Synopsis

An inspirational chronicle of reclamation and renewal, The Eyes of Ghana follows Chris Hesse, a film pioneer in Ghana who documented the entirety of pan-African leader Kwame Nkrumah’s run, win, and work as the young nation’s first President. Hesse, now in his nineties, is on a new quest to restore never-before-seen footage of Nkrumah’s endeavors—which were thought to have been destroyed—and recover a history of post-colonial struggle that has long been suppressed.

Directed by two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot (A Concerto is a Conversation), executive produced by Barack and Michelle Obama, and featuring an original score by much-lauded composer Kris Bowers (The Color Purple), the film follows Hesse and his young ally, director Anita Afonu, as they work together to preserve the cultural richness, societal complexities, and everyday resilience of the Ghanaian people through their own lens. The Eyes of Ghana poses provocative questions about how history shapes the present and who gets to tell a country’s story.

Synopsis

A feature film in the form of a triptych. The three stories all concern the relationships between adult children, their somewhat distant parent (or parents), and each other.

Synopsis

Kelly Reichardt trains her perceptive and patient eye on the Pacific Northwest, this time evoking an authentically hardscrabble early nineteenth century way of life. A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has traveled west and joined a group of fur trappers in Oregon Territory, though he only finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune. Soon, the two collaborate on a successful business, although its longevity is reliant upon the clandestine participation of a nearby wealthy landowner’s prized milking cow. From this simple premise Reichardt constructs an interrogation of foundational Americana that recalls her earlier triumph Old Joy in its sensitive depiction of male friendship yet is driven by a mounting suspense all its own. Reichardt again shows her distinct talent for depicting the peculiar rhythms of daily living and her ability to capture the immense, unsettling quietude of rural America.

Synopsis

Victor Frankenstein, a brilliant but egotistical scientist, brings a creature to life in a monstrous experiment that ultimately leads to the undoing of both the creator and his tragic creation. A retelling of the classic novel about what it means to be human, to crave love, and seek understanding.

Synopsis

In this tense, timely, and poignant drama, Yakup, a beloved music teacher and Turkish dissident, has fled his country for fear of political persecution and is seeking asylum in the U.S. While working in the kitchen of a New York City restaurant, he struggles desperately to find a way to bring his wife and daughter into the country to live with him. Finding legal immigration channels a dead end, he reluctantly engages with a dodgy smuggler, a decision that only intensifies his concern for his family’s safety, sending the kindly Yakup into a downward spiral.

First-time feature filmmakers Nadir Sarıbacak (known for his role in Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Winter Sleep) and Samy Pioneer deftly capture the details of Turkish American and migrant life in the big city, while also expressively conveying their protagonist’s troubled state of mind. Gazelle isn’t just an urgent tale about our immigration crisis—it’s a touching story about displacement and its deep psychological and physical toll.