“With “Friendship,” DeYoung hasn’t just called his audience to look at how they approach their own relationships; he’s created a film that men can see together that demands a discussion afterward.” –
Salon.com “It suggests not just a subversion but a putrefaction of the Ruddy-comedy genre — a portrait of male loneliness so totalizing, and so scarily close to the bone, that laughs and screams all but bleed together.” –
Justin Chang, The New Yorker ‘Friendship’ Review: Are Men OK? Read the full NYT review here.
Suburban dad Craig falls hard for his charismatic new neighbor, as Craig’s attempts to make an adult male friend threaten to ruin both of their lives. (The latest release from A24)
98% on Rotten Tomatoes “Splicing together real archival video, fake documentary footage about the making of a fake biopic, and real conversations with the present-day band, Pavements is delightfully chaotic.” –
NPR “Though Pavement is the star and the performers in its orbit are all in supporting roles, “Pavements” is distinguished by cinematic artistry that’s as distinctive as it is personal.” –
The New Yorker “Part spoof and part serious, the film is about mythmaking as much as it is about music. The result is delightfully destabilizing.” – Read the full New York Times review
here. Pavements is a movie about Pavement the band—among other things. The latest film from acclaimed director Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell) is a documentary that may or may not be entirely true, may or may not be totally sincere, and may or may not be more about the idea of the band—or any band—than a history of the short-lived, passionately loved, commercially marginal Nineties American alternative group Pavement. This unconventional film about a highly unconventional band incorporates a stage musical, rock biopic, gallery exhibition, archival footage, and contemporary observational footage to create a film as irreducible, uncharacterizable, and entertaining as the band and its music. Anchored by Pavement’s slacker-sage-sphinx, Stephen Malkmus, the film features performances by Joe Keery, Jason Schwartzman, Tim Heidecker, Kathryn Gallagher, Michael Esper and Zoe Lister-Jones, and editing by nonfiction innovator Robert Greene (Procession).
“When Hollywood meets humanity, powerful stories emerge. That’s what happens in Caregiving, a new PBS documentary that pushes back the curtain on one of America’s most underrecognized — and essential — roles: family caregivers.” – AARP.com (
Read the full story here.) Join Connecticut Public, at Real Art Ways, for a free screening of national documentary, “Caregiving” from Executive Producer, Bradley Cooper! This event will feature excerpts of the film which explores the untold story of caregiving, intertwining intimate personal stories and revealing both the state and the stakes of care in America today. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion moderated by Connecticut Public’s Senior Health reporter, Sujata Srinivasan. Panelists include:
- Cookie Jones, Family Caregiver
- Johannah Alabi, Certified Nurse Aide
- Laura Mauldin, Associate Professor, Department of Social and Critical Inquiry, University of Connecticut
There is limited seating. Please
register here to attend.
“There’s pleasure in much of this excess, in seeing how Coogler takes his imaginative detours and the fluidity with which he draws from past, present, myth and speculative fiction, including in a masterpiece of a sequence in which men and women from across history — traditional dancers and B-boys among others — converge at the juke joint. There’s great horror in this world, in the fields haunted by slavers and in a mean little house where a Klansman’s white hood and robes sit on a bed belonging to a mean little man. Yet the joy here is louder, and it resounds in every whoop and thundering stomp.” – The New York Times
“It’s both a wildly ambitious meditation on American history and a rip-roaring good time.” – Slate
97% on Rotten Tomatoes
The New York Times Critic’s Pick Trying to leave their troubled lives behind, twin brothers (Michael B. Jordan) return to their hometown to start again, only to discover that an even greater evil is waiting to welcome them back.
“As emotionally effective as it is formally brilliant, it draws on a trove of material — both fiction and nonfiction — that Jia began shooting in 2001 while working on another movie.” – The New York Times
“A mesmerizing film about the sweep and swirl of life, love, and the relationship between yesterday and today.” – The Daily Beast
98% on Rotten Tomatoes
The New York Times Critic’s Pick An enduring but fragile love story shared by Qiao Qiao and Guao Bin, set in China, from the early 2000s to the present day. One day, a restless Guao Bin leaves without any notice to try his luck in another province. Qiao Qiao decides to go looking for him.
“It’s the warmth of Gladstone’s presence that leaves a lasting impression and endows this remake…with a whisper of something authentically new.” – Justin Chang, The New Yorker
The New York Times Critic’s Pick From Director Andrew Ahn comes a joyful comedy of errors about a chosen family navigating cultural identity, queerness, and family expectations. Frustrated with his commitment-phobic boyfriend Chris and running out of time, Min proposes: a green-card marriage with their friend Angela in exchange for her partner Lee’s expensive IVF. Elopement plans are upended, however, when Min’s grandmother surprises them with an extravagant Korean wedding banquet. Starring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung,
The Wedding Banquet is a poignant and heartfelt reminder that being part of a family means learning to both accept and forgive.
