DocLands Program 2022

MEMBERSHIP

With Membership to the California Film Institute

Occasion

EVERY NIGHT IS AN Members ensure the future of independent film in our community, while enjoying amazing benefits like early access to the DocLands and Mill Valley Film Festivals, discounted tickets at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, and streaming online via the CAFILM streaming room. Choose the membership level that’s right for you and start watching great films today!

ASSOCIATE: $80 Perfect for the solo film lover, who loves watching films at the Smith Rafael Film Center or online, and receiving invitations to our exclusive member screenings

FILM FAN: $130 All of the perks of Associate membership, but for two! Perfect for couples or two friends who love to see amazing films together

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE: $345 For the festival fan, Director’s Circle members receive even earlier access to MVFF tickets and a place in our early entry line, along with all the perks of film fan membership.

PREMIER PATRON: $680 Premier Patrons receive all of the benefits of Director’s Circle, plus earliest access to film tickets, invitations to exclusive events and the Filmmaker Lounge

CINEMA BENEFACTOR: $1,300 Get behind the scenes access, with all of the Premier Patron perks, plus invitations to even more events, free tickets to films, and complimentary concession passes at the Rafael.

Want even more? Explore our All-Access levels in the Donor’s Circle. cafilm.org/membership

About DocLands.................................................................................4 From the Director...............................................................................5 Sponsors.............................................................................................6 Support...............................................................................................8 Tickets...............................................................................................10 Guidelines......................................................................................... 11 Opening Night..................................................................................12 DocParty...........................................................................................14 DocPitch............................................................................................16 DocLands Education.........................................................................18 Schedule............................................................................................20 Film Notes.........................................................................................22 DocTalk..............................................................................................50 Staff...................................................................................................51 Mill Valley Film Festival.....................................................................52 Board of Directors............................................................................53 Smith Rafael Film Center..................................................................54

DocLands Documentary Film Festival is presented by the California Film Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that also owns and operates the Smith Rafael Film Center, presents The Mill Valley Film Festival each October, and offers CFI Education programs throughout the year. © Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. No portion of the DocLands schedule may be duplicated in any form without written consent from DocLands and/or the California Film Institute.

DOCLANDS

Presented by the California Film Institute, DocLands Documentary Film Festival brings compelling stories and the provocative insights behind them to Marin County, California. Expanding upon the exchange of ideas and inspiration through public screenings and engaged conversations, DocLands aims to bring diverse communities together for dialogue and build an active, inclusive, and fully supportive community around documentary film. Dedicated to initiating connections and partnerships that will illuminate and invigorate the business and art of non-fiction filmmakers.

STRANDS ART OF IMPACT Engages and sparks action by sharing stories that open our eyes to the global community and its disparate cultures, politics, personal narratives, and biographies.

Sponsored by COMMUNITY ACTION MARIN

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Transports us outside to truly appreciate, explore, and ultimately compel us to save and conserve our environment and the wilds of our precious planet.

Sponsored by NANCY P. and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION

WONDERLANDS Lifts our spirits through stories of joy, wonder, and possibility.

Sponsored by BELLAM SELF STORAGE & BOXES

FROM THE DIRECTOR

At the height of shelter-in-place, I found myself driving down 4th Street in San Rafael. I was virtually the only person on the road. I drove by several newly closed storefronts and came to a stop in front of the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Center. We had opened it in 1999 in part to revitalize the city of San Rafael. Over twenty years later, with the city again in need of our help, I sat there and pondered how we could support the community— but I didn’t have an answer. We had a temple of film that we could no longer fill with people. Still, I held out hope that one day we could gather under the big screen once again.

Now, two years later, with the isolation of lockdown behind us, we are thankful to help bring our community together once again through the beauty of cinema. DocLands 2022 returns to in-person screenings at the Smith Rafael Film Center. Bonding with people as you stand in line, watching three wildly different documentaries in one day, interacting with filmmakers face to face…this is the full DocLands experience.

The slate of films this year is terrific from top to bottom, with documentaries that push the boundaries of the medium in fascinating ways. My Old School uses stylized animation and a performance by Alan Cumming to tell the bizarre tale of a man who is not what he seems to be. Another hybrid film, Everything Will Change weaves real conversations about current environmental crises into a sci-fi narrative. As always, San Francisco Bay Area filmmakers are represented, with Sara Dosa paying poetic tribute to late volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft in Fire of Love,

and Marc Shaffer highlighting the stranger-than-fiction life and work of pioneering photographer Eadweard Muybridge in Exposing Muybridge.

We take great pride in presenting CFI’s sixth DocPitch program, which each year awards funding to five filmmaking teams who pitch their projects to industry and audience juries.

In the first 5 years of DocPitch, CFI has awarded $328,000 to documentary filmmakers. This year, we look forward to helping more filmmakers, with $100,000 in award funding for a total of $428,000 awarded in the last 6 years. You, our dear audience, will in great part determine which of these extraordinary filmmakers will receive DocPitch support in 2022.

This year’s program was put together

by DocLands director of programming Joni Cooper and her tremendous team, to whom I’d like to issue a heartfelt thank you. That thank you extends to the filmmakers, who have produced these captivating documentaries that will make us laugh, cry, learn, and grow stronger together—just like old times.

MARK FISHKIN Executive Director | Founder California Film Institute

SPONSORS

SIGNATURE NANCY P. and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION VICKIE SOULIER | JENNIFER COSLETT MacCREADY

MAJOR

SILVER JIM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

CFI FRENCH CINEMA SPONSOR

T. W.

FESTIVAL

PREMIER MEDIA

MAJOR MEDIA

HOTEL

PRODUCT + SERVICE PROVIDERS

EVENTS

DJ RICH FACTOR | MEADOWCROFT WINES | U.S. PURE WATER PROMOTIONAL

Documentaries can change the world, and the California Film Institute’s mission to connect our community to truth-telling stories is more vital than ever.

