Kind Hearted Woman: Film, Supper and Discussion with Filmmaker David Sutherland
Documentary follows one contemporary Native American woman as she struggles to raise her children, further her education, heal herself from the wounds of sexual abuse she suffered as a child.
Online, March 25, 2014 (Newswire.com) - The Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is pleased to announce its collaboration with Medford Arts Center, Inc. (MACI) and The Congregational Church of West Medford. The three organizations have joined forces to screen the film KIND HEARTED WOMAN with a post screening discussion/Q&A with acclaimed filmmaker, David Sutherland, on April 6, 4:00 P.M. at The Congregational Church of West Medford, 400 High Street, W. Medford.
"No one makes documentaries the way David Sutherland does. And perhaps no one ever will; the toll is too great. The documentarian's methods more closely resemble an ethnographer's than a television director's. He steeps himself in the minute details, emotions and struggles of his subjects' lives, trying to see the world through their eyes. Never mind closing the distance between viewer and object viewed, this filmmaker all but obliterates that distinction through his own intense identification and empathy with the people he films." (Baltimore Sun)
The quote is especially well-suited to his most recent film, "Kind Hearted Woman" (April 2013, 5 hours). Sutherland delves into the sometimes troubled life of Robin Charboneau. Against the windswept backdrop of rural North Dakota, he follows a young Native American mother balancing the tragedy of alcoholism and abuse with the triumph of protecting her family and pursuing her dream of helping her people. This personal story also allows us entree into the process of the tribal court and sexual abuse on the reservation.
The Arlington International Film Festival's (AIFF) mission is to foster appreciation for different cultures by exploring the lives of people around the globe through independent film — to nurture the next generation of filmmakers. AIFF screens narrative and documentary features and shorts plus a special category of short submissions by high school filmmakers. Panel discussions/Q&A's follow many special screenings, framing provocative conversations with filmmakers, producers, academics, as well as the business community. www.AIFFest.org