Religion & Spirituality

Within the human struggle to live and work on a changing planet, questions of value, extraction, and adaptation echo across seemingly disparate worlds. A Common Sequence examines shifts of life and labor through a critically-endangered salamander and plant patents in the apple industry. Weaving the stories of Dominican nuns running a conservation lab, a group of fisherman attempting to live off of a depleting lake, engineers developing AI-driven harvesting machines, and an indigenous biomedical researcher resisting the commodification of human DNA, the film becomes a meditation on the shifting border between the natural and unnatural world, and the dynamics of power at play.

Musician David Bazan retreated into a solitary life after renouncing his long-held Christian beliefs and walking away from his critically-acclaimed band, Strange Negotiations follow David a decade into his journey, during which he has become a sort of reluctant prophet to Americans during the 2016 presidential election.

A cinematic meditation of the dawn of May 3, 2020–International Dawn Chorus Day–as observed from around the world during the Covid-19 lockdown.

HÍBRIDOS, THE SPIRITS OF BRAZIL is an ethnomusicological journey into the sacred culture of Brazil, from Roman Catholic to Ubanda and candomblé--mixures of African traditions with Catholicism.

Survivors Rowe documents the tragic stories of three men who were victims of Ralph Rowe, an Anglican priest who molested over 500 children, and the courageous journey they undertake to arrive at a place of healing and forgiveness.

An engaging cinematic portrait of one of Canada’s most eccentric prime ministers, Mackenzie King, who led a secret life conducting séances and speaking with the dead.

In Pursuit of Silence is a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence, sound and the impact of noise on our lives. This critically acclaimed documentary takes us on an immersive cinematic journey around theglobe.

What does it mean for women to be both devoted to and in conflict with a powerful religious institution? A riveting example of feminist disobedience, Radical Grace follows three extraordinary American Catholic nuns—including Sister Simone Campbell who plays a pivotal role in the organization of the Nuns on the bus - who faithfully honor their vow of obedience to God, even when it means angering the Church hierarchy.

An immersive and transporting experience directed by Taiwanese auteur Tsai Ming-liang (Stray Dogs), Journey to the West focuses on the figure of the Walker, a character loosely based on the life of Xuanzang, a seventh-century Buddhist monk who painstakingly traversed Asia for seventeen years in search of "the void."

A provocative look at the complexities of Arab identity in post 9/11 America, American Arab interweaves filmmaker Usama Alshaibi's own story, and that of his family, as well as other Arab Americans to thoughtfully explore the values, passions, hopes and perceptions of his community, from inside and out.