Crossing The River – Allan Novick (New York, New York)
If there is such a thing as a heartwarming Holocaust film, this is it. Crossing the River is the story of the world's oldest living Holocaust survivor siblings and captures more than 100 years of one family's history in approximately 30 minutes. Along the way, we learn about their unlikely savior, Joseph Stalin, and a lesser-known World War II narrative. Now 101, 100, 98 and 96, inseparable, informed and unfailingly optimistic, the Fink siblings have outlived spouses, offspring, hundreds of friends and relatives and arguably the most horrific genocide in human history. What is the secret to their longevity? How have they defied all odds? With unparalleled access to the subjects and their archives, filmmaker Allan Novak has been filming his family for the past 40 years and uses the occasion of their newfound celebrity as an opportunity to look back and fill in the missing pieces of their past. Along the way, the film reveals how this seemingly ordinary family is actually quite extraordinary. 2023; 30 min.
FIRE TOWER – Tova Krentzman – Whitehorse, YT. Canada)
FIRE TOWER is a character driven documentary with dramatic landscapes, intense conditions and far-out stories - akin to astronauts and lighthouse keepers. Perched in the Rocky Mountains above empty expanses across northern Canada, we meet the people behind the binoculars. Fire tower “lookouts” all experience the rush of spotting smoke and pre-empting evacuations. They all take pride in protecting the land and its people. They have all been struck by lightning. For more than a century, lookouts have been the dedicated “eyes in the sky”, a critical first-line of defense. In this documentary, the cast of lookouts remind us that climate change and technology are encroaching on all our lives and livelihoods. Today, despite the unprecedented number of wildfires, there are only four Canadian provinces that continue to employ human radar. How can they compete with fleets of drones, satellites, and cell phones? The best way to stop a fire is to spot it early – lookouts are still critical anchors in our fire safety networks. When lightning strikes, they can spot a wisp of smoke 60 miles away and interpret its intensity in shades of grey, ahead of infrared imagery. Within minutes, they radio other responders to mobilize their planes, helicopters and equipment before forests and communities are devastated. Beyond the action, gazing out from their towers also grants the lookouts telling moments of introspection. In our hyper-connected, multi-tasking world, Fire Tower invites us to contemplate how solitude can inspire a different kind of connection with nature, community and our own creativity. 2024; 47 min.
I Still Love You – Diane Pontius (New York, New York)
Bob Pontius operates on children with heart defects, and in the 1960’s helps bring pediatric heart surgery to Bergamo, Italy. Then his life is radically altered. He has a mental health crisis. In this short documentary, his photographer daughter turns her camera on him to reveal his ferocious desire for independence, commitment to an existential philosophy, and reluctance to accept medical treatment. Using family photos, her father’s 16mm surgical films, and iPhone video, she constructs an intimate narrative about the human mind. 2024; 15 min.
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