Utah Teens Talk Film

Utah Teens Talk Film bloggers are members of Planned Parenthood Association of Utah’s Teen Council, and work as peer sex educators in their schools and communities. As members of the blogging team, teens participate in the Damn These Heels Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival, watch independent films, and interview filmmakers, advocates, and writers from all over the world. Teen bloggers strive to understand how film can promote just and humane sexual attitudes and policies, challenge current perspectives, and spark new ideas—and you can follow along with their journey here.

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Film Review: Words From A Bear by: Ramis Banuri

     The film, Words from a Bear, describes the life and influence of N. Scott Momaday. N. Scott Momaday is a Native American poet who has written extensively about Native sovereignty and their relationship to the land. He was awarded the Pulitzer prize in 1969 for Fiction, as well as the National Medal of Arts in 2007. He is one of the most well known Native American figures. Momaday had a passion for writing from an early age. At 8 years old, he pronounced to his family that he would like to be a writer above all else. His father was also a painter the heavily influenced his paintings in the future.

     Momaday also talks about specific Native stories and how their morals are significant even today. For example, he told the story of the Seven Sisters. It depicted 7 Native sisters and their brother who had transformed into a bear and was after them. Each of the sisters were cast as stars into the sky to be saved, ultimately forming the Big Dipper. Momaday used this example to show pictures of the night sky and vivid language to emphasize a connection to those stars because, in a way, he and those stars are related and intimately connected with each other.

     Momaday especially emphasized Indigenous forms of storytelling as critical to the identity formation of Native Americans. It becomes the ritual that sutures and connects the lives of Native ancestors and Native people today. Telling these stories allows for Indigenous movements that call for real land reclamation. The United States federal government is a settler state built upon the slaughter of Native people, but fore fronting stories and discussions about Native people allows for more and more Native demands to be heard and acknowledged.

     My personal favorite part of this film was the vivid scenery and poets recited over those scenes. These moments create a personal connection between the audience and the images of the land that, I think, aimed to move the audience into caring a bit more about Indigenous lands, as their well being affects us all.

     I was able to ask the director, Jeffrey Palmer, a question about his vision for the movie. The film mentioned the mantra of “Kill the Indian, Save the Man” which prompted me to ask him how this mantra exists today and how the movie addresses that. While he acknowledges that some things have not changed, Palmer said he hopes the movie can create forms of dialogue betweens groups and create coalitions. He cited the example of Elder Phillips and the ‘MAGA’ Boy this January. Palmer described it as seeing two or three groups people who simply could not speak to each other because there was ignorance in their experiences that allowed one to brutally disrespect the other.

photo courtesy of Sundance Film Festival 

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Pahokee: A Film Review             by: Ramis Banuri

     The film, Pahokee, describes the daily life and activity in the small town of Pahokee, Florida. The low income town is 56% African American and almost all the rest are LatinX. The film gives a first person perspective of residents in the city, which allows you to travel into the homes of some of the residents of the city and see what their home lives are like. The movie crew even gave some of the students new phones to record and blog their daily experiences in terms of school, home, and social lives.

     A large part of the film focused in on Pahokee High School’s football team and their run to win the state championship. The movie documented the whole season and the hard work they put into their well deserved championship.

     The state championship was not only a huge win for the students on their way to college, but it boosted the morale of town writ large. Adults were approaching the players and thanking them for ‘saving the town’. This emphasizes the magnitude of the just the state championship on the town. It also cemented the reputation that Pahokee has — as a breeding ground for NFL stars. Stars like Anquan Boldin also made a surprise showing in the film, attending the high school graduation.

     Unfortunately, the school was stripped of their state title that year due to a processing error regarding a transfer player who was ineligible. Even in the face of this, the town knew in their hearts that their local Pahokee High School went undefeated and earned that title.

     There was another event in the movie that was quite significant. The camera team was recoding an Easter egg hunt at a local park when there were shots fired. The shooting forced the children and their parents to stay on the ground in hopes of not being shot, which reiterates psychological pain. This was a hard moment for the people affected by the event and the crew shooting the film, as the had to grapple with whether or not they should include this scene in the film. The directors discussed that they decided to include it because shootings are an issue for these communities that is swept under the rug by the media, so pointing out the reality of those situations is a more effective method of creating conversations of how to move beyond instances like this. I would also like to point out that there should be a trigger warning for this sometime before the movie, as experiences such as shootings can be a source of psychological trauma.

     One of the directors, Patrick Bresnan, said their goal with the film was to build bridges between different communities and humanize this misunderstood town. Towns like Pahokee have been homogenized through recent rhetoric of the “Anchor Baby” and the “Welfare Queen” that creates the division between the good and the bad minorities. The directors emphasized that the movie was made in aims to deconstruct those binaries and create trust between larger communities. By exposing the daily lives of towns like these, the audience is able to conceptualize how these communities live and humanize them to create an understanding and disrupt pre-conceived notions of race and class.

photo courtesy of Sundance Film Festival 

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Share: Reclaiming You Narrative  by: Maya Levine

     The movie Share was an intense story about how a girl manages her life after facing sexual assault. The film was able to stay away from the “Hollywood Version” when discussing sexual assault and instead delivered an all too realistic account of the difficulty one can face when seeking justice for themselves in the wake of an assault.