“Wes Anderson returns with another intricately designed film, and an inquiry into the meaning of goodness.” – NYT Wes Anderson’s latest release is a stylized espionage comedy-drama following Anatole “Zsa-Zsa” Korda (Benicio del Toro), a flamboyant European industrialist and arms dealer. After surviving a series of assassination attempts, Korda seeks to secure his legacy by appointing his estranged daughter, Sister Liesl (Mia Threapleton), a novice nun, as his heir. Together with Bjørn (Michael Cera), a Norwegian entomologist, they navigate a complex web of international conspiracies, rival tycoons, and revolutionary forces. Set in the fictional Middle Eastern country of Phoenicia during the 1950s, the film blends Anderson’s signature visual style with themes of redemption, legacy, and the complexities of familial relationships.
At the height of summer, 18-year-old Cécile (Lily McInerny) is languishing by the French seaside with her handsome father, Raymond (Claes Bang), and his girlfriend, Elsa (Naïlia Harzoune), when the arrival of her late mother’s friend, Anne (Chloë Sevigny), changes everything. Amid the sun-drenched splendor of their surroundings, Cécile’s world is threatened and, desperate to regain control, she sets in motion a plan to drive Anne away with tragic consequences. An adaptation of Françoise Sagan’s unforgettable coming-of-age novel by the same title, Durga Chew-Bose’s Bonjour Tristesse masterfully captures the complexity of relationships between women and how they wield influence over one another’s fates.
“Catherine Deneuve doesn’t just play Bernadette Chirac in ‘The President’s Wife’—she rewrites the part history forgot.” – Rex Reed, Observer
The woman behind the man, Bernadette Chirac (Catherine Deneuve), arrives at the presidential Elysée Palace in 1995, frustrated and cast off by her newly elected husband, Jacques (Michel Vuillermoz). Having always worked in his shadow to help his ascent to the presidency, Madame Chirac now fully expects to get the place in the political elite that she believes she deserves. In Léa Domenach’s whip-smart feature film debut based on true events, Madame Chirac’s rise from invisible political spouse to major media figure–as calculated as it was inevitable–is chronicled with equal parts reverence and wit, driven by Deneuve’s wryly memorable central performance.
We are hosting a one-time screening of this film, based on the inspiring true story of Afghanistan’s first all-girl robotics team.
“…the film is a beam of light — about math, science and the ability of girls to achieve — arriving at a moment when not only the Taliban continues to aggressively deny girls an education in Afghanistan, but also science in our own country is taking a hit. We can all use some light.” – Variety In a nation (Afghanistan) where educating girls is seen as rebellion, a visionary woman dares to teach young minds to dream. When their innovation draws global attention, their success sparks hope and opposition. As threats loom, their courage ignites a movement.
Adapted from Jane Austen’s timeless masterwork, PRIDE & PREJUDICE brings a modern sensibility to one of the greatest love stories of all time. In this adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved novel, Elizabeth Bennet (Keira Knightley) lives with her mother, father and sisters in the English countryside. As the eldest, she faces mounting pressure from her parents to marry. When the outspoken Elizabeth is introduced to the handsome and upper-class Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), sparks fly. Although there is obvious chemistry between the two, Darcy’s overly reserved nature threatens the fledgling relationship.
Agathe, hopelessly clumsy yet charming and full of contradictions, finds herself in desperate singlehood. Her dream is to experience love akin to a Jane Austen novel and her ultimate aspiration is to become a writer. Instead, she spends her days selling books in the legendary British Bookshop, Shakespeare & Co, in Paris. Invited to the Jane Austen Writers’ Residency in England, she must confront her insecurities to finally fulfill her ambition of becoming a novelist and put an end to wasting her sentimental life.
“The comedy manages to be at once an odd-couple bromance, a showcase for Key’s uproarious woolgathering, a quite respectable musical event, a meditation on grief, and an achingly nostalgic look at the harmonies we carry with us through life.” – NPR “…effective character study that deserves your attention.” – Boston Globe 97% on Rotten Tomatoes THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND follows Charles (Tim Key), an eccentric lottery winner who lives alone on a remote island and dreams of getting his favorite musicians, McGwyer Mortimer (Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan) back together. His fantasy becomes a reality when the bandmates and former lovers accept his invitation to play a private show at his home on Wallis Island. Old tensions resurface as Charles tries desperately to salvage his dream gig. “Upon first glance, Jeremy Workman’s
Secret Mall Apartment tells a bizarre story about artists who created and lived in an apartment in their local mall. But at its core, the film offers unique insights into gentrification, consumerism, and the impermanence of art.” –
The Austin Chronicle 100% on Rotten Tomatoes —
Imagine living rent-free in a mall for four years—hidden in plain sight, just beyond the food court. That’s what a group of artists pulled off in the early 2000s. Director Jeremy Workman brings their astonishing true story to the screen in Secret Mall Apartment.
Workman—an Emmy-nominated, Academy Award-shortlisted, SXWS Jury Grand Prize-winning director and filmmaker—has edited multiple Oscar montages and Lifetime Achievements tributes and has featured some of his films on Netflix.
Produced by actor and fellow filmmaker Jesse Eisenberg, Secret Mall Apartment chronicles the covert creation of a fully functional living space inside a Rhode Island mall, a subversive experiment in urban squatting and artistic rebellion.
