Film Programs

October 7

Lakota Nation vs. United States

Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli skillfully tell the story of the Lakota’s Land Back movement to reclaim its lands through archival footage, stunning cinematography, and original interviews with activists and organizers, including Nick Tilsen, Krystal Two Bulls, and environmentalist Phyllis Young. 

October 8 – 15

His Little Loves: Jean Eustache Stories

Connected to the French New Wave filmmakers of the 1950s and 60s, Jean Eustache (1938 – 1981) was bold and direct. Exploring gender relations, romantic love, and emotional violence, Eustache asks us to attend closely to what we think we perceive.

October 22

Lift

Join us for a post screening discussion with filmmaker David Petersen and Steven Melendez, artistic director of the New York Theatre Ballet.

October 28

Sanrizuka – Heta Village

In the summer of 1968, Ogawa Productions entrenched itself in the middle of the site of violent conflict as local farmers, activists, and students resisted the construction of the Narita International Airport. Amidst increasing police violence and tragedy, this meditative piece focuses on life in the Heta village itself, documenting its customs and people through 11 quiet scenes that convey deep empathy for the residents and their experiences.

October 29

Magino Village – A Tale/ The Sundial Carved with a Thousand Years of Notches

During his ten years living in the village of Magino, director Shinsuke Ogawa learned and filmed skills like rice-growing from his neighbors, resulting in this documentation of traditional Japanese farming and customs.

November 11 – 26

Imagining Indigenous Cinema: New Voices, New Visions

Imagining Indigenous Cinema: New Voices, New Visions spotlights a new generation of innovative Indigenous filmmakers working with the moving image. 

December 2 – 30

Celestial Voices on Film

As the year comes to an end, join us for four feature films that celebrate and honor the power and presence of sound and song in our lives.

December 3

Sky Hopinka: Wandering Translations, Poems, and Film

The 2023 Annual Rajiv Vaidya Memorial Lecture

Join us for a conversation with Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians), a New York based artist and poet, who teaches at Bard College. His film, video, photography, and text work center personal positions of Indigenous homeland and landscape. 

December 9 – 10

Skip Norman: Here and Now

Featuring premieres of new restorations and newly produced subtitles, Skip Norman: Here and Now explores Norman’s multifaceted, international career, bringing his practice as a filmmaker into dialogue with his work as a cinematographer and bridging his time on both sides of the Atlantic. 

December 16

The Film Poems of Maryam Tafakory

Join us for a post-screening discussion with media artist Maryam Tafakory, in person. Included in this program are Nazarbazi (2022, 20 minutes) and Mast-del (2023, 17 minutes), two recent videos that examine depictions of intimacy within Iranian cinema, that since the 1979 revolution has rarely shown love interests or romantic characters physically touching.