Interviews

New Horizons of Virtual Reality: Exploring Utopia Through the Evolution of Second Life

New Horizons of Virtual Reality: Exploring Utopia Through the Evolution of Second Life

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Annie Berman, named one of The Independent’s ten filmmakers to watch (2016), is a media artist living and working in New York City. Her background in photography and psychology inspires work about visual culture, virtual realities, and the changing media landscape. Her films, videos, performances, and installations have shown internationally including at the Museum of Modern Art’s Doc Fortnight, Rooftop Films, Galerie Patrick Ebensperger Berlin, Kassel Hauptbahnhof, and the Rome Independent Film Festival where she was awarded the Best Experimental Film Prize. Recently,  Annie spoke with The Independent’s editor about her newest VR project—an exploration of the possibilities and limitations of virtual reality through the aftermath of Second Life.

The Fog Rolls into Boston
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The Fog Rolls into Boston

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This fall, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Massachusetts ran a retrospective of Adrienne Barbeau’s major cult films. Mike Sullivan attended the final event—a screening of The Fog and presentation of the Coolidge Corner Theatre’s “After Midnite Award” to Barbeau. Sullivan spoke briefly with Barbeau just before the screening and also attended the robust Q&A.

New Doc Explores Benefits of Restorative Justice Practice

New Doc Explores Benefits of Restorative Justice Practice

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In Circle Up, Boston-based filmmaker Julie Mallozzi explores the power of peacemaking circles in restorative justice. She documents women using this indigenous practice to cope with extreme violence and loss. Marie-Emmanuelle Hartness met with Julie after a screening and Q&A at the Brattle Theater in Cambridge to discuss the film’s production and its use in activism.

New Documentary on Historic “Rumble in the Jungle” Boxing Match
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New Documentary on Historic “Rumble in the Jungle” Boxing Match

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The Independent’s Editor speaks with Gnimbin Ouattara, Associate Professor of History and International Studies at Brenau University on his new documentary Ali, mbomayé’s. The film centers on four African people who vividly remember the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” fight in Zaire, where Muhammad Ali, former heavyweight champion, defeated George Foreman, the undefeated world heavyweight champion in a knockout.

 

 

Making No Truth Claims: Historical Complexity in Mila Turajlic’s The Other Side of Everything
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Making No Truth Claims: Historical Complexity in Mila Turajlic’s The Other Side of Everything

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Courtney Sheehan talks with Serbian Director Mila Turajlic at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival. Turajilic’s new documentary, The Other Side of Everything (Druga strana svega) mines the depths of family history to offer an untold story of Yugoslavia’s past. The filmmaker shares about her process, her family’s fascinating story, and the role of documentary in representing and reflecting upon cultural complexities.

 

New Doc about Charter Schools Exposes Insidious Effects on Education Equity
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New Doc about Charter Schools Exposes Insidious Effects on Education Equity

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Backpack Full of Cash is a new documentary by Director and Activist Sarah Mondale. The film, which is co-produced by Vera Aronow, offers an unforgiving portrayal of the charter school movement in America. Marie-Emmanuelle Hartness was at the Boston screening and talks with Mondale and Aronow about making the film and about working with Nancy Carlson-Paige and her son, Matt Damon.

On Art and Healing

On Art and Healing

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The Independent’s editor speaks with Ricardo Bouyett, filmmaker, writer, and photographer of the new short No Love For Fuckboys. The film, which won “Best Experimental Short” at the Short To The Point International Film Festival, is an exploration—at once personal and more broadly social—of the intricacies of navigating dating, friendship, love, and desire after the trauma of sexual assault.