     The film begins with Mandy, the main subject of the film, waking up face down in her front yard. She remembers nothing of the night before. Hours later Mandy receives a text from her friend asking “Is this you?!”. Attached is a video. In it, Mandy is passed out on a bathroom floor with a crowd of boys huddled around her and… More begin to surface as Mandy looks for answers, but no one is confessing.

     Days later Mandy’s parents find the videos on her laptop and demand she go to the police, despite her cries to remain silent. They want justice for their daughter, as do the audience, as do the Hollywood film critics, but that is not how many sexual assault stories end. In fact, around three out of four sexual assaults go unreported in the United States according to the Bureau of Justice National Crime Victimization Survey.

     Justice comes in many forms. For Mandy, it was to find out what really happened that night. But she needed to do this on her own, not with the police. Many people believe if someone has the resources to come forward they should and this goes to show that often times the needs of sexual assault victims are pushed to the side. The process of coming forward can be traumatizing and in many cases, such as Mandy’s, it can cause even more harm to the person who faced the assault.

     Mandy’s parents and the audience need to listen to Mandy and accept her decisions. To everyone but Mandy, this may seem like accepting defeat, but to her this was the best way in which she could heal. Even after Mandy receives the last video, the one needed to put the man who assaulted her in jail, the one she has been searching for throughout the entire film, she deletes it. She found her answer and for Mandy discovering what really occurred is all she wants. She took control of her narrative, something not many assault victims are able to do.

     This film, although difficult to watch, needs to be seen. The truth about how sexual assaults are dealt with needs to be shared. The story doesn’t always have a “happy ending” or closure, but it should. As a community, we all need to work to alter our society so that more closure can occur. Really, we should work so that people don’t have to search for closure to begin with; that should be a right for every citizen, but currently, it is a privilege.

As a peer education for Teen Council I will support, empower and advocate for those who have experiences sexual assault through my teachings and individual outreach work.

February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Every year 1.5 million teenagers in the United States experience physical abuse their partner according to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. This statistic does not include mental abuse which often goes unnoticed among teenagers and adults. If you would like to get involved, want to learn more about domestic abuse, or want to report an incident you can talk to any Teen Council member, any Planned Parenthood employee, download the Safe UT app (if you live in Utah), or visit nrcdv.org.

photo courtesy of Sundance Film Festival 

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The Miles Mystique by: Thea Soter

     Let’s face it, he was a dick, but a genius. And when asked about it, the editors say that even they would shied away from Miles Davis’ cruel personality. Miles Davis was harsh, mean, and angry but he changed the face of music for generations to come. Miles Davis grew up in a family of domestic violence and pain so, he turned to the creation of music to heal. Before he knew it he was famous, addicted to heroine, and had two kids. He was cruel to all the people that loved him, but he kept making music and persevering. Woman after woman, record after record, Miles wouldn’t stop. 

     The Birth Of The Cool premiered this last week at the Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Stewart Lewis, it does exactly what a great documentary should: brings the past into the present as if that’s what it is. No matter how old, or young, you are sure to leave feeling incredibly grateful for Davis and his massive contributions to the music industry. I grew up in a house where either jazz or Beethoven seemed to constantly be playing so, I was more than familiar with Davis, but it wasn’t until this film that I really knew him. This movie reaffirmed the fact that every great artist has greater demons and while I left feeling bad for Davis, I left feeling equally as angry. Davis feel in love deeply, but he developed a pattern of treating women the same way his father treated his mother, which wasn’t well. Along with that, he had a terrorizing drug addiction which ceased only when he did. 

     The creators of the film made an interesting choice when choosing Cal Lumby to narrate from Davis’s perspective, but they were his true words and once this was found out, it was incredibly clear that the narration simply brought you closer to the man that was Miles Davis. The viewers also weren’t hidden from the racism that Davis experienced, despite his insanely important role in the music industry. It was clear Jim Crow and Miles Davis unfortunately, were close friends throughout Davis’s life. It was saddening and perhaps even added to the reason Davis’s personality was so cold. I found the word ‘Cool’ in the title of the film not only represented the musician’s laid-back persona, but also the severity and cruelty of that persona as well. This film was excellently done from beginning to end. It had the same mystique as Miles and it was another wonderful addition to the Firelight Films library which focus on Black history and the celebration of the race. We, the Teen Bloggers, got a chance to talk with the editor of the film for a while after and it was incredibly apparent of how proud of the finished product was, and he should be. This film gave an insight to one of the most iconic musicians in the world and I, a music fanatic, am so grateful this cinematic masterpiece was created.

photo courtesy of Sundance Film Festival 

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The Matriarchy of America: review of Sundance’s 2019 “Knock Down the House” by: Thea Soter

     I walked into the theater unaware of what I was about to experience; I was excited of course, knowing that I would get to see some of my biggest female role models of the past year, up, on the big screen, but still unaware of the impact that this film would have. I finally believe Obama’s slogan after seeing the film knowing that these women are “the change (of equality) that we’ve been waiting for”.  

