SIFF 2021 Science Cinema (April 8-18)

<p>A spiritual journey into the highlands of Harar, immersed in the rituals of khat, a leaf Sufi Muslims chewed for centuries for religious meditations &ndash; and Ethiopia&rsquo;s most lucrative cash crop today. A tapestry of intimate stories offers a window into the dreams of youth under a repressive regime.</p> <p><em>Sundance Film Festival 2021 / Image Courtesy of Sundance Institute</em></p>

<p>How did the Chinese government turn pandemic cover ups in Wuhan into a triumph for the Communist party?</p> <p><em>Not available -&nbsp;Sundance Film Festival 2021 -&nbsp;US Dramatic Competition</em></p>

<p>An observational film about the modern-day Pygmy villages of the Central African Republic and two young Pygmies who travel to the city to sell makongo (roasted caterpillars, a regional delicacy) to fund a travelling tribal school.</p> <p>Caterpillars follows Albert and Andr&eacute;, two Central African Aka Pygmies, as they work to establish a new education system in their forest community. Having received an education, they become determined to pass their knowledge on, teaching classes for other Aka children every afternoon. Finding themselves short of funds to pay for more formalized schooling, they decide to raise money by harvesting the plump caterpillars of the forest (locally known as makongo). Once roasted, Albert and Andre bag the caterpillars and travel a considerable distance to sell them as a delicacy in the city. First-time filmmaker Elvis Sabin Nga&iuml;bino beautifully captures the Central African forests and the Aka&#39;s rarely appreciated community with vivid imagery and sound design. Caterpillars is a remarkably multifaceted study of two men working toward modernization and building a sustainable future for their community by accessing the riches of the natural world around them.</p> <p>&mdash; Nancy Pappas</p>

<p>After the death of his grandmother, a Mexican biologist living in New York returns to his hometown nestled in the majestic monarch butterfly forests of Michoac&aacute;n after many years. The journey forces him to confront past traumas and reflect on his new hybrid identity, launching him on a personal and spiritual metamorphosis.</p>

<p>A lyrical, feminist character study set in the Himalayans and based on an Indian folk tale, about a fiercely beautiful nomadic shepherdess named Laila who catches the eye of a lustful young herdsman.</p> <p>Based on a Rajasthani folktale with a feminist twist, this gorgeously shot feature revolves around the fiercely beautiful nomadic shepherdess Laila. The action plays against the backdrop of the Kashmir conflict amidst the magnificent Himalayans. Laila and her proud hardworking people are high-altitude goatherds and shepherds who belong to a marginalized minority called Gurjar-Bakarwals, a mostly a Muslim nomadic tribe based in the Pir Panjal Range. The rugged passes where they roam are heavily patrolled by border guards and petty bureaucrats who keep an eye on the local comings and goings and take extra special note of beautiful women. Laila soon catches the eye of a lustful young herdsman, but if you think you can predict how the story will progress, prepare for some sly surprises. The film is divided into seven parts with the accompaniment of seven classical songs for each section. Director Pushspendra Singh was inspired by the poetry of the 14th Century Kashmiri female mystic poet Lalleshwari, creator of the earliest known works of Kashmiri literature. The tone and spiritual atmosphere are shaped by the spectacular beauty of the place and by Laila&rsquo;s wisdom.</p> <p>&mdash; Maryna Ajaja</p>

<p>A powerful and uplifting documentary about the fearless journalists behind Khabar Lahariya, India&rsquo;s only newspaper run by Dalit (&ldquo;untouchable&rdquo;) women, as they fight for truth and justice in the face of hostile patriarchy and the rise of the right.</p> <p>This amazing, powerful, and inspiring documentary shows that even the most downtrodden and powerless can move mountains with determination and courage. Khabar Lahariya (&ldquo;News Wave&rdquo;) is India&rsquo;s only all-woman news outlet, founded in 2002 in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh by Dalit women (once called, and still often treated as, &ldquo;untouchables&rdquo;). Widely predicted to fail immediately, it has instead flourished and, as the film begins, is undertaking the challenging but necessary switch from print to digital media. All the reporters are given smartphones&mdash;some of whom have never touched the family phone for fear of breaking it&mdash;and patiently encouraged. Wife-and-husband directing team Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh focus on three main characters: trailblazing head reporter Meera, new but promising recruit Shyamkali, and dedicated youngster Suneeta. The women are also shown at home, with husbands or fathers who are bemused or hostile to their careers. They investigate stories of unprosecuted rapes and murders, the corruption of illegal mining operations, the rise of Hindu nationalism, and much more. Facing entrenched gender bias, overwhelming obstacles, and threats, they continue to fight for truth and justice with surprising success. Winner of both the Audience and Special Jury documentary prizes at this year&rsquo;s Sundance Film Festival.</p> <p>&mdash; Ruth Hayler</p>

