10th annual M.V. Documentary Week at the Film Center

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Richard Paradise, founder and executive director of the M.V. Film Society, has curated a smashing lineup for the Film Center’s 10th annual M.V. Documentary Week festival, which runs from July 29 to August 2.

“Documentary films have become the conscience of the nation, providing a deeper study of contemporary, and often unnoticed, social issues. By using the unique medium of film, documentarians are able to cultivate a more compelling and fruitful discussion by mixing strongly driven narratives with vivid imagery,” says the M.V. Film Society’s website write-up. And this weeklong festival delivers. 

The week begins with “Girls State” on Monday, July 29. “Girls State” poses the question, What would American democracy look like in the hands of teenage girls? This political coming-of-age story is a stirring reimagination of what it means to govern. It follows young female leaders from wildly different backgrounds across Missouri as they navigate an immersive experiment to build a government from the ground up. The film will be followed by a Q and A with the directors Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, who have been filmmaking partners for 20 years.

“Sugarcane,” on Tuesday evening, July 30, will be introduced by awardwinning documentary filmmaker and producer David Fialkow, and will include a discussion afterward with directors Julian Brave NoiseCat, a writer and filmmaker, and Emily Kassie, an Emmy- and Peabody-nominated investigative journalist and filmmaker. Their National Geographic documentary follows an investigation into the abuse of and missing children at the Indian residential school NoiseCat’s family was sent to near Williams Lake, British Columbia.

In 2021, unmarked graves were discovered on the grounds of an Indian residential school run by the Catholic Church in Canada. After years of silence, the forced separation, assimilation, and abuse many children experienced at these segregated boarding schools was brought to light, sparking a national outcry against a system designed to destroy Indigenous communities. Set amid a groundbreaking investigation, “Sugarcane” illuminates the beauty of a community breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and finding the strength to persevere.

On Wednesday, July 31, is “Donyale Luna: Supermodel.” This documentary chronicles the remarkable life and career of Donyale Luna, the first Black model on the cover of both Harper’s Bazaar (1965) and Vogue (1966). Breaking barriers in the fashion industry, challenging the prevailing ideals of beauty, and influencing culture in the late 1960s and early 1970s, Luna remains largely unknown, despite her stunning body of work and her collaborations with some of the foremost fashion photographers of the 20th century.

A post-screening discussion, with Isoul Harris, a writer, editor, and producer passionate about stories that shape culture, and Melissa Kramer, a creative director and producer, will be moderated by Donnell Baldwin, fashion and style director and author.

“Porcelain War” will be the penultimate screening, on Thursday, August 1. This wrenching documentary follows three artists who, amid the chaos and destruction of the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, defiantly find inspiration and beauty as they defend their culture and their country. 

In a war waged by professional soldiers against ordinary civilians, Slava Leontyev, Anya Stasenko, and Andrey Stefanov choose to stay behind, armed with their art, their camera, and their guns. In the midst of daily shelling, Anya finds both resistance and purpose in painting porcelain figures that Slava fashions with idyllic images of the past and present. “Porcelain War” is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, embodying the passion and fight that only an artist can put back into the world when it’s crumbling around them.

There will be a Q and A afterward with co-director Slava Leontyev, producer Paula DuPré Pesmen, subject Anya Stasenko, and Frodo the dog, who also stars in the film.

Friday, August 2, M.V. Film Society’s Documentary Week concludes with “Admission Granted,” followed by a discussion with the co-director, Miao Wang. This MSNBC film examines a landmark Supreme Court case pitting Asian American plaintiffs against Harvard University. Activists on both sides wrestle with hard truths about race and equality as the fate of affirmative action hangs in the balance.

Whether you go to one or all, the documentary week stays true to its promise, showing groundbreaking and engaging documentaries with follow-up discussions that truly provide “a deeper study of contemporary, and often unnoticed, social issues.”

The 10th Annual M.V. Documentary Week at the M.V. Film Center runs from July 29 to August 2. For more information and tickets, visit mvfilmsociety.com/documentary-week-marthas-vineyard.