     The film follows four women (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Amy Vilela, Cori Bush, Paula Jean Swearengin) and their dynamic stories. Which intertwine with their deep-rooted reasoning for wanting change in our nation. Watching the midterms in early November, I knew the names of all these women and I was, of course, encouraged and amazed by them.  Even so, what wasn’t apparent to me, until this film, was how remarkable each woman highlighted truly is.  The movie takes us through the real-life trials and tribulations of each of these aspiring politicians.  The common theme for which they all ran, in my opinion, is THE battle in American history and politics; the battle of doing what is right. Amy’s run was as personal as it was intense, her purpose was healthcare because her daughter had died due to a bureaucracy that couldn’t or, worse, wouldn’t help.  AOC’s run was inspired by her father’s death, and she would do whatever it took to make him proud. Cori Bush was running because she knew her constituents and anguished over their needs in a way that their current Senator could never even begin to imagine.  Paula Jean’s run was a full-throated attempt to draw attention to the unhealthy living conditions of her State and she was willing to do whatever it took to make those conditions safe. Through the movie you, are able to feel each one of these women care deeply and passionately for the well-being of their slice of America, and America as a whole. This biographical movie inspires through telling the patriotic tale of strong women who are all born to the land of the free and the home of the brave.  

     We open with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez smiling and rambling about how different it is for women and men to get ready. Women are defined by the way they look, men aren’t.  A reality that is all too understood by the young women in the room. You immediately fall in love with Alexandria’s courage, strength, beauty and passion for our country. And from that moment you’re completely hooked. Not only did this film have my attention for the entire two-hours it made me imagine a world where women could be seen for more than the superficial.  If so, these were the women who are pioneering the way, and attempting to make such an audacious fantasy into reality.  In the end, it becomes clear, which of these pioneers have won, and which have lost in their respective contests.  We’ve been let in behind the scenes and now can feel just how much each one of these women have put in of themselves, their entire heart, body and souls, for months.  But it is not an end, just a battle, the victors will go on and fight on in congress, and the vanquished will fight-on as activists in their communities and likely candidates in future elections. What they all know is this truth, that the great men of this country have been raised by even greater women and if given a chance, those women can and will hold higher office.      Corny as it may sound, a single tear rolled down my cheek as the credits rolled on, but it morphed into a broad and hopeful smile.  I think I was crying for all the women who desperately want to change the world for the better, but don’t always succeed in the ways they imagined. I was smiling because sometimes they do.  Like many girls in my generation, I feel as if there might be no place for me, my opinion, my contribution to change, and this movie made me feel as though maybe not; maybe I was capable of anything I dare hope to achieve.

photo courtesy of Sundance Film Festival 

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An Emotionally Packed Tale of Fighting PACs by: Alicia Whitty

     I walked into the theater at 8 AM, waiting for the others in my group to arrive, adorned with red lipstick and an eager energy coursing through my body. As the others arrived, my excitement levels just heightened. I sat next to my friend and we squeezed each other’s hands. Since seeing this film as an option on our list, I had been counting the hours until I got to see “Knock Down The House,” a movie following Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Amy Vilela, and Paula Jean Swearington in their campaigns for the Democratic primaries. Each of them is refusing PAC donations and working to be a representative of the working class without being bought out by corporations.      It was amazing being able to follow Amy Vilela and her story of running for the Democratic primaries in Nevada, inspired by the loss of her daughter to fix the issues in healthcare, Cori Bush in Missouri, the same place where Mike Brown died, connecting with other working class people after having gone through many of the same issues she is fighting to stop, Paula Jean Swearington in West Virginia show the destruction of coal and fossil fuels of her hometown and trying to usurp the industry, and of course, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaking of how she went from losing her father to being a bartender to entering Congress.      Despite already knowing the results of each of the races, the film captures your heart and you are moved through the political process as if it was your first time. It mixes personal stories about the motivation behind these powerful women running, displays of the people helping to support grassroots campaigns, thought provoking campaign footage, and iconic quotes by each of the candidates. 