<p>Rember Yahuarcani, a member of the Uitoto Nation, struggles in his every existence to find new artistic inspiration. He returns home to the forests, to learn the stories of how his people were nearly extinguished and how his loving grandmother survived to nurture the memories of their ancestors. &nbsp;</p> <p>Arresting and reverential to Peru&rsquo;s First Peoples, this documentary follows Indigenous artist and activist Rember Yahuarcani, from the White Heron Clan of the Uitoto Nation, as he returns to his homelands in search for artistic inspiration. He follows the stories of his late grandmother Martha, who inspired him as a burgeoning young artist; Martha&rsquo;s voice reverberates as a narrator, leading him on his path of discovery. Rember&rsquo;s work depicts the cosmogonic vision of his peoples&rsquo; culture by interpreting their oral traditions into a visually dreamy medium. His father and mother, a painter and sculptor themselves, help him along the way; for them, recalling the past is necessary to their survival as a nation, which endows Rember&rsquo;s art with compelling purpose. He&rsquo;s challenged to confront the dark history and suffering of his people not often depicted in his previous paintings. From Peru, he travels to La Chorrea, Colombia, the original land of the Uitoto peoples, where he connects with other members of his family where he learns more of the horrors Martha herself endured. Rember&rsquo;s images coalesce with narration and an Uitoto-inspired score to give viewers the arresting experience of attending one of his exhibits and following his v path.</p> <p>&mdash; Connor Cartmill</p>

<p>In this colorful and innovatively designed animated film based on the 1945 Italian children&rsquo;s book by Dino Buzzati, Bear King Leonzio gathers his clan to a uniquely creative war against the land of man to save his son from a human circus.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Bears&rsquo; Famous Invasion is classic animation at its finest. Based on a 1945 Italian children&rsquo;s storybook, the film uses bold colors, angular shapes, and reaches an exceptionally high bar with its visionary creativity. Narratively constructed around a fictitious war between humans and members of the animal kingdom, the film has fighting but is free of bloodshed and generally gentle in its presentation of the fantastical encounters with ghosts, charging boars, a sea monster, and more. The film is framed with a wandering storyteller who awakens an old bear in a cave and relays to him the tale of Bear King Leonzio whose son, Tonino, is swept downriver while fishing and becomes a performer in the human circus. Moving beyond his anguish, Leonzio calls the bears to arms with a surreal bear dance that wondrously opens an imaginary door to where anything can and will happen. How will the conflict between man and animal resolve? What additional perspective may the older bear provide to the storyteller? This is the type of animated film that doesn&rsquo;t get made anymore: a fairytale that is visually enrapturing yet also explores complex themes for young audiences around the function of storytelling and how humans relate to nature.</p> <p>&mdash; Dustin Kaspar</p>

<p>In an alternative 1990s equal parts Yorgos Lanthimos and Todd Solondz (but gentler), an awkward young teen must complete a school requirement in which students wear electronic collars that detach only upon engaging in their first kiss. &nbsp;</p> <p>In an alternate 1990s universe of analog technology, adolescent suburbanites are fitted with electronic collars for a school-mandated sexuality test; once you get your first kiss, you have completed this level of the No Child Left Alone program and the collar pops off, allowing you to enjoy the rest of your youth with few restrictions. That seems easy, but shy, lonely freshman Wyrm (Theo Taplitz) is the only one in class still sporting the equipment, rendering him all but invisible to his classmates and especially his twin sister Myrcella (Azure Brandi). Besides, this is just one of Wyrm&rsquo;s many worries: His family is in crisis after the untimely death of their popular eldest son, sending Wyrm&rsquo;s parents into separate emotional spirals and leaving him and sister under the watch of their uncle Chet (Tommy Dewey, &ldquo;Casual&rdquo;). If his support system can&rsquo;t even provide a stable home life, how will this dictionary-carrying, dinosaur-obsessed kid learn to grow up? Absurdist, dry as a sauvignon blanc, accessibly melancholy, and deceptively heartfelt, writer/director Christopher Winterbauer&rsquo;s feature debut is a wholly unique coming-of-age tale that feels like a combination of Wes Anderson&rsquo;s lo-fi whimsy and a more chill version of humanity-skewering provocateur Todd Solondz.</p> <p>&mdash; Marcus Gorman</p>

