The 30th annual edition of the Gene Siskel Film Center’s Black Harvest Film Festival is now in the books, having featured an array of narrative, documentary and short films. The event featured a strong lineup of offerings this year, perhaps the best I’ve ever seen at this festival. In all, I managed to catch six films during the festival’s two-week run. So, with that said, here’s my take on what I watched and what I thought.
Death. It’s a subject that many of us don’t want to deal with, let alone feel comfortable talking about. It can be especially difficult when it involves someone we care deeply about, particularly in a scenario like a parent having to prepare for the loss of a child. Yet death is the one fate we all ultimately share, so it’s not something we can conveniently try to avoid. Given that, then, this is an eventuality that we must all find a way to accept.
Childhood is the time of life when we form our views about how the world works and what it potentially has in store for us. It presents us with a variety of options for how we come to regard it, either positively or negatively or somewhere in between, a perspective often determined by the circumstances to which we’re exposed. But what matters most in all this is what we end up doing with our beliefs about these conditions and experiences, as they ultimately shape what unfolds going forward.
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Is it possible to know the real truth behind a particular situation? It’s often been said that, as outside onlookers, we only see a fraction of what’s involved in the unfolding of a specific scenario. And, because of that, we might well piece together an incomplete view of things, based primarily on what we believe about them, given that they shape our perspective and, subsequently, the materialized existence that emerges.
Family has long been seen as an institution dictated almost exclusively by bloodline considerations. However, over time, this view has gradually shifted to one where family has become what we make of it. It’s a principle that has assumed many forms, too, based on an array of defining characteristics, some of which have deviated significantly from traditional models. But what’s most important behind this development has been the beneficial impact it has had on many individuals who simply didn’t feel as though they belonged with their blood relatives
Pulling together for the sake of a common objective is undoubtedly a worthy ambition. The spirit of cooperation that goes into such ventures can be tremendously satisfying, especially upon fulfillment. With challenges and obstacles melting away, everyone involved comes one step closer to attainment. But remaining committed to the mutual nature of the endeavor is essential
“Driveways” (2019 production, 2020 release). Cast: Lucas Jaye, Hong Chau, Brian Dennehy, Christine Ebersole, Jerry Adler, Stan Carp, Bill Buell, Sophia DiStefano, Jeter Rivera, Jack Caleb, James DiGiacomo, Robyn Payne, Samantha Jones, Fernando Mateo Jr. Director: Andrew Ahn. Screenplay: Hannah Bos and Paul Thureen. Web site. Trailer. When we’re stuck in a rut, it feels like change will never come. In severe cases, it’s as if we’re at the bottom of a deep pit from which escape is unimaginable. But circumstances need not remain that way, and making adjustments doesn’t have to be traumatic – provided we give ourselves permission to allow it. Such is the challenge brought up for review in the gentle domestic drama, “Driveways.” When the older [...]
“The Artist’s Wife” (2019 production, 2020 release). Cast: Lena Olin, Bruce Dern, Juliet Rylance, Avan Jogia, Stefanie Powers, Tonya Pinkins, Catherine Curtin, Caryn West, Ravi Cabot-Conyers. Director: Tom Dolby. Screenplay: Tom Dolby, Nicole Brending and Abdi Nazemian. Web site. Trailer. Giving our all to a beloved partner is certainly an admirable ambition, one that many of us strive for in hopes of it creating a state of mutual love and support. It’s widely believed such a connection can benefit each spouse, yielding both a flourishing relationship and a foundation for significant personal growth and development. But at what point does such devotion to another become unhealthy, leading to a lopsided bond? That’s a question explored in the new romantic drama, [...]
“Mighty Oak” (2020). Cast: Janel Parrish, Tommy Ragen, Carlos PenaVega, Levi Dylan, Ben Milliken, Nana Ghana, Rodney Hicks, Gianna Harris, Alexa PenaVega, Raven-Symoné, Bill Lewis, Linda Ardell Wendfeldt, Marco Drapeau, Thomas Kasp. Screenplay: Matt R. Allen. Story: Frank Ragen and Matt R. Allen. Web site. Tariler. Most of us have heard of the concept of reincarnation, and many of us – including skeptics – are intrigued by the notion. It’s become so ingrained in the culture that we’ve even embraced sayings like “not in this lifetime,” implying matter-of-factly that there’s more than just one incarnation. But how many of us are willing to look past our doubt and genuinely buy into the principle without definitive proof of its existence? That’s [...]