     Not only was there a political aspect, there was an amazingly human aspect to it as well. Each person running was so much more than just their campaign and issues, though seeing AOC make Joe Crowley sweat was wildly entertaining. It wasn’t just a victory documentary about one new member of Congress, it was a realistic tale of the power of the political machine, both in highs and lows. It showed how one person was able to defeat their opposer despite being laughed at originally and how three weren’t able to do so, at least not this time.      Though there is an obvious love of the candidates, Director Rachel Lears said that she has had people from any side of the political spectrum compliment her about the film. It has the ability to focus on the power of corporations taking away from the power of democracy as well as how personal stories influence political beliefs so well that, especially as the competition was entirely Democrat vs Democrat, it was acclaimed by all as an ingenious film. When Lears and and Robert Blotnick walked on stage after the film was finished, the audience all rose up for a standing ovation. Everyone was touched, despite coming from many different walks of life. It left me in a haze for the rest of the day, reconsidering my decision of never wanting to run for political office and already excited to see Cori Bush, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Paula Jean Swearington and hopefully Amy Vilela run again.      Netflix attained the rights to this movie and I know that at least I will be recommending it to as many people as possible and hope this review has inspired you to see it so you too can feel as inspired as I did.

photo courtesy of Sundance Film Festival 

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How to Fall in Love with A Serial Killer by: Maya Levine

Leaving the Eccles theater after a showing of Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile I was visibly shaken- I almost grabbed a trashcan next to me, not knowing if my disgust would transform into something visible. I was not nauseated with the film, but rather with myself (a perfect Millenial/ Gen Z term to describe my emotions would be #shooketh).

Throughout the film I began to fall in love with the seemingly charming character, Ted Bundy. This may have occurred, in part, because the actor playing him was Zac Efron. Whoever the casting director was for this feature film is the true star of the show. Zac Efron is a celebrity known for his charismatic attitude and to have him play a serial killer made me feel like I was in a matrix of sorts. I should not have felt this, though, as the old saying goes, “Never trust a stranger”... especially one who is a known sex offender and murderer.

Having an actor known for his kindness perform a role in which the character was featured as desirable for a large part of the film lowered the audiences guard, leaving them vulnerable to the charm and wit of Bundy. As people left the theater I heard them quietly question their partners and friends, “Did you think he was innocent in the first trial too?” another, “Did the police really have evidence to question and detain him?” The film was exciting to watch and toyed with the audiences emotions, clearly.

While the commonality throughout the audience was a vicious hatred towards Bundy, many members of the audience empathetically questioned him throughout the feature. The way the film portrayed him was as a hard working college student training to become a lawyer and a caring boyfriend. The message from the film: Ted Bundy is just like you and me. But let me be very clear, Ted Bundy is anything but.

As I sat in my car trying to remember if there were any warning signs of an unhealthy relationship with Bundy and Elizabeth Kloepfer, as I have been trained to see as a Teen Council member, I visualized very few moments. This was not because I didn’t properly learn what consent and a healthy relationship should look like, but because the film purposely left out many signs. The most prominent one I did catch, though, was how Bundy treated Kloepfer once he was taken to jail. The slight, “Say you love me, do you love me? We’ll get through this.” stated multiple times throughout the film showed Kloepfer in a distressing state, as most people would be in this situation, but also one of fear. It was almost as if Kloepfer was too afraid to say “no” and voice her true opinions to Bundy. If she spoke to Bundy about how she was acting, the excessive drinking and depressive stages she was facing, wouldn’t he as a partner want her to move on and seek help? No, he wouldn’t. If he did, Kloepfer would not have been afraid to talk to Bundy.

My last thought I must ask to you, the reader. This film was one of the most highly anticipated for the Sundance Festival this year. Numerous articles were written about it across the U.S. Ted Bundy, a heinous serial killer who has recently become one of the most talked about subjects in Hollywood, in high schools, in the workplace, and more. If our society highlights compassion in serial killers, makes them famous, then writes stirring movies about them, how will that appear to millions of young, naive and malleable minds across the nation?

photo courtesy of Sundance Film Festival 

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Inspired,proud, and wanting to read by: Lessly Izquierdo

Toni Morrison ; The Pieces I am starts off with various pictures of Toni and different pieces of paper being rearrange. The different colors and patterns of paper, as well as the age differences in the photos of Toni being used was truly captivating. Entering the film I knew nothing about Toni Morrison. However, upon leaving the theater it made me feel so intrigued about her experiences, and her literature. My fellow bloggers and I wanted to rush to the nearest bookstore to get all her books.

This film focused mainly on Toni’s professional life. It showed how she began writing, and the where the inspiration came from for her books. The Bluest Eyes inspiration stood out to me a lot. In the film, Toni talked about how a childhood friend of hers didn’t believe in god because she had prayed to have blue, but it never came true.This experience stayed with her, the experience of intense hatred to people of color especially black people to hate their features because they didn't look white. Toni was unapologetic for writing about black characters.This brought her backlash from white people feeling as if they were being portrayed inaccurate. That was just the focus of her books, to disprove that black lives weren't for the white people's gaze.

In the film, she talked about how no matter how amazing her work was, it was always referred back to being amazing, coming from a black author. There were many times her work wasn’t seen as legit because she was black. There were various harsh white critics when Beloved had won a Nobel prize. The film showed how long it took for people to even recognize her for awards that were well deserved. She knew those awards were well deserved yet refused to ask for them.