<p>Long before becoming a celebrated chef, author and restaurateur Hugo Soca was a simple country kid living in the south of Uruguay, tending to his family&rsquo;s farm, and savoring the richness, the aromas, of his beloved grandmother Petrona&rsquo;s delicious from-scratch cooking. With warm memories of the sacredness of mealtime, of shared community events where everyone was welcome, and where culture itself was created at the table, Soca takes us on a scrumptious trip through his motherland&rsquo;s rich and varied cuisine, inspired by a rich mix of Swiss, German, and Indigenous traditions, and the colorful cast of characters who make it all happen. From the salty, weathered fishermen whose catch forms the basis of a truly incredible stew to the artisans of Emmental cheese, following methods and recipes passed down through countless generations; from the gauchos of Curtina and the artistry of wood-stove cooking to the masters of the slanted grill whose smoked meats are matched only by richness of their conversation. Pour yourself a glass of homemade wine, pull up a seat at the table, and enjoy this hearty, mouth-watering celebration of the soul of Uruguayan cooking from director Pablo Banchero.</p> <p>&mdash; Hebe Tabachnik</p>

<p>In Argentinian filmmaker Ana Katz&rsquo;s bittersweet and warmly existential feature shot over several years, a gentle man searches for love amid a litany of new jobs while a changing world flirts with the apocalypse.</p> <p>The neighbors are sick of it. Every day, while thirtysomething graphic designer Sebastian (Daniel Katz, the filmmaker&rsquo;s brother) is at work, his sweet, house-bound dog Rita howls her cries of loneliness, driving everyone else in his apartment complex just a little bit mad. When his attempts at solving the problem by bringing Rita to work with him are met with an &ldquo;either she goes or you&rdquo; ultimatum by his boss (Valeria Lois), Sebastian quietly pulls up stakes and relocates to a ranch in the Pampas&mdash;a free and nurturing environment for the unassuming artist and his beloved dog. But when he suddenly finds himself without his anchor, his life quickly spins into a patchwork of odd jobs and rootlessness. And yet despite his seeming lack of direction, Sebastian slowly begins to find his place in the world&mdash;caring for the sick, selling produce with a collective of Marxist farmers, sharing his political thoughts on a podcast, and even meeting his future wife (Julieta Zylberberg) during an uproarious wedding reception dance. With unexpected global calamities and the tender call of fatherhood shaping his world, Sebastian&rsquo;s life proves that even a life lived in gentle rebellion against expectations can be a rich one in this fresh, funny, and deeply affecting new film from celebrated writer/director Ana Katz and cowriter Gonzalo Delgado), winner of the VPRO Big Screen Award at the 2021 Rotterdam International Film Festival.</p> <p>&mdash; Hebe Tabachnik</p>

<p>A mysterious and deadly pink cloud appears across the globe, forcing everyone to stay home. Strangers at the outset, Giovana and Yago try to invent themselves as a couple as years of shared lockdown pass. While Yago is living in his own utopia, Giovana feels trapped deep inside.&rdquo; Principal cast: Renata de L&eacute;lis, Eduardo Mendon&ccedil;a.</p> <p><em>Sundance Film Festival 2021 / Image courtesy of Sundance Institute</em></p>