As we gather again as a community, we are deeply grateful for your past, continued, and future support of DocLands; it has been crucial in sustaining our mission and programs these past years.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at cafilm.org/donate or by sending a donation to: Development Dept, 1001 Lootens Place, Suite 220, San Rafael, CA 94901. We are happy to accept donations in the form of matching gifts or stock transfers.

Your gift will support the online presentation of 30 documentary feature films and a platform for dozens of filmmakers to share their compelling insights with audiences, provide up to 5,000 students with the opportunity to experience free online DocLands programs, and ensure that documentary storytelling continues to enrich our community through the DocLands Documentary Film Festival.

PHOTOS: TOMMY LAU

TICKETS

BOX OFFICE

DOCLANDS.COM April 8: April 10: April 11 - May 11:

On Sale at Noon for Members On Sale at Noon for General Public On Sale 24/7 for All

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER 1118 Fourth St. San Rafael May 5—8:

60 min before first show until 15 min after start of last show

TICKET PRICES

IN-THEATER Member General Public Seniors, 65+ Student w/ID Youth 12 & under Shorts program ONLINE Member General Public

$14.00 $16.50 $15.00 $8.00

$6.00 $8.00

DOCLANDS ONLINE PASS The DocLands Online Pass gives you access to online films, programs, conversations, and special events streaming May 5 - 11.

Quantities are limited. Films can only be streamed to viewers within the State of California and some films can only be streamed during specific, 48-hour windows of time during the Festival.

Members $79.00 General Public $119.00 All ticket orders are final. No refunds, exchanges, substitutions, or reprints.

DocLands is not responsible for lost, stolen, forgotten, or damaged tickets. We will refund your ticket(s) if you are unable to attend a screening due to your (or someone in your household) COVID-19 exposure or due to community conditions that require a screening or event cancellation. Questions? Please contact box office staff: boxoffice@cafilm.org | 877.874.6833

DOCLANDS.COM | 877.874.6833 BOXOFFICE@CAFILM.ORG 10

GUIDELINES

Please review the California Film card, or a digital vaccine record (e.g.

Institute’s Code of Conduct in advance myvaccinerecord.cdph.ca.gov, CLEAR of attending the Festival. app, etc.) AND a matching photo ID. b We are permitting submission of the At the California Film Institute we printed or digital record of a negative appreciate, respect, and honor the PCR or antigen COVID-19 test as an vibrant diversity and viewpoints of accommodation for those individuals our community of guests and staff. who are unable to take the vaccine, We hold steadfast a commitment to such as individuals who have medical freedom of creative expression. We conditions or are ineligible, like minors. ask that everyone—artists, audiences, b Masks are recommended. Vaccinated volunteers, press, industry, staff, board attendees may choose to remove their members, and beyond—maintain an masks while indoors. Our staff will environment that is welcoming to all by continue to wear masks. following our Code of Conduct. b Thorough cleaning standards for all high-traffic areas will be enforced. Hand ARRIVE EARLY: To guarantee admit- sanitizer and disposable masks are also tance, ticket and pass holders must be available to guests. in line 30 minutes prior to showtime. b COVID-19 safety protocols are subject Doors typically open 30 minutes before to change based on current health showtime. conditions and government guidance. b Line A is for badge holders with an A printed on their badge & reserved seat ticket holders. Line Bis for all other ticket holders. b Please do not sit in a reserved seat unless it has been arranged for you. b Seat saving is not permitted. b Outside food and beverages are not permitted. b Digital devices must be turned off prior to the program introduction. b The use of cameras & other recording equipment is strictly prohibited at all screenings and programs.

COVID-19 HEALTH+SAFETY REQUIREMENTS We are so pleased to welcome you back to the movies! At the Festival: b All attendees must show proof of full vaccination to attend in-person screenings and events. You are considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after completing the second dose of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine (e.g. Pfizer or Moderna) or two weeks after receiving a single dose of a one-dose vaccine (e.g.

Johnson & Johnson/Janssen). b To show proof, you must present a vaccination card, a photo of your

ACCESSIBILITY Please ask on-site staff for assistance with early seating and/or assisted listening devices. If you require effective communication in the form of an ASL interpreter, please contact us at doclands@cafilm.org at least 10 days prior to the screening you will be attending. We welcome and encourage your feedback. For any accessibility-related questions and/ or additional needs, please email doclands@cafilm.org.

CONSENT TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED California Film Institute and its representatives may photograph, film, and/or otherwise record attendees at all Festival activities. By attending, you consent to such photography, filming, and/or recording and to any use in any and all media throughout the universe in perpetuity and without compensation for the use of your appearance, voice, and name for promotional and/or advertising or any other purpose by California Film Institute and its affiliates and representatives.

11

OPENING NIGHT

SAVAGE WATERS

IN PERSON: Director MIKEY CORKER and film subject TAZ KNIGHT Free-spirited British sailor Matt Knight has devoted his life to seeking adventure. When he stumbles upon a 19th-century record of an oceanic treasure hunt, written by a man who shares his surname, he feels an immediate kinship with the author. What he wasn’t expecting to find was a detailed, three-page passage describing a massive wave breaking on an isolated island chain in the Atlantic. Intrigued, Knight and his wife, Suzanne Hobbs, set off on a treasure hunt of their own to locate the giant wave. A quest spanning several years, the expedition ends up enlisting the participation of the couple’s four children, along with world-class big wave surfer Andrew Cotton, who hopes to be the first to surf this fabled wave. Savage Waters is an exhilarating and inspiring tale of personal discovery and reflects the curiosity, courage, and indomitable spirit of an extraordinary family.