This documentary truly showed Toni Morrison as the amazing writer she is. Leaving this film, I had gained that knowledge on her books and how they were a part of her life. How it was being black author in a mainly white dominated career. The way she felt about her works and the critics about her. Over all, her true iconism of being a women of color and achieving so many grand things.

photo courtesy of Sundance Film Festival  

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Intersectional Feminism is Important, Although Messy by: Lupita Mendez

“Yeah what is feminism? Do I consider myself part of feminism?” Erika Andiola says in a panel that followed shortly after the film.

     The title of the film itself, This is Personal, refers to a saying that protestors chanted at rallies after the election of 2016. The election which brought about a rise in bigotry and hate in the U.S. then, served as a call to action for women organizations who sought to bring a voice to those who were having their personal rights and safety attacked. Out of this need for action in the face of trial, the Women’s March was formed. However, in the beginning of it all it was noticed that the leaders of this organization were all predominantly white, this was not at all the image that was wanted. This is where our main protagonists come in Tamika D. Mallory and Erika Andiola. (along with Linda Sarsour)

     The film follows their stories and the rise of activist movements through these past few years in a fearless and tactful manner.

Panelists and stars of film answer initial questions 

(photo courtesy of Lupita Mendez)

It was empowering as a young woman of color to witness the efforts that these women put into making sure our voices are heard. Especially in the way they were portrayed in this film. See, something that was repeated among the women shown in the film is that, “intersectionality is messy.” And this film definitely does not stray away from that fact.

     It is brave and important to show the messy side of activism and the personal risks one must take to be heard.

     One of the ways this film does just this is by venturing into a controversy concerning one of the main women, Tamika D. Mallory. The controversy about her supposedly supporting Reverend Farrakhan who has outwardly been Anti-Semitic. Tamika was attacked for not immediately denouncing Farrakhan, however, in this film she explains that it is not her job to denounce someone forwardly. Instead, she can denounce him through her supporting actions to the Jewish community.

     In the panel after the film this question is revisited and Mallory has a brief discussion with Nancy K. Kaufman, chief executive officer of the National Council of Jewish Women, about how Farrakhan’s words were never her own and the importance of solidarity between groups.

     This is Personal, is not simply a film about the uprising of the women’s march. It is a film unafraid to show another challenging side of activism.  This is Personal highlights the importance of intersectional-feminism.

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Youth Activism Is Trendy and Powerful by: Catalina Barraza

 First things first, “Infiltrators” directed by Cristina Ibarra and Alex Rivera will ignite the rebellious activist inside you. This film is half documentary and half dramatized to get scenes from inside the detention center located in Florida at The Broward Transitional Center. It stars undocumented Mohammad (Mo) Abdollahi, Marco Saavedra, and Viridiana (Viri) Martinez who were not trying to break out of the detention center but trick the guards , to put them in.

     All three young adults are apart of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, A group that brought legislature attention to the DREAM act. They have stopped plenty of deportations before this scheme and have done many after. What sparked this idea was when Marco heard of a man Claudio Rojas who was detained while taking out his trash. Marco and soon later Viri 1.) Fool the guards into detaining them 2.) Give detainees a phone number to call to help get their case to the media to hopefully get enough attention to get released. 3.) Then get themselves released.

     From a young activist watching this, it was inspiring.The film had so many lingering takeaways about family, youth, and the power of being undocumented and unafraid. The Q&A was full of the directors, some of the cast and crew but most importantly Mo and Viri. It opened up topics about immigration reform , what can our politicians do to help , how can we help, what’s the next step? The Q&A was filled with answers for the future, Viridiana is going to be a lobbyist at D.C this summer , Mohammad runs the Detentionlifeline.org which is where anyone in the states can call to get help for someone they know who has been detained. The future seems bright, but we still have work to do.

     As Mo said “Hold Democrats accountable , they say they are our friends , prove to us you are”. The Q&A was feisty in all the right ways by calling out politicians for using words to gain specifically the Latinx vote. Obama formed DACA but left the parents of those undocumented students stranded when they needed help to keep their family together. “Immigration is a hot topic since Trump has been elected” - Mohammad Abdollahi. The 2016 election may not be so bad after all because people care more about immigrants than ever before. When things aren’t being oppressed to drastic levels , such as children being ripped away from parents arms and put in cages, people just look the other way. Since the mass missing children , immigration reform is a popular subject, It was one of biggest factors on electing people for office for the midterm elections 2018. Real people call out the fake ones, this is exactly what Mo and Viri were doing.

    To conclude , meeting Mohammad and Viridiana was a star struck experience. It was fuel to my burning flame to speak my truth and never be afraid. I hope this film encourages other youth to get involved and do something. We are the future and we decide how it’s gonna be right NOW!!

