Standing Silent Nation: Documentary Feature
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A documentary that chronicles the White Plume Family’s struggle to develop a Lakota Hemp industry on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. |
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Courtney Hermann and Suree Towfighnia at Sedona International Film Festival
after winning Audience Choice for Best Documentary
The Films of Courtney Hermann
The Field General (2002) 27 minutes
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Bang! From a mere 41 feet away, a 60 mile-an-hour fastball slams into the catcher's mitt. From behind the mask that muffles her firmly spoken words, the catcher instructs her pitcher, "Hey, try to get that down just a little more."
There is only one player who dons a mask and squats down in foul territory every inning of a softball game. Only one player on the field can be tackled by a runner barreling into home. It's the same player who is called the "Field General" by those who know the game, but whose mental, physical and emotional importance goes virtually unrecognized by casual spectators.
The Field General reveals the world of two hard-working catchers of the Women's Professional Softball League, who play not for any hope of financial gain or recognition, but because the game and the position is who they are. |
Coaching the Sharks (2001) 31 minutes
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Coach Gesky reprimands her most talented, but sometimes least focused middle school basketball player, "What's the matter with you, today, Anne? Why aren't you working?"
As a season of basketball unfolds, a coach and her team struggle to keep it all together. Dealing with issues ranging from developing a good work ethic to the death of one player's mother, Coaching the Sharks depicts a group of young girls who simply want to be part of a team, have fun with their friends and try the patience of their coach. |
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Granite Janet (2000) 26 minutes
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"Granite" Janet LaRue is a mother, grandmother, recovering alcoholic and professional boxer. Shot over a period of 5 months, Granite Janet chronicles Janet's struggle to become a prizefighter. Just starting out in the business at the age of 42, she has to be focused on the pursuit of her goal.
"Boxing is like an obsession for me
I've tried to stop
I can't stop
I can't stop," she explains. She knows she has what it takes to succeed. The only thing she doesn't know is if she'll ever get the chance to get in the ring.
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The Single Most Feminist Thing (1999) 17 minutes
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Three women challenge gender stereotypes in their choice of occupations: Dervella is a metal worker, Jen is a sound recordist and Susan is a bicycle mechanic. They move about their workplaces competently, finding an easy contentment in their work that outweighs the problems they encounter as women navigating through men's worlds. The women featured in The Single Most Feminist Thing abide by one overriding rule: they do what they do simply because they want to.
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The Films of Suree Towfighnia ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tampico: documentary short
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A short documentary about a woman’s struggle to support herself and her 50-year old mentally challenged brother by playing their family’s traditional music in the subways of Chicago.
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Caution: 2001 documentary short
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A documentary account of the country’s physical and emotional reaction to the events of September 11th 2001, starring children, our President, the media, and visitors on a pilgrimage to Ground Zero.
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Clutter: narrative short
Carmela returns from a work trip to find her building has been sold and is about to be torn down, the war with Iraq has begun, and her long-term boyfriend is uninterested in her life. In the midst of a messy home filled with too many guests, Carmela decides to clean up her life.
Cycles: documentary short
Lauren is a 29 year-old woman living through her third battle with cancer. This intimate portrait follows her travels through chilly Chicago winters between home and hospital, illness and recuperation. Cycles celebrates Lauren's commitment to maintaining her creativity despite the physical and emotional toll of the disease and the treatment's side effects.
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