France 2022, 93 min THE GREAT OUTDOORS

SPONSORED BY

WORLD PREMIERE

Director Mikey Corker

THURSDAY

MAY 5 7:00pm

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER FILM ONLY: $30.00 | MEMBERS $25.00 FILM + PART Y: $50.00 | MEMBERS $45.00

OPENING NIGHT PARTY 9:00—11:00pm ELKS LODGE MAPLE LAWN TERRACE 1213 MISSION AVENUE, SAN RAFAEL

DOCPARTY

THE SOUND OF US

IN PERSON: Director CHRIS GERO + LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE BAY AREA PREMIERE In this galvanizing exploration of music, Grammy® nominated director Chris Gero takes viewers on a voyage into the unifying power of sound and rhythm. Through a collection of interviews, performances, and personal narratives, artists from around the globe illuminate the question of what music is to them by revealing it to be a means of communication, expression, and remembrance. Divinely embedded within both nature and humans, it’s proven to be at the core of life as we know it—bringing universal healing and social change to listeners worldwide. Music connects us to the universe, our souls humming in unison with the vibrations emitted from the stars. In the face of grief, injustice, oppression, and hardship, music carries individuals through and inspires hope in the darkness. The Sound of Us stands as a testament to the essential nature of music, as it captures the truth and color of life.

US 2021, 118 min WONDERLANDS

SPONSORED BY

Director Chris Gero

SATURDAY

MAY 7 6:30pm

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER FILM ONLY: $25.00 | MEMBERS $20.00 FILM + PART Y: $40.00 | MEMBERS $35.00

PARTY 9:00—11:00pm ARTWORKS DOWNTOWN + BOOGIE’S TOO 1337 FOURTH STREET, SAN RAFAEL

PHOTOS: TOMMY LAU

DOCPITCH 2019 DocPitchers

Presented virtually each year, DocPitch supports documentary filmmakers seeking funds to further their unfinished projects. This year five filmmaking teams have the opportunity to pitch for awards totaling $100,000.

Invited funders, organization representatives, distributors, and the general public are invited to submit one vote for their preferred project toward the presentation of the Audience Award.

Projects will be announced April 29 at Doclands.com/docpitch with Audience Award voting open April 29 to May 8.

One $45,000 Audience Award, plus $55,000 in Jury Awards that includes one major $40,000 award will be decided by a jury of industry professionals, with all awards presented during a live stream on May 11.

DOCPITCH AWARDS FUNDING FROM

NANCY P. and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION PROJECT NO. 9 | RESONANCE PHILANTHROPIES

2018

CAST YOUR VOTE! The general public are invited to view, consider, and submit one vote for their preferred project toward the presentation of the Audience Award. Voting is open online from April 29 until midnight May 8.

DOCLANDS.COM/DOCPITCH TO CAST YOUR VOTE!

DOCPITCH SPONSORED BY

DOCLANDS EDUCATION

The DocLands Education program provides free live and virtual field trips for students around the Bay Area and across the country to attend the 6th annual DocLands Documentary Film Festival.

THE PROGRAM OFFERS: •

In-theater and online documentary film screenings for grades 5-12, with feature and short films curated from the festival program

•

A selection of environmental films presented in tandem with CFI Education’s Environmental Youth Forum, with an emphasis on youth activism

•

Live and pre-recorded Q&As with filmmakers, film subjects, and subject experts

•

Curriculum resources for teachers and students, including lesson plans, discussion guides, and activity and activism toolkits

•

In-person and virtual Filmmakers Go to School visits to classrooms for festival filmmakers from around the world to meet and speak with students in real-time DocLands Education programs are open to school groups only.

To register, visit cfieducation.org/doclands-education To get your school involved, email education@cafilm.org This program is so important for the enrichment of our students, and I was very pleased with how easy it was for all of my students to participate.

— Teacher, Holy Names High School, 2021 DocLands Education attendee I learned that there are a lot of amazing things about the world.

— Student, Aptos Middle School, 2021 DocLands Education attendee

DocLands Education is made possible through generous support from NANCY P. and RICHARD K. ROBBINS FAMILY FOUNDATION

2022 DOCLANDS EDUCATION

FEATURES

SHORTS

INTO THE CIRCLE

THURSDAY MAY 5 11:00am 12:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00

7:00 Savage Waters

9:00 10:00

FRIDAY MAY 6 11:00am 12:00 1:00

12:15 My Old School

2:00

1:00 The Territory

3:00 4:00

3:30 River

5:00 6:00

2:30 Let the Little Light Shine 4:30 Our Words Collide 6:00 Grandpa Was an Emperor

7:00 8:00

7:00 Navalny

9:00

7:30 La Guerra Civil

10:00 Also available online

ALL IN-THEATER SCREENINGS AT

20

SATURDAY MAY 7 11:00am 11:30 Fire of Love

11:00 McCurry: The Pursuit of Color

12:00 12:30 La Recua The Mule Pack Train

3:00 Carbon: The Unauthorised Biography

1:45 Shorts Program: Identity

5:00 The Long Breakup 6:30 The Sound of Us 8:00 Exposing Muybridge

1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00

4:00 Tigre Gente

5:00 6:00 7:00

7:00 Exposure

8:00 9:00 10:00

SUNDAY MAY 8 11:00am 11:30 We Feed People

11:00 The Thief Collector

1:45 The Sanctity of Space

12:00 12:30 Panteras: Living Among Wild Cats

1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00

3:00 Clean Wine

5:00 Boycott

4:00 A Woman on the Outside

5:00 6:00 7:00

6:30 Everything Will Change

7:00 Crows Are White

8:00 9:00

8:00 Scrap

10:00 Also available online

SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER

21

BOYCOTT

ART OF IMPACT US 2021, 73 min Director Julia Bacha CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

A critical investigative documentary that reveals the grossly underreported story of anti-BDS legislation that is sweeping through state legislatures in the U.S., undermining the First Amendment and causing real harm to those who stand up for their right to free speech. (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions is a movement organized by the Palestinian BDS National Committee in response to Israel’s human rights record.) The effects of these bills, which coerce individuals and companies into signing what is tantamount to a loyalty oath against the BDS movement, are far more wide-reaching than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and directly undermine the First Amendment. This film follows three individuals — a publisher in Arkansas, a lawyer in Arizona, and a speech therapist in Texas — who risk their livelihoods to fight for our freedom of speech rights and expose the powerful political entities behind these insidious anti-boycott laws.

