This January, Chicago Filmmakers is pleased to present a series of documentaries that explore current social and political issues around environmental justice, immigration justice, and reproductive justice. These new documentaries reveal personal stories behind the political debate.
Still from Eva Lewis' documentary UNDETERRED
Saturday, January 11, 2020 - LAST MAN FISHING, Chicago Premiere
Directed by JD Schuyler, 64 min., USA, 2019
LAST MAN FISHING is a cinematic look at the vastly changing seafood system through the lens of small-scale fishermen across the United States. Narrated by best-selling author Mark Bittman, the film explores the dichotomy between the industrial model and sustainable fishing methods that focus on conservation and quality.
Among the fishermen profiled is renegade New Englander Tim Rider, whose dream of supporting his family as a fisherman is met with numerous challenges. His story parallels that of Darius Kasperzak, a jig boat fisherman in Kodiak, Alaska, who seeks to build infrastructure for a struggling small boat fleet.
Filmmaker JD Schuyler weaves a collection of intimate stories from coastal communities with expert interviews to portray the complex struggle between corporate giants and family fishers. Produced in part by veteran filmmaker Matt Wechsler ( SUSTAINABLE ), and featuring conservationist Carl Safina and author Paul Greenberg, LAST MAN FISHING calls to question the ethics of the seafood industry and its impact on small-scale fishing across the United States.
Director JD Schuyler is scheduled to attend the screening for a post-film Q&A.
Film website: lastmanfishing.com .
Trailer: vimeo.com/230778955 .
Saturday, January 18, 2020 - UNDETERRED, Chicago Premiere
Directed by Eva Lewis, 77 min., USA, 2018
UNDETERRED is a documentary about community resistance in the rural border town of Arivaca, AZ. Since NAFTA, 9/11 and the Obama and Trump administrations, border residents have been on the front lines of the humanitarian crisis caused by increased border enforcement. UNDETERRED explores how residents in a small rural community, caught in the crosshairs of global geo-political forces, have mobilized to demand their rights and to provide aid to those suffering, both physically and mentally, as a result of these policies.
The film was made by Eva Lewis, a resident of Arivaca and long time member of People Helping People in the Border Zone ( PHP ). UNDETERRED was created in close collaboration with the Arivaca community and members of PHP.
Film website: undeterredfilm.org/ .
Trailer: vimeo.com/283563848 .
Saturday, January 25, 2020 - OUR BODIES OUR DOCTORS, Chicago Premiere
Directed by Jan Haaken, 80 mins. USA, 2018
OUR BODIES OUR DOCTORS tells the story of a quiet rebellion in the field of medicine as a cohort of physicians faces abortion stigma within their own profession and confronts religious control over healthcare decisions. An intimate portrait of the lives of these providers and their struggles to provide abortion procedures, the film explores the importance of practices founded on feminist principles and their profound impact on models of patient care in mainstream medicine.
"The debate continues to be defined by gruesome images from the anti-abortion movement, but OUR BODIES OUR DOCTORS shows truth to power, exposing the daily realities of performing procedures from providers POV and why they fight for reproductive justice." — Gloria Steinem, author and activist.
Film website: ourbodiesourdoctors.com/ .
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch .