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Silent Siege by: Sean Lydon

Gaza is an incredibly well done film about the plight and lives of the almost 2 million people who live along the Gaza Strip. The film manages to portray the lives of people living in the isolation and hardship within the borders of the Gaza strip with clarity and a depth that is unique among the two-dimensional profile that is shown by media and governments. In the film, there is an array of people interviewed, from a small boy to a paramedic. The film shows not only the sadness and tragedy of the situation, but also the ways that people are able to remain happy and the everyday parts of life that everyone can relate to. Parties, music, dreams, and everyday conversation brings life into this movie and creates a narrative that makes you wonder why there has been relatively no international action or even much coverage on what is happening within the borders of the Gaza Strip.

While talking to the directors of the film, it is apparent that they wanted to show a very a-political view on the siege. Being in Palestine and talking to the people, the directors said that the public opinion is not focused on a specific political group and instead are angry at the world for forcing them to live as they are by not stepping in or enacting change. Everyone is to blame who is complicit in the global isolation and ignorance that allows the people of Palestine to die for fighting for their freedom or. The tragedy shown in the film is, in my opinion, well balanced with the stories of the people. It is an incredible film that will send you through a gauntlet of emotions and hopefully educate you as to what is happening on the Gaza Strip.

photo courtesy of Sundance Film Festival 

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Dr Ruth: Teaching Us More Than Just Sex by: Thea Soter

     The film, “Ask Dr. Ruth,” premiered for the first time this weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah as a part of the Sundance film festival documentary series. Having been born long after the height of her popularity, I was not familiar with the diminutive sex Doctor.  Still, moments into the documentary, I found myself smiling back at her warm, bright, charismatic face that was filling the cinema screen.  Through her adorable German accent, and past her very contagious little smile, Dr. Ruth unfolds her tragic, exciting, inspirational life.  Over the span of two hours she teaches the viewer truths about how to achieve sexual desires and other secrets to enjoying a happy life. Ruth started on the radio and before she knew it, the world knew her name. From radio, she moved on to talk shows; to her own television show; to having an entire motion picture made about the iconic sex expert.      Dr. Ruth uses her humor to explain, in her words, “how to have a better orgasm”. It’s a little bit comical watching her talk about such things, but clearly, she knows her stuff.  Her central aim though isn’t the sex, rather, it’s to simply living the best life one can, in every way one can, and you leave the theater convinced, that she has achieved this end.        The film, directed by Ryan White, shows Ruth as a small child tragically taken from her mother and father and sent to an orphanage in the foreign country of Switzerland as a result of the holocaust during WWII. The film then flashes back to the 90-year-old woman that the world knows today.  The film is intertwined with beautiful animation telling the story parallel to Ruth about her childhood to the world of young adulthood, full of sexual curiosities. The animation is a device that is used to soften the story and enables the viewer to better access her childhood and persona.

     Ruth had a turbulent childhood full of heartbreak, sadness, and loneliness, so as soon as she was able, she set out on a hunt for love, passion, and everything from life which she didn’t know she would ever find. She found herself in the arms of two different men and in a completely different country before finding the love of her life while skiing with her 2-year-old daughter. This is only a taste of the fun, light-hearted, happy individual that we know as Dr. Ruth. So, how did she do it? How did she triumph over the pain of her reality to become a powerful, successful, exceptionally happy woman known worldwide? I found that she did this by living everyday to the fullest, always stopping to smell the flowers, and by never depriving herself of a good laugh along the way.  Dr Ruth never sweats the small stuff and in return leads a big life.      Being a sex ed. Peer educator, along with a young woman, I applaud Dr. Ruth. Despite hardships she defied the stigmas of the word “sex” and taught America it was okay to live a great life in every aspect, just as she did. Ruth is a trailblazer for a world where people are comfortable with their sexuality, sexually safe, pleasured, and exceptionally happy Dr. Ruth’s smile put a smile on my face the moment I saw her, what kept it there throughout the film was the resilience, courage, honesty and strength of the one and only, Dr. Ruth.  

photo by Sundance Film Festival 

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Maiden: To Light a Spark in Young Eyes  by: Lupita Mendez

A story that started with the spark in a young girl’s eyes, Maiden, serves as not only a film to inspire women out there, but also those who have been told they aren’t enough. A fire in the sea from the spark in young eyes.

Maiden follows the story of Tracy Edwards, the skipper of the first all-women’s sailing team to compete in the Whitbread Round the World Race. Edwards started out as a misfit teenager on board a boat with others like herself. There she learned her way around the world of sailing and became fascinated by it. So fascinated that despite not having a fond interest in cooking, she begged a sailing boat, competing in the Whitbread Round the World Race, to allow her to be on as their cook. Her only way as a woman to participate. Though she was treated quite harshly, nothing could make her love for the sea and art of sailing falter. Following this experience, she had a thought.

If they wouldn’t let her on the boat without degrading her as a mere cook. Then she would get her own boat to compete with.