Preceded by: Walls Cannot Keep Us From Flying US 2021, 13 min Director Jonathan Mehring Against the backdrop of Israeli occupation, two Palestinian teenagers in the West Bank help the children of their community find freedom through skateboarding.

Sunday, May 8, 5:00pm 22

Also available online

CARBON: THE UNAUTHORISED BIOGRAPHY

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Australia/Canada 2021, 86 min Directors Niobe Thompson, Daniella Ortega

CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

Humans—along with essentials like the sun, fire, plastic, and plants—are one of many things born of carbon. Social discourse routinely vilifies this crucial and life-giving element, instead fixating on its destructive characteristics that we alone are responsible for extracting. Carbon seeks to change that narrative. This film demystifies the most talked about but least understood element on earth, reveling in its omnipresent complexities. Carbon is personified as a woman— voiced by Sarah Snook of HBO’s Succession—and serves as the film’s central narrator. Interviews with passionate scientists (including Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson) are intermingled with imaginative animation, pertinent archival footage, and exquisite shots of plant and human life. We explore carbon’s role in everything from star formation to global warming and photosynthesis, as filmmakers Daniella Ortega and Niobe Thompson paint a lyrical picture of the interconnectivity of all living things.

SPONSORED BY JIM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

Saturday, May 7, 3:00pm

Also available online

23

CLEAN WINE

THE GREAT OUTDOORS US 2022, 84 min Director Lori Miller WORLD PREMIERE

Merging sweeping wine country footage with insightful interviews, filmmaker Lori Miller showcases the dynamic natural wine movement that is transforming a growing number of Northern California vineyards. Though less than 1% of the wine produced in California is natural, there is an increasing demand for wine made without additives (and with more care) in response to the mechanized processes that have long dominated the industry. Clean Wine follows a group of artisans at different stages of their careers as they suffer through the worst fire season on record, as well as the pandemic. But despite these obstacles, and the challenge of working within two powerful corporate sectors — wine and agriculture — these innovators find a way to make an undeniably delicious natural food product while simultaneously healing the earth.

Preceded by: Seasons US 2021, 24 min Directors Gabriella Canal, Michael Fearon A classically trained Korean tour-de-force tends and markets her organic crops through the seasons while nurturing connections with her daughter—and the hopes she harbors for the future of the unique life she’s built single-handedly.

Sunday, May 8, 3:00pm 24

CROWS ARE WHITE

WONDERLANDS US 2021, 100 min Director Ahsen Nadeem CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

Initially, filmmaker Ahsen Nadeem travels to Kyoto to document a secretive Buddhist sect whose monks are said to reach enlightenment through extreme acts of physical endurance. When a ringing phone gets him kicked out of the sect’s monastery, Nadeem reveals the true reason he has come to Japan: he’s running away from his own life decision — whether to tell his strict Muslim family that he has married a non-Muslim woman and, thereby, risk being ostracized by his parents or continue to keep the relationship a secret and put his marriage in jeopardy. This winding, often hilarious, thoroughly unpredictable tale is about asking questions, looking for answers and, ultimately, choosing to have faith in love.

Sunday, May 8, 7:00pm

Also available online

25

EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE

ART OF IMPACT / BREAKING FORM Germany/Netherlands 2021, 93 min Director Marten Persiel

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

This genre-bending documentary serves as both a jarring awakening and a cautionary tale regarding the future of Earth, revealing what will happen if we don’t take action to divert the current climate emergency. Viewers are transported to the year 2054 where they find a gloomy city surrounded by eerie pink flora. In the midst of a society ruled by internet algorithms and technology, three friends see the light after a chance encounter with an elder underground conservationist. Following their discovery of a fading videotape filled with images of biodiversity they don’t understand, and curious creatures called “giraffes”, they set out to change the world, daring to travel back in time to the decade that holds the power to determine Earth’s future, the 2020s. With a mixture of scientific analysis provided by bona fide scientists and futuristic tales, Everything Will Change shows that humanity holds the power to reverse course before it’s too late.

SPONSORED BY JIM BOYCE TRUST AND KRIS OTIS

and TV5 MONDE, CAFILM FRENCH CINEMA SPONSOR

Sunday, May 8, 6:30pm 26

EXPOSING MUYBRIDGE

WONDERLANDS US 2021, 88 min Director Marc Shaffer

The story of Eadward Muybridge is one of adventure, invention, treachery, and triumph. Some know him as the creator of the zoopraxiscope (a late-nineteenth-century invention that spurred the birth of cinema), others for his photographs of the American West, but most may have never heard of him at all. With remarkable intimacy, this well-researched retrospective, and winner of the 2022 Writers Guild Award (WGA) for best Documentary Screenplay, reveals the fascinating life of an uncontainable man whose far-reaching legacy preserved Native American history and inspired scientific advancement and artistic innovation. With an engaging score, stunning archival photos, and the wit of famous Muybridge collector (and actor) Gary Oldman, Exposing Muybridge brings the bizarre and ingenious inventor’s story to life.

Saturday, May 7, 8:00pm

Also available online

27

EXPOSURE

THE GREAT OUTDOORS US 2022, 88 min Director Holly Morris BAY AREA PREMIERE

A group of women from vastly different cultures and backgrounds joins forces to journey to the North Pole. After two years of arduous training, the women begin their expedition in Svalbard, Norway, and from there set out for true north. Skiing around newly-forming ice rivers and forging through fields of broken ice chunks, the women endure frostbite, cultural differences, and physical exhaustion, but the biggest threat is the rapidly melting sea ice. This global collective of women may very well be the last people to reach the northernmost point of our planet. In this inspiring tale of womanhood, resiliency, and solidarity, we follow the women as they reach the top of the world.

Preceded by: Sarah Squared US 2022, 3 min Director Nancy Kelly On the beach at Point Reyes, surrounded by their beloved elephant seals, two trailblazing marine ecologists share their research interests, their generation-spanning career experiences, and their name.