<p>In this collaborative and experimental &ldquo;film quilt&rdquo; told in nine parts&mdash;individual chapters are made by different filmmaking teams and combined into a visual album&mdash;a Black man named Sparrow searches for meaning, self, and home as he leaps through a dying universe.</p> <p>Attaining an emotional intensity distilled from the truths of the Black male experience, Mother&rsquo;s Milk is an essential artwork that is especially amplified by society&rsquo;s long overdue focus on Black Lives Matter. Originally conceived as a play in response to the pervasive and heartbreaking news stories seen far too often in America, director-writer-actor Larry Powell shared his piece with a community of artivists. The collaborative cinematic space has produced a &ldquo;film quilt&rdquo; presenting the story of Sparrow, a young Black man interacting with a variety of people and situations, on a metaphorical quest to &ldquo;meet his mother and find his way home.&rdquo; The film both reflects its dramatic stage roots and transcends them cinematically, as each episode is created by different artists with evolving visual language and a kaleidoscope of cast. Through this construction, the audience is invited to see Sparrow not just as an individual&rsquo;s spiritual journey, but as a wider representation of collective consciousness. Centering Sparrow&rsquo;s conception of his own dignity and value as thematic pillars, Mother&rsquo;s Milk is an example of the good that can be made out of negative circumstances when a community artistically rises together.</p> <p>&mdash; Dustin Kaspar</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2035, auditors don&rsquo;t just want to see your receipts for hidden expenses, they want to see your dreams. One such inspector, James (co-director Kentucker Audley), arrives at the house of Bella, an older woman, and finds himself falling in love with the younger version he encounters in her dreams. Meanwhile, a business conglomerate tries to populate her reveries with ads for fried chicken. Whimsical and unique, the film uses a story of blossoming love to depict the priceless sanctuary of imagination.</p>

<p>In this beautifully composed black-and-white drama out of Georgia, an estranged teenager returns to her rural village to perform an ancient burial tradition for her late grandmother, in which she must string a thread through sixteen miles of forest.</p> <p>The film opens with the patter of little feet in patent leather shoes as small girls run along the wall of their rural Georgian hillside town. Flash-forward: One of them, Ariadna (as in Greek mythology), now a teenage model in a big city, is on her way back to this same village. Bebia, the matriarch she&rsquo;s feared her whole life, has died. Welcome to the overwhelming bosom and impossible bonds of family. &ldquo;Are you all from the Dark Ages?&rdquo; Ariadna asks when given the big final burial custom that only she can perform: She must string a thread through sixteen miles of forest, a path between Bebia&rsquo;s place of death and her coffin. Much as she winds through the rugged landscape, the plot threads back through Ariadna&rsquo;s childhood and up to the present. This impressionistic debut is written and directed by the multi-talented Juja Dobrachkous, an established painter and short story writer, who chose the black-and-white imagery because &ldquo;light and shadow are more truthful than color&rdquo;; director of photography Veronica Solovyeva follows suit, focusing on minor details to build a unique and affecting universe. Bebia is a film about grief, about the clash of modern and traditional worlds, and about the labyrinth of emotions a girl must journey through to understand the many shades of love.</p> <p>&mdash; Maryna Ajaja</p>

<p>From Cannes Film Festival winner S&eacute;bastien Lifshitz (Bambi, The Lives of Th&eacute;r&egrave;se) comes a sympathetic and poignant documentary about Sasha, an eight-year-old transgender girl whose family protects her from her rural French town&rsquo;s outdated gender norms.</p> <p>Before the age of three, Sasha began telling her parents, &ldquo;When I grow up, I&rsquo;ll be a girl.&rdquo; When her mother Karine told her that wasn&rsquo;t possible, Sasha was devastated, prompting Karine to reevaluate her ideas about her child, gender identity, and what might be possible. Thus begins the journey which is partly chronicled in Little Girl. This journey takes Sasha and Karine from their home in rural northeastern France to a compassionate specialized child psychologist in Paris who helps them make sense of Sasha&rsquo;s experience, while also providing them with a certificate that makes her gender identity official. This documentation serves to defuse the conflicts that have arisen at Sasha&rsquo;s school, where both the school principal and the ballet teacher have refused to accept Sasha as a girl. Unsurprisingly, many students follow suit, and Sasha finds herself rejected &quot;by boys for being too feminine and by girls for being too feminine for a boy.&quot; While the film is very much Sasha&rsquo;s story, it is also the story of her parents and siblings learning to navigate the world on Sasha&rsquo;s behalf. Gradually, with the help of her mother&rsquo;s advocacy and her family&rsquo;s solid support, she is increasingly able to be herself, dancing around in a fairy-wing costume and even making friends at school. If you&rsquo;re looking for a heartwarming, inspirational documentary about making the world a better place one child at a time, voil&agrave;!</p> <p>&mdash; Justine Barda</p>