Are you looking to watch some thoughtful and entertaining films this holiday weekend, but you’re not up for going out to the theater? Here are some of the best recently-released movies currently available to stream for free on Kanopy using your Livingston Library card. (Descriptions provided by Kanopy)
The Starling Girl – 2023, directed by Laurel Parmet
Seventeen-year-old Jem Starling struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy of dancing with the church group is tempered by worry that her actions are sinful and she is caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and her religious devotion. With the return of Owen, an enigmatic youth pastor, Jem soon finds herself attracted to his worldliness and charm. Slowly, he draws her into a dangerous relationship that could upend their entire community.
Saint Omer – 2023, directed by Alice Diop
A young novelist Rama attends the trial of a woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter. As the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama and call into question our own judgment.
Aftersun – 2022, directed by Charlotte Wells
Years after their last vacation, Sophie reflects on the rare time spent with her loving, idealistic father and tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t.
Four Quartets – 2023, directed by Sophie Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes’s exquisite performance of T. S. Eliot’s poetic masterpiece is dynamically translated from stage to screen by director Sophie Fiennes. During the early days of COVID, the Oscar nominee set himself the challenge of committing Four Quartets to memory, and in 2021 he brought it to the London stage followed by a tour of theaters across the UK. Written by Nobel Prize winner Eliot in the shadow of the Second World War, the poem is a searching examination of who – and what – we are. This celebrated meditation on human experience, time, and the divine offers up questions, imagery, and emotions