     From there a great voyage began. She searched for crew members, finding some of the strongest and capable young women. She labored for enough money to buy a rusted boat, which her and the crew fixed up themselves. And she found a sponsor for her team after searching for so long, as no one would fund something so controversial as an “all-women’s sailing team.”

     Finally, after all of this, they were able to compete. And though they did place high and win first place in one leg, what truly mattered to the crew was the generous amount of support from the people. What truly mattered was that they had followed their ambitions and achieved their wildest dreams.

     Throughout the film, old interviews and footage of the women were used to tell the story. And seeing the original footage first hand made the experience all the more memorable. The director himself, Alex Holmes, even mentioned that it was incredible that there was so much footage from the event as it was uncommon for people to film most things during the time.

     In fact, Alex Holmes first heard of the story when he saw Edwards giving a talk at his daughter’s elementary school.

“As I sat there I was really struck by the fact that my daughter was gonna face obstacles, that people in this cast were gonna face huge obstacles. And that she was telling a story that reminded everybody that if you are committed. If you really believe in yourself. And if you surround yourself with other people who believe in you. Then you can achieve great things,” said Holmes about his thoughts about the film’s message.

     Truly this film served to show us a pure example of grit translating into success and the achievement of what is thought as impossible. A film to create that spark in another young person’s eyes.  

photo courtesy of Lupita Mendez

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La Lucha Sigue  by Lessly Paulino Izquierdo

     “The Infiltrators” is a magnificent film that dives headfirst into the hardship, emotional, and physical trauma of being undocumented in America. In the film, the visuals portrayed the actors and the real people.The infiltrators are a group of young adults who are all undocumented and unafraid. They knew that they had more power than people believed they did.They helped in the release of many people who were detained.They were even courageous enough to go into Broward detention center in Florida to help in the release of detainees.

     Almost every clip showed them as they continued to fight for freedom.There were various stories about different people there. The main focus was the story of Claudio, whose son sought out for help from the infiltrators.This occurred at the beginning of the film were you could feel the dismay of having your family be separated and not knowing what to do. As the filmed progressed, they had successfully infiltrated the detention center and you’re able to learn more about each character. Many people detained were detained unjustly for example there was a women from Africa who was detained for reporting domestic abuse and another teenager for riding a bicycle.The anger arose around the theater as you felt and saw the unfairness, loneliness, loss of appetite, and hopelessness from the detainees. Not only were you seeing the suffering from those detained but also the suffering their families went through that weren’t able to visit due to their immigration status.   

   This film’s intensity and reality was difficult to endure.I found the film very emotional as someone who has family and friends who are undocumented. I noticed I wasn’t the only one who felt emotional because I saw others also shed tears. You didn’t have to be facing the same circumstances with the people in the film to feel heartbroken. One thing that stood out to me were the eyes of the detainees. Whether it was the director’s purpose or not, it was definitely powerful to see because of the underlying emotions: hope, dismay, relief, and fear. It connected with me because of the community around me who face similar fears like deportation.The eyes remind me of that struggle.Their eyes hold onto their identity, hope, and the difficulties they face.    

The film ended abruptly with Claudio on his way to meet with I.C.E.to see if he is granted another year in the United States of America leaving many people upset. The darkness that filled the room following that clip had us at the edge of our seats longing for a happy ending but we were fed with the credits. After having seen them go through so many difficulties to free Claudio there was no true sense of freedom. However this abrupt ending showed the very raw and realistic side of being undocumented. There is no end to people who face this daily. The fight to free the humans detained is still present and they continue to fight. The Infiltrators being Mohammad Abdollahi, Viridiana Martinez, Marco Saavedra continue to fight these injustices.

photos courtesy of Sundance Film Festival 

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The Personal Tales of a National Phenomenon by: Maya Levine

     On Monday, January 28th at 2:15 p.m. the documentary, This Is Personal, debuted for their world premiere. While many documentaries often go unnoticed, with theater seats largely empty, this film brought in an animated audience and a waitlist line that could have filled the theater themselves.

     Foreseeing this, I arrived forty-five minutes early and was still towards the back of the line. While waiting, I looked around. There was a woman sitting on the floor in front of me wearing a pink pussycat hat. She was knitting what appeared to be a shawl. There were few men scattered throughout the room. It was oddly quiet, or maybe I was just zoning out the polite banter of the adults around me. My thoughts were preoccupied by trying to figure out how to phrase this introduction and whether to address the controversy regarding the anti-semitism. Do I ignore it or discuss it within this page head on? I now realize I don’t need to discuss it, as this blog is about the movie, not my beliefs, and reducing the women that were featured in the film only to the instances concerning the controversy would perpetuate a racist and sexist society.     

The film portrayed the most personal aspects of Erika Andiola and Tamika Mallory’s lives, going beyond the Women's March, the story focused on the hardships they have to face, their perseverance and their unstoppable cries for justice. The film was vulnerable, intense, and engaging. It incited an enthusiasm among the audience that is rarely, if ever found, in documentary films.

