Paired with this week’s classic dance musical West Side Story, Boredom is a choreographed contemporary dance piece which explores feelings of boredom and aimlessness. Juxtaposition is a major feature driving the film as a tension is created between stillness and motion, participation and indifference. This play with dance and rivalry makes it a perfect companion film for West Side Story, a film renowned for its tensions and rivalries.
This week’s films all feature quirky characters in unconventional competitions. Just like the characters in this week’s feature Best in Show, these shorts all depict people who are unique, determined and proud. Their enthusiasm for their respective competitions are infectious and you’ll find yourself rooting for them, too. Enter the cut-throat world of pottery making in Pottery Wars, experience how a cowboy boot can convey a social message in Bootwmn, and engage with the showmanship of choreographed swimming in Sink or Swim.
Women lead the show at this week’s screening of our Eyes on the Prize series. Complementing this week’s feature film Speed Sisters - a film about Palestinian female race car drivers - are two powerful short films which also feature outstanding women in exceptional situations: documentary short Underdog depicts a female dog-sledder in the Yukon vying to win a the longest race in its type in the world, and Boxing uses contact sport to showcase physical catharsis of a woman suffering from recent trauma.
