HRSff 2009
May 2, 2-6p, The Red Vic Movie House, SF
preliminary screening program
1. Homophobia is Gay (Honorable Mention)- Tiffany Maria Flick, director.
A short documentary exploring the reasons for, and effects of, homophobic slang terms in high school. (7 minutes)
2. María Desaparecida (Missing María)- Bethynia Cárdenas, director.
Based on the mysterious disappearances and tragic murders of hundreds of girls and women in the city of Juarez, Mexico, this film narrates the grief of a family after one of their own goes missing. (11 minutes)
3. Fleeced- David Winn, director.
An animated short about a once benevolent sheepdog that is overcome with greed and begins to exploit his flock with fear as his sole tactic. (3 minutes)
4. Bum’s Paradise- Thomas McCabe, director.
After decades of being a garbage dump, the Albany Landfill closed in 1986. Nature slowly reclaimed the land and various homeless men and women moved in. They built modest dwellings, became a community and lived free from the public scorn and scrutiny that commonly plagues the homeless in America. It was a magical place where, for a time, the homeless were at home. (53 minutes)
5. Q&A with Albany Landfill Resident Robert “Rabbit” Barringer
INTERMISSION
6. The Dissident- Canyon Sam, director.
A documentation of the performance of the nationally acclaimed solo show by human rights activist, Canyon Sam. The young narrator, traveling through her ancestral China, learns about nonviolence and courage when she interviews a young Tibetan Buddhist nun freedom fighter and political prisoner. (39 minutes)
7. A Return to Wellness- Phil Lucas, director.
A film aimed at understanding the impacts of historical processes current practices and future innovations on indigenous health. Using the voices of indigenous experts, this film discusses decolonizing and indigenizing policies, practices, and research in healing and transforming the health of indigenous communites. (13 minutes)
8. 13 Shades of Brown- Jamal Essayah, director.
In the future, border states are deporting “illegal aliens.” One man hides a woman from the government for as long as he can. (30 minutes)
9. Laughter: No Harmful Side Effects (Top Honor)- Chelsey D’Arrigo, Nani Dickinson, Brandi Kosloy, Charlie Vaughn, directors.
Laughter can be a surprisingly effective supplement to a person’s physical, mental, and social well-being, with no harmful side effects. Laughter has the physiological benefits that counter the harmful effects of stress in the body, as well as improving a person’s quality of life. Best of all, anyone can access it absolutely free! (14 minutes)