SPONSORED BY T. W.

Saturday, May 7, 7:00pm 28

Also available online

FIRE OF LOVE

WONDERLANDS US/Canada 2022, 93 min Director Sara Dosa

Featuring a stunning array of gorgeous and often otherworldly archival footage, Fire of Love follows the fascinating career of two pioneers in the field of volcanology, the delightful French scientists, Katia and Maurice Krafft. In the 70s and 80s, the Kraffts—who were in love with volcanoes as much as they were with each other (or even more so)—traveled the globe in pursuit of the latest volcanic activity, learning as much as they could by getting frightfully close to the eruptions and lava flows. While their scientific achievements are important and led to a better understanding of volcanoes, what made the couple a public phenomenon was their boundless enthusiasm for volcanoes expressed on numerous talk shows and in their own films. In Sara Dosa’s wonderful film, the “fire of love” still burns brightly.

SPONSORED BY BELLAM SELF STORAGE & BOXES

Saturday, May 7, 11:30am

Also available online

29

GRANDPA WAS AN EMPEROR

ART OF IMPACT US 2021, 93 min Director Constance Marks BAY AREA PREMIERE

The soul-stirring images of Ethiopia’s famine crisis imprinted many Western minds in the Seventies and Eighties. Unbeknownst to many, this mass starvation led to the fall of a 3000-year-old royal dynasty, whose lineage is traced to the legendary figures of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. In this fascinating and intimate journey of exploration, executive produced by Emmy® winning actor Cynthia Erivo, Yeshi Kassa retraces the turbulent fall from grace of her great-grandfather Emperor Haile Selassie. She looks for answers to her intricate lineage in conversations with family friends such as musician Bob Marley, survivors, and members of the overthrowing militant coup faction, The Derg.

Director Constance Marks shapes an emotional investigative story from Yeshi’s quest to seek justice for her family and her beloved country.

SPONSORED BY JENNIFER COSLETT MacCREADY

Friday, May 6, 6:00pm 30

LA GUERRA CIVIL

WONDERLANDS United Kingdom 2022, 102 min Director Eva Longoria Bastón

Peeling back the deep layers of the cultural divide between Mexican Nationals and Mexican Americans, Director Eva Longoria Bastón uses the riveting spectacle of the 1996 Ultimate Glory boxing match between Julio César Chávez and Oscar De La Hoya to explore the underpinnings of the feud and shed new light on the compelling personal stories of the two boxers. Nicknamed the “Golden Boy”, De La Hoya’s 1992 Olympic gold medal win catapulted him to mainstream success, while Chavez dominated the boxing ring with gritty, hardfought wins throughout the 80s. As the two boxers go on a national tour, the frenzy for the fight builds—De La Hoya or Chavez? This becomes the dividing line for fans everywhere and a complex measure of identity on both sides of the border. In revelatory contemporary interviews, both fighters confront the false perceptions that distorted who they were and obscured their personal struggles. Whether you are a fan of the “sweet science” or have no interest in boxing at all, La Guerra Civil will hit you with the kind of knock-out punch that only Chavez or De La Hoya could deliver.

Friday, May 6, 7:30pm

Also available online

31

LET THE LITTLE LIGHT SHINE

ART OF IMPACT US 2022, 87 min Director Kevin Shaw

Director Kevin Shaw’s Let the Little Light Shine tells the powerful story of the National Teacher’s Academy (NTA), a public elementary school in Chicago that serves a predominantly Black community and is a top-ranked school in the city.

When faced with the prospect that NTA will be converted into a high school benefitting an adjacent neighborhood’s gentrifying population, parents, students, administrators, and teachers join together to save their school. But, in a city where the public school administration has almost total power, the school’s closure seems like a foregone conclusion. They say, “You can’t fight city hall.”

Will that prove to be the case once again or will the community’s fierce resistance be enough to change history?

Preceded by: Becoming Black Lawyers Evangeline M. Mitchell US 2021, 25 min Director As recognized racism within the criminal justice system brings new scrutiny to representation and opportunity, Black lawyers candidly share their experiences during law school and while preparing for and applying their trade.

SPONSORED BY COMMUNITY ACTION MARIN

Friday, May 6, 2:30pm 32

Also available online

THE LONG BREAKUP

ART OF IMPACT US 2020, 83 min Director Katya Soldak CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

Shot over the course of ten years, Ukrainian-American journalist, Katya Soldak, chronicles the changes in her and her loved ones’ perceptions of their relationship to Russia. Using news footage and intimate accounts with her family and friends, and humor, she vividly recounts her life in Kharkiv and summer vacations in Russia, the revered statue of Lenin in her city square, to the fall of the Iron Curtain and the impactful changes of entering the Western world. Through revolutions, corrupt leaders, and economic failures, not everyone initially embraced independence. A deeply insightful film told through first-person accounts, Soldak reveals the intricate and difficult journey for Ukrainian freedom; how the taste for democracy and the longing for security often led to opposing viewpoints, but how ultimately the threat of losing their independence unified a nation to fight for the right to choose its own future. Katya Soldak is a New York based journalist and the editorial director of Forbes Media’s international editions.

SPONSORED BY T. W.

Saturday, May 7, 5:00pm

Also available online

33

McCURRY: THE PURSUIT OF COLOR

WONDERLANDS Spain 2021, 90 min Director Denis Delestrac CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

From monsoons in India to civil wars in Afghanistan, famed photographer Steve McCurry has captured both human suffering and the capacity for hope through his photographs for decades. Likely best known for the undiluted photo of the Afghan Girl in a refugee camp that took the world by storm, the documentary reveals a more complete portrait of the man behind the camera. From a childhood rocked by loss and injury to his solitary years as a photographer in some of the world’s biggest conflicts, McCurry continues to pursue “color” in his life today— years into a storied but often isolating career. Through his own narration and photos from his vast and varied archive, McCurry shares ruminations on life, photography, and legacy. A touching and bracing look at an enigmatic and occasionally controversial photographer, whose appreciation for life shines through in the foota

SPONSORED BY T. W.

