Photo by Julia Beverly/The Atlanta Voice
“Seen & Heard”
Readers in the Atlanta area have likely seen signage for Tyler Perry’s massive film studio in East Point, but it’s rare that a visitor is granted access to tour his replica of the White House. Unless, of course, it’s Issa Rae calling to film an HBO documentary. Her documentary “Seen and Heard” tells the importance of African-American representation in film and television through the stories of high-profile figures such as Tyler Perry.
Poignant moments include Shonda Rhimes recalling her demand for diverse casting when selecting roles for Grey’s Anatomy and Oprah describing an epiphany early in her career in which she decided not to allow negativity to gain exposure on her platform. Larry Wilmore recalls how he helped protect Issa’s vision for their hit show Insecure. Issa also highlights collaborators like Syreeta Singleton, who shares a heartbreaking loss she suffered while serving as showrunner on HBO’s Rap Shit. Genuine, intimate moments are captured with a beautiful aesthetic, making this documentary a must-see.
Other highlights of this year’s SXSW film festival:
“Remaining Native”
A SXSW Special Jury Award was given to “Remaining Native,” a documentary, which follows Ku Stevens, a 17-year-old Native American track-and-field runner. By achieving a blistering run pace of a sub-4.5 minute mile, he lands an offer to run track at his dream school, the University of Oregon. But Ku is most interested in honoring the legacy of his Paiute Indian ancestors like his grandfather, who repeatedly ran away from abuse at the Stewart Indian boarding school in rural Nevada. Director Paige Bethmann uses a trove of archival photos to help expose the horror of this shameful era in American history. Ku leads a 50-mile Remembrance Run through the Nevada desert to remember his grandfather’s journey, reflecting in a way that seems wise beyond his years.
“Shuffle”
“Shuffle,” winner of the SXSW Documentary Feature Competition, follows drug addicts through a cycle of detox, recovery, and relapse. Sadly, some don’t make it through the film alive. While director Benjamin Flaherty’s visual style of extreme close-ups can be disconcerting, the story it tells is disturbing and fascinating. Flaherty exposes an underground economy in Florida, where hundreds of rehab facilities pay kickbacks to unethical middlemen thriving off insurance payouts for daily urine screenings and dozens of other questionable medical treatments. In this environment, addicts are rewarded, even with cash bonuses, for relapse and subsequent detox, which effectively traps them in a self-destructive cycle for years or even decades.
“Creede U.S.A.”
The tiny rural community of Creede, Colorado, is best known for the Creede Repertory Theatre and the colorful characters it attracts. The most interesting moments capture conservative vs. progressive debates during the local school board meetings, in which both sides make valid points.
“Arrest the Midwife”
Although this film focuses on the plight of Amish and Mennonite women in upstate New York, it also draws parallels to skyrocketing maternal mortality crises in the African-American community in New York City and other urban city centers. By imposing increasingly difficult educational requirements for birth attendants, New York state officials have targeted midwives who have served these isolated communities for decades. In this film, we witness the absurd and unjust prosecution of three beloved midwives with decades of experience who no longer meet the medical requirements imposed by the state. It’s encouraging to see this community come together to push for legislative action, but as of the film’s conclusion, the Midwifery bill still languishes in the New York State Senate.