On May 17, we will host award-winning Director Catherine Masud and UConn Law School visiting assistant professor Gaurav Mukherjee in-person for a post-film conversation that explores the film through the framework of legal activism. The main subject of this documentary, Stephen Bingham, will also attend this discussion virtually.
A Double Life unveils the gripping true story of Stephen Bingham, a lawyer accused of passing a gun to prisoners’ rights leader George Jackson in 1971. Forced into a life on the run, Bingham spends 13 years underground, eluding capture while fiercely determined to clear his name.
Director’s Statement
This film is as much about Steve/Robert as it is about his times. The turbulent era of civil rights, student rebellion, and state surveillance forms the backdrop of a personal story of a man who remained focused on his values and ideals through multiple disruptions and tragedies. The story is told through the various perspectives of his friends and colleagues in both the US and France, as well as family members, both alive and dead. It is also a generational story, of the tensions that arise when world views collide between parents and their children, mirroring wider societal divides. It is a love story of Steve and Françoise, who had to choose to risk everything. To tell this complex story spanning eras and continents, the narrative weaves back and forth between present and past, through a combination of verité treatments and archival footage, to unveil a drama of racial injustice, state surveillance, family jealousies, and political divides. This story is powerfully relevant in the present era of social unrest and polarization, when our constitutional rights and the rule of law are under threat from within, even as our nation struggles to come to terms with the truth of our dark past. In this contemporary climate, we have much to learn from the life stories of people like Stephen Bingham and other lawyers of his generation who, in dark times, stepped forward in defense of justice and equality. It is not only a film of his time, but also a film for our times. 
Photo of Catherine Masud by Peter Morenus/UConn
Director’s Bio
Catherine Masud is an award-winning filmmaker with over 30 years of experience producing, directing, and editing, working in documentary and fictional genres. She produced and co-wrote the acclaimed feature MATIR MOINA (The Clay Bird), which won the International Critics’ Prize at Cannes and became the first Bangladeshi film to compete in the Oscars. Thematically, many of her movies address social justice issues and the conflict between religious and cultural identity. Her films have screened at major festivals, been theatrically released in many countries, and broadcast on such outlets as Turner Classic Movies, Channel 4 (UK), TV Ontario, and SBS (Australia). An American citizen by birth, Catherine spent much of her adult life in Dhaka, Bangladesh, working with her late husband and filmmaking partner Tareque Masud. Since relocating back to the US in 2015, she has divided her time between teaching, writing, and filmmaking. She currently teaches documentary and human rights at the University of Connecticut. 
Gaurav Mukherjee is a Visiting Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Connecticut School of Law, where he writes about how constitutional law shapes and is shaped by democratic politics. He is a frequent commentator on Connecticut politics, and his newer work explores how the arts respond to moments of constitutional and human rights crises. Among others, his writing has appeared or is forthcoming in the
California Law Review,
BYU Law Review, and the
Oxford Handbook of Economic and Social Rights.
Saturday, May 3, we will host Tape Artist Michael Townsend (the main subject of the documentary) and AS220 co-founder and artist Umberto Crenca for a special conversation after the 7:00 pm screening, moderated by our Executive Director, Will K. Wilkins. UPDATE: The director, Jeremy Workman, will not be able to make this screening.
Tickets available
here for May 3.
Tuesday, May 6, we will host “How We Living: A Q&A on Livability in Hartford w/Taneisha Duggan Director of Arts, Culture and Entertainment and Jeff Auker Director of Development Services.” This special conversation will take place after the 7:00 pm screening. All Hartford artists and creatives are invited to join this discussion. This event is sponsored by the City of Hartford and is free to attend (with registration).
Register here for May 6.
We will be playing this movie every day from Friday, May 2 to Thursday, May 8. Advance tickets are available for all other showtimes
here. —
“Compelling…. Jeremy Workman’s documentary looks back at a project that may sound like a joke but had serious underpinnings.” -Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times “Upon first glance, Jeremy Workman’s Secret Mall Apartment tells a bizarre story about artists who created and lived in an apartment in their local mall. But at its core, the film offers unique insights into gentrification, consumerism, and the impermanence of art.” – The Austin Chronicle “A hugely entertaining and insightful doc about issues/art that will force you to think while you laugh.” – Ken Burns 100% on Rotten Tomatoes —
Imagine living rent-free in a mall for four years—hidden in plain sight, just beyond the food court. That’s what a group of artists pulled off in the early 2000s. Director Jeremy Workman brings their astonishing true story to the screen in Secret Mall Apartment.
Workman—an Emmy-nominated, Academy Award-shortlisted, SXWS Jury Grand Prize-winning director and filmmaker—has edited multiple Oscar montages and Lifetime Achievements tributes and has featured some of his films on Netflix.
Produced by actor and fellow filmmaker Jesse Eisenberg, Secret Mall Apartment chronicles the covert creation of a fully functional living space inside a Rhode Island mall, a subversive experiment in urban squatting and artistic rebellion.