     The story was magical. The glory and strength I once felt at the Women's March in 2016 and haven’t since experienced flooded back into me. The film reminded me about my intentions and what I, as a feminist who is white, can improve upon. This was followed by a discussion concerning intersectionality during a panel after the film with Erika Andiola, Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour, among others. Their honesty and enduring resilience to discuss the uncomfortable questions transformed the space into one of deep understanding. I left the theater not only feeling satisfied about what I had learned, but also in my identity as well.

As a Teen Council member, I have learned that the best characteristic is to empower others. While this movie focused on the personal lives of Mallory and Andiola, it also acted as a form to reignite the empowerment originally caused by the Women's Movement. For these reasons, I believe, this documentary is one of the most powerful films in the festival.

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My New Reading List: The Bluest Eye, Solomon’s Song and Beloved by:Emory Bouffard

At the beginning of the film Toni Morrison: The Pieces I am, everyone received a paper as they filed into the theater. Each corner had a certain amount of stars, from 1-4, 4 being incredible and 1 being average. At the end of the film you were supposed to tear the corner you thought it matched best. As the lights dimmed at the end of the film, I barely had to think about giving it 4 stars.

     I myself haven’t read a single book by Toni Morrison, which I regretted more and more as the film progressed. The three books that were emphasized were The Bluest Eye, Song of Solomon, and Beloved. I would like to read all of them now. Toni Morrison went into detail about why she had such sad plots, why she focused on the African American culture and what influenced her when she was writing. I think the most impactful subject she talked about was what inspired her to write about The Bluest Eye. When she was younger she had a friend who was positive that there was no God, and her reasoning was that she had been praying for years to have blue eyes, yet she never received them. Toni Morrison illustrated that not all racism is lynching and hate crimes and racist comments; racism is deep, it goes past all that and cuts into the self esteem of the oppressed. In the film Oprah Winfrey talks about how Toni Morrison’s writing hits the reader with subjects like internalized oppression, it takes them aback when they aren’t expecting it. 

      It was incredible hearing about Toni Morrison’s achievements with all of the work and perseverance it took. The cinematography of the film illustrated her life wonderfully, with shots of her in her office, walking along the street, as a child, with her sons, writing at home and old family photographs. My favorite part of the cinematography was the numerous shots of different book covers for the same book. Some covers were in different languages, some old and new, and it illustrated that Toni Morrison was and continues to be an international figure. 

      Toni Morrison talks about serious subjects that make the readers cry, but on the screen, what she said made the audience laugh. She found humor in every subject - something the audience could relate to. It’s not hard to tell she’s a writer, with the flow of her speech and the power in her words. She made the film more enjoyable with her laugh and commentary. As a student and a teen educator, I am taught and must teach in a manner that includes all students. Toni Morrison centers subjects related to  African American characters and their experience, but on a global scale her work speaks to us all, because we’re all human. I love the way she speaks, the way she reads and laughs. If other people in that audience hadn’t read any of her books, it’s hard for me to see how they can’t want to now.

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Writing for Humanity   by: Thea Soter

     The lights dimmed, the audience grew quiet and a beautiful melody began to play. Fragmentations of Toni Morrison’s face occupied the screen creating picture after picture of an iconic writer of the 21st century. Toni Morrison: The Pieces I am is aesthetically pleasing, informative, and above all, inspiring. At the end of two hours the viewer leaves feeling as though they’ve gained a new friend in Toni. 

     Regardless of whether you’ve had the pleasure of having read Toni Morrison, it is clear to the viewer that she possesses a rare gift in storytelling. She has the ability to make people feel the pain of humanity without experiencing it first-hand. The documentary skirts any revelation of her personal life and travels solely throughout her professional achievements. While this may seem like a disconnect it grounds the viewer to focus on the subject and allows one to imagine the full complexity of the person. The director cleverly unfolds the story by drawing the person into enchanting cinematography leading to first person accounts intertwined with the anecdotes of friends and associates.

     The biography is directed by Timothy Greenfield Sanders (The Women’s list, The Trans list, The Latino List) and runs 1 hour and 59 minutes and is worth every second. When asked, the editor said it was difficult to convince Toni to do a documentary, but she eventually opened her home for filming and when she was asked what she thought of the film she simply said, “You know, I like that person”. And how could you not? Toni defies the limits of sex, race, social class and education to become one of the most powerful and influential writers of American history. In the documentary she made it clear that she was not writing for white men, white women, black men or black women, she was not writing for the abolitionist or slave owner, she was simply writing for humanity, no matter what kind of human you are.

     At the end of the movie it became incredibly apparent to me the symbolism of the fragmentations of Toni’s face at the beginning of the film, it was parallel with Toni, her life, her story, a story we were lucky enough to learn about. As an aspiring writer, I look up to Ms. Morrison with the utmost respect and am so grateful for this film because it reminded me that despite a dark world, there are always stories, and stories can change everything.

photos courtesy of Sundance Film Festival