Jasmine Grace, Alice Little, Imogen Steele, Jill McCracken, and Opal Singleton. Kristy is a former sex worker who is the founder of Veronica’s Voice and works alongside Lucy, who is a survivor. Tatyana is a former victim of sex trafficking and now runs a private practice to help sex trafficking and sex work survivors. Jasmine is a survivor and the founder and director of Bags of Hopes Ministries. Alice and Imogen are both active sex workers, with Alice being the highest-paid prostitute in the United States. Both Jill and Opal are both experts on their specific stances on the issue of prostitution in America. Through emotional interviews and visual storytelling, the notion of sex work blossoms into a complete and unforgettable look at a topic often misinterpreted.