Saturday, May 7, 11:00am 34

Also available online

MY OLD SCHOOL

WONDERLANDS / BREAKING FORM United Kingdom 2022, 104 min Director Jono McLeod BAY AREA PREMIERE

Sixteen-year-old Brandon Lee lived a difficult and unorthodox life. While a student at Bearsden Academy in Scotland, he faced the death of his mother, father, and grandmother. Despite this hardship, he flourishes as an A-student as he works towards his dreams of attending medical school. Through an engaging mix of cartoon illustrations, retellings from classmates, and multi-award winner Alan Cumming’s tour-de-force performance of Lee’s personal narration, viewers revisit Brandon’s old school experience to better understand his journey. One may start this film asking, “Who is Brandon Lee?”, but, as the film progresses, we start to question, “Is Brandon Lee even who he says he is?” As the documentary unfolds, Lee’s astonishing secret comes out, inspiring feelings of incredulous shock and an ever-deepening curiosity as to “Why?”

SPONSORED BY JENNIFER COSLETT MacCREADY

Friday, May 6, 12:15pm 35

NAVALNY

ART OF IMPACT US 2022, 98 min Director Daniel Roher

When Russian anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny—Vladimir Putin’s leading political opponent—fell gravely ill on a flight to Moscow in August 2020, it soon became clear that his illness bore all the trademarks of a Kremlin-orchestrated assassination attempt. Upon his wife’s insistence, Navalny is airlifted to Germany for treatment. In Berlin, doctors confirm what many already suspected—Navalny had been poisoned. It is here that director Daniel Roher gains unprecedented access to the candid and hugely charismatic man himself. As Navalny convalesces, he, his family, and his inner circle are determined to uncover the truth of his poisoning. A riveting near-murder mystery and an illuminating character portrait of a key figure in Russian politics, and winner of the 2022 Sundance US Documentary Audience and Festival Favorite Awards, Nalvany is a real-time behind-the-scenes drama of personal courage at a critical moment when the stakes—for Russia and the world—couldn’t be higher.

SPONSORED BY T. W.

Friday, May 6, 7:00pm 36

OUR WORDS COLLIDE

ART OF IMPACT US 2021, 95 min Directors Jordan W. Barrow, Matt Edwards

Through poetry, animation, and intimate selfie videos, this affirming documentary explores the power of the spoken word through the voices of five Black and brown L.A. high schoolers. The poets are a part of “Get Lit”—the nonprofit program with the mission to increase literacy, empower youth, and inspire communities since 2006. The film unfolds as each student finds poetry, their sustained connection to the art, and how they use the power of words to heal and cope with the ever-present realities of their worlds. When 2020 COVID lockdown rules impact their programs and crew, watch as each of these dynamic students process the quickly changing world and their place in it going forward.

Although they share vastly different experiences, what becomes clear in the film is the positive impact their art has on their lives and others.

Friday, May 6, 4:30pm

Also available online

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PANTERAS, LIVING AMONG WILD CATS (PANTERAS: VIVIENDO ENTRE FELINOS)

THE GREAT OUTDOORS Spain 2021, 99 min Director Andoni Canela CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

Take a trek with a National Geographic wildlife photographer and his son as they journey to majestic landscapes across the globe in search of the last great big cats, including the Mato Grosso jaguar, the Patagonian cougar, the Rajasthani tiger, and the ever-elusive snow leopard of the Himalayas. Filmed across four continents—and over the course of several pivotal years in the son’s young adulthood—we get up close to these magnificent creatures, both human and wild. At the heart of the story is the delicate connection between father and son, the creative spirit from which the boy draws inspiration, and the imaginative lenses that bind them both. At times whispering and still, the film captures the essence of spirit in its sublime meditations on flora and fauna, leaving viewers with a reverence for nature and life itself.

Sunday, May 8, 12:30pm 38

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LA RECUA THE MULE PACK TRAIN

THE GREAT OUTDOORS US 2021, 86 min Directors Darío Higuera Meza, Trudi Angell

BAY AREA PREMIERE

Darío Higuera Meza—a 70-year-old rancher and leatherworker from Baja California Sur —treks 200 miles by mule with a pack train of donkeys to the capital city of La Paz, honoring a generations-old tradition. As he travels with his friends, son, and grandson through the rugged terrain, he connects with elder ranchers living along the trail to celebrate a way of life that is barely remembered in today’s modern world. Through song, lessons on ranching, and his indomitable spirit and love of the land, Higuera Meza, in spite of physical difficulties that would stop most people in their tracks, strives to preserve the history of not just his own family— but an entire population of people whose practices are near extinction.

Saturday, May 7, 12:30pm

Also available online

39

RIVER

THE GREAT OUTDOORS US 2021, 75 min Directors Jennifer Peedom, Joseph Nizeti

CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

Majestic imagery and transportive music from the Australian Chamber Orchestra, command this meditation on how rivers have shaped both the globe and human life since the beginning of time. With narration from Oscar®-nominated actor Willem Dafoe and footage of rivers across six continents, the film takes audiences inside glaciers, across plains, and through the skies—showing the ways modern society is both harnessing and harming these ancient sources of life. From the establishment of civilizations to some of today’s biggest modern cities, this wondrous film examines how rivers and humanity intertwine. Atmospheric music and rhythmic cinematography combine to create an awe-inspiring and chill-inducing experience.

SPONSORED BY JIM BOYCE TRUST and KRIS OTIS

Friday, May 6, 3:30pm 40

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THE SANCTITY OF SPACE

THE GREAT OUTDOORS US 2021, 101 min Directors Renan Ozturk, Freddie Wilkinson

CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

A five-year story of friendship and obsession, The Sanctity of Space (DocPitch 2018) tracks filmmakers Renan Ozturk, Freddie Wilkinson, and Zack Smith’s efforts to retrace the steps of legendary mountaineering photographer Bradford Washburn. Washburn’s iconic black and white photographs of the Moose’s Tooth (Dineje Waugh) Massif high above Alaska’s Ruth Gorge taken more than eighty years ago, provide impetus for this audacious expedition. A riveting adventure film with a fixation on the sublime, characterized by the vast landscapes of the traditional homelands of the Dena’ina and Athabascan peoples.

Sunday, May 8, 1:45pm

Also available online

41

SCRAP

WONDERLANDS Canada 2022, 72 min Director Stacey Tenenbaum US PREMIERE

We live in a world defined by growth and consumption. The world’s scrap is tossed aside or left to rust without a thought. But what happens to all things big and small that are expected to simply disappear? 2018 DocPitch project Scrap, delivers a lyrical cinematic behind-the-scenes look at the strange beauty midst abandoned vehicles and metal graveyards. Jumping from Asia to Europe and the Americas, we witness the afterlives of metal objects once frozen in time. An environmental message as much about sentimental attachment and shared cultural history as it is about reinvention and repurposing, Scrap suggests a paradigm shift in the way we view our connection and relationship with trash.

Sunday, May 8, 8:00pm 42

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Prairie Flowers

SHORTS PROGRAM: IDENTITY

ART OF IMPACT Total Program 115 min

In this shorts compilation, we explore identity, watching as those featured explore where they come from, connecting with who they are, and in some instances—discovering who they want to become. Ne Netoca Kiahuitzin (My Name is Little Rain) (Eden Sabolboro, US 2021, 4 min), we meet an artist who reconnects with her indigenous Ancestral Lands. In Kambana (Samuel Pastor, Spain 2021, 16 min) twins in Madagascar break through cultural superstition to help forge a new future. Into the Circle (Meg Griffiths & Scott Faris, US 2021, 17 min) offers a lesson on healing from generational trauma with a Lakota teenager who has spent a lifetime seeking community. Prairie Flowers (Flores de la llanura) (Mariana Xochiquétzal Rivera, Mexico 2021, 19 min) wherein an indigenous women’s collective raises awareness about violence against women while mourning a friend, and Stranger at the Gate (Joshua Seftel, US 2021, 29 min) where a combat scarred Marine comes home with a flawed master plan. Lastly, Game Hawker (Brett Marty & Joshua Izenberg, US 2022, 30 min) where a master falconer dedicates his life to magnificent birds to preserve an ancient practice.

Saturday, May 7, 1:45pm

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Becoming Black Lawyers

SHORTS WITH FEATURES

Becoming Black Lawyers US 2021, 25 min Director Evangeline M. Mitchell As recognized racism within the criminal justice system brings new scrutiny to representation and opportunity, Black lawyers candidly share their experiences during law school and while preparing for and applying their trade. Shown with Let the Little Light Shine Seasons US 2021, 24 min Directors Gabriella Canal, Michael Fearon A classically trained Korean tour-de-force tends and markets her organic crops through the seasons while nurturing connections with her daughter—and the hopes she harbors for the future of the unique life she’s built single-handedly.

Shown with Clean Wine Sarah Squared US 2022, 3 min Director Nancy Kelly On the beach at Point Reyes, surrounded by their beloved elephant seals, two trailblazing marine ecologists share their research interests, their generation-spanning career experiences, and their name. Shown with Exposure Walls Cannot Keep Us From Flying US 2021, 13 min Director Jonathan Mehring Against the backdrop of Israeli occupation, two Palestinian teenagers in the West Bank help the children of their community find freedom through skateboarding. Shown with Boycott 44

THE TERRITORY

THE GREAT OUTDOORS US 2020, 90 min Director Alex Pritz CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

A visually enchanting account of indigenous efforts to fend off illegal land grabs in the Amazon following the election of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. This documentary provides a sympathetic depiction of the indigenous Uru-eu-wauwau people and the settling farmers who bear the costs of Brazil’s development. A haunting, yet informatively tender look into a fight decades-long in the making, the film deftly negotiates the complicated forces of contemporary media, global environmental activism, and capitalist development. Winner of the 2022 Sundance Film Festival World Cinema Documentary Audience and Special Jury Awards, The Territory demonstrates the material and emotional costs of deforestation in the world’s largest tropical Rainforest.

Friday, May 6, 1:00pm

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45

THE THIEF COLLECTOR

WONDERLANDS US 2022, 93 min Director Allison Otto

Full of twists and turns, this true crime documentary (DocPitch 2019) will shatter your preconceived expectations and reveal that everything and everyone are not as they seem—and sometimes the truth is hidden in plain sight. After being boldly and recklessly sliced from its frame, as well as lost for decades, Willem de Kooning’s famous Woman-Ochre resurfaces in an unforeseen place: the home of Jimmy and Rita Alters. On the surface, the Alters seem like a lovely couple, described as “cool soulmates’’ by their friends and family. With a love of traveling and art, they lived life to the fullest, packing their days with adrenaline rush inducing adventures. Over the course of this curious story, viewers alongside local police, federal detectives, family members, art scholars, and others work to piece together the truth of this crime as the unexpectedly dauntless inner-life of the Alters is slowly unraveled.

Sunday, May 8, 11:00am 46

TIGRE GENTE

THE GREAT OUTDOORS US 2021, 93 min Director Elizabeth Unger

With less than 20,000 jaguars living in the wild globally, filmmaker Elizabeth Unger exposes the illegal trade of jaguar teeth between Bolivia and China. In this harrowing eco-thriller, Unger follows Marcos Uzquiano, veteran forest ranger and Director of Bolivia’s Madidi National Park, who works tirelessly to protect the dwindling jaguar population. Marcos investigates the supply side of the illegal trade, tracking hunters and conducting undercover operations to identify buyers and sellers. Meanwhile, Hong Kong journalist Laurel Chor examines the deep-seated cultural reasons and misconceptions behind the rising demand for jaguar teeth in China. Only by seeing both sides of the story can we begin to understand why these beautiful and irreplaceable creatures are under threat.

Saturday, May 7, 4:00pm

Also available online

47

WE FEED PEOPLE

WONDERLANDS US 2022, 89 min Director Ron Howard

Acclaimed filmmaker Ron Howard follows the trail of celebrity chef-turned-humanitarian José Andrés, founder of the non-profit World Central Kitchen (WCK), who relentlessly travels the globe in the wake of natural and manmade disasters to feed hungry people. Originally, Andrés came to the U.S. to start what would become a world-famous tapas restaurant in Washington, D.C., but, after witnessing a natural disaster in the Cayman Islands, he was moved to use his cooking skills for humanitarian aid. We Feed People reveals the compelling story of how WCK has managed time and again, often against impossible odds, to step up when larger NGO organizations fall short. Ultimately, it’s a story about what it means to dedicate one’s life to relief work in an era defined by environmental devastation.

Sunday, May 8, 11:30am 48

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A WOMAN ON THE OUTSIDE

ART OF IMPACT US 2022, 95 min Directors Lisa Riordan Seville, Zara Katz

CALIFORNIA PREMIERE

Kristal Bush is driven by personal experiences and the love she has for her family and community to navigate the complexities of familial separation within the carceral system of Philadelphia. She uses her skills to start an impactful van service (with her mother as the sole employee), to keep families together in the face of imprisonment. She strives to balance being a business owner and her own self-care, with activism and advocacy, tirelessly fighting to adopt her incarcerated brother’s young son while building her business to create a safety net for her father and brothers. All with the aspiration to keep her own family together.

Sunday, May 8, 4:00pm

Also available online

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DOCTALK

DO FEELINGS—NOT FACTS —DRIVE ACTION? Frustrated with the lack of action taken to avert or delay climate change and the effects of it, filmmakers are taking it upon themselves to tell stories through uniquely impactful films as a way to reach viewers and tackle extinction, today’s excesses, and a global climate emergency.

INVITED PARTICIPANTS: Melissa Fondakowski (Exposure), Marten Persiel (Everything Will Change), Stacey Tenenbaum (Scrap), Niobe Thompson (Carbon: the Unauthorised Biography), and Louie Psihoyos (Racing Extinction) SUNDAY

MAY 8

10:00AM

MARK FISHKIN ROOM SMITH RAFAEL FILM CENTER FREE (TICKET REQUIRED)

DOCTALK 2018 PHOTO: TOMMY LAU

DOCTALK DAILY Join the DocLands programming team at 10am PT for daily updates, recommendations, and special guests from this year’s Festival. Broadcasting live on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

SPONSORED BY

STAFF

EXECUTIVE

MARK FISHKIN

Executive Director | Founder | CFI

MAUREEN GALLIANI Executive Assistant

DANE CALLIHAN Deputy Director

PROGRAMMING

COURTNEY BUFFINGTON Design + Brand Manager

BRIAN LEHMAN

Graphics + Publications

MICHELE THARP

Marketing Manager

YVONNE FOX

Video Tech + Content Manager

JONI COOPER

FINANCE

STERLING HEDGPETH

Finance Manager

Director of Programming Programming Manager

KELLY CLEMENT Programmer

LAURA AUSTIN NORMAN MELLO IT Manager

KEN JACOBSON

OPERATIONS

MICHELLE SVENSON

Director of Operations

Programmer Programmer

JANE JULIAN

Programmer-at-Large CFI EDUCATION

JOANNE PARSONT Director of Education

SHAKIRA REFOS

Education Outreach Manager

MELANIE NICHOLS

Education Program Manager DEVELOPMENT

LIANA BENDER

Director of Development

BEAU BLANCHARD

Corporate Development Manager

CHRISTINE FUJIKI

Membership Manager

DERRICK DOVER

Membership Associate

BETHANY MORITZ

Development Manager MARKETING + PUBLICITY

SHELLEY SPICER

Director of Publicity + Media Relations

DANIEL DÍAZ

Director of Marketing + Audience Engagement

SHAYNA YASUHARA

Marketing + Audience Engagement Manager

KATHERINE PERTUSO

Marketing + Audience Engagement Manager

SHELLI NICOLE

Publications Managing Editor

DAVE FEIFERIS

KAITLYN RYAN

Theater Operations Manager

DAN ZASTROW Technical Director

NORMAN JOHNSTON

Smith Rafael Assisstant Manager

ERIN McINNIS

Guest Services Manager

YVONNE FOX

Special Events Manager

GRIFFIN COUILLARD Projectionist

WRITERS

BERNARD BOO YASHWINA CANTER KRIS CHESSON AMARI GAITER ANANYA KUMAR-BANERJEE ANALYSSA LOPEZ KATIE SMALL MICHELLE SVENSON

CFI BOARD OF DIRECTORS

KENNETH BROAD, President RICHARD J. IDELL, Secretary DANIEL KENYON WELLINGTON BOWLER AMY KEROES JENNIFER MacCREADY, Board Chair KURT MOBLEY CATHY NOURAFSHAN MAGGIE O’DONNELL, Co-Vice President JONATHAN PARKER, Co-Vice President SUSAN SCHWARTZ DR. JOEL SKLAR JANN STANLEY ZACH ZEISLER, Treasurer FOUNDING BOARD

RITA CAHILL MARK FISHKIN LOIS KOHL SHORE EMERITUS BOARD

RITA CAHILL SID GANIS BRUCE KATZ GARY MEYER GORDON RADLEY CHRISTOPHER B. SMITH HENRY TIMNICK ADVISORY BOARD

HONORABLE BARBARA BOXER STEWART BOXER DRUSIE DAVIS JEFF FISHER PETER FLAXMAN ROBERT GREBER LINDA GRUBER PEGGY HAAS MICHAEL KLEIN ROXANNE KLEIN KC LAUCK ANDREW MCGUIRE MARY POLAND ERIC SCHWARTZ MICHAEL SCHWARTZ SKIP WHITNEY

PHOTO: CAITY USSERY