On Thursday, January 4th, at the Emerson Center for the Arts & Culture, Bozeman Doc Series presents the Montana premiere of the critically acclaimed new documentary, Tehachapi. The screening begins at 7pm.
Over three years, French photographer and artist JR developed a large-scale artwork in a maximum-security prison in California in collaboration with those incarcerated at the institution. Well-known for his collages and giving a voice to the marginalized and unseen, JR is also the co-director of the Academy Award-nominated Faces Places with Agnès Varda. Questioning the limits of the US prison system, Tehachapi is a rare, illuminating and moving feature documentary, showing how art can be a decisive means to reintegration and rehabilitation.
Tehachapi world-premiered at the prestigious Telluride Film Festival to widespread critical acclaim.
“Uplifting… only the hardest of hearts will remain unmoved by the passion and compassion that JR brings to this ambitious, inclusive, hope-driven project.” – Film Verdict
Following at 7pm on Thursday, January 18th, the Doc Series continues with the Montana premiere of one of the most critically-acclaimed and award-winning new documentaries of the year, Smoke Sauna Sisterhood. It screens at 7pm.
The smoke sauna tradition known as “savvusanna kombõ” is one of connecting family and friends to cleanse body and soul inside a place of peace and contemplation. Tucked in a lush green forest in southern Estonia, a group of women gather in the safe darkness of a smoke sauna to share their innermost thoughts and secrets. Enveloped by a warm, dense heat, they bare all to expel fears and shame trapped in their bodies and regain their strength.
Smoke Sauna Sisterhood world-premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it won the Directing Award in the World Cinema Documentary category and went on to win the Best Documentary prize at the European Film Awards.
“There is such raw emotional intimacy in this dazzling documentary… This is a film that weaves a spell, the camera resting often not on the woman talking but on the person listening to her, thereby creating the impression of a universal experience of women.” – The Guardian
Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are available at the door or before the show online at www.bozemandocseries.org, where you can also buy Season Passes and 7-film punch cards, learn more about the series, and view trailers for upcoming films. The series will continue every other week through April. •
