Against the Odds

From Trash To Treasure: Turning Negatives into Positives

From erosion to overgrazing to enduring poverty, the people of Lesotho—a highland country surrounded by South Africa—face a variety of difficult challenges. Yet grassroots communities in the country also exhibit tremendous resourcefulness and creativity. In particular, a wealth of artists have mastered a talent for resurrection, developing the skill to creatively turn negatives into positives: Designers who turn discarded trash into beautiful jewelry, clothes, rugs. Filmmakers who turn tragedy into artistic expressions of resilience and compassion. Musicians who write songs to save the environment. In this short, Cultures of Resistance Films profiles a variety of these inventive creators, introducing viewers to a fascinating cast of local residents who are using art as a means of communicating a communal desire for positive change.

Director By Lara Lee

Instagram @cultureofresistence

Twitter @ CulturesResist

Feeling Wanted

Charell, age 6, woke up to find herself alone. She made breakfast, dropped her baby sister off with a neighbor, and walked to school. With a dad incarcerated for murder, a mom on drugs & a childhood in foster care, Charell knew it was time to break the cycle.

Directed By Yasmin Mistry

http://fostercarefilm.com/feelingwanted

Becoming Black Lawyers

When these five Black lawyers set out on their journeys to receive a professional legal education, they did not realize that they would have to struggle against additional battles even more challenging than the rigors of learning the law in a hypercompetitive environment. They discover the contradictions of studying in an institution that idealistically represents "justice" for all.

Directed By Evangeline M. Mitchell

https://www.becomingblacklawyers.com

Ten Feet Wide

This is the inspirational family legacy story of Nathan Seely, a black carpenter who built an extraordinary ten-foot-wide skinny home in the Village of Mamaroneck, New York during the Great Depression.

Directed By Cameron Munson

Produced By Julie Seely

Caroline

A professional artist is on the brink of failure as she struggles with self-doubt and the resignation of her new assistant just before her first solo show.

Shield

Zoe was put in foster care after the death of her brother, who was her sole guardian. She latches onto the only thing that reminds her of him– a blanket. Trauma has alienated her from everyone and has made it difficult for Zoe to find a permanent home. That is, until Rachel decides to become her caregiver. Rachel’s creative use of comic books is just the thing to help Zoe let go of her pain in this inspiring story about facing our fears, finding our inner strength and being brave enough to embrace the scars that make us beautiful.

The Lucky Ones

The Lucky Ones is a poignant love story of Alexander and Timothy, a married couple diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Their life together gives a glimpse into what it means to survive with a mental disorder and how one unexpected event can upend their already precarious world. 

Directed By Debra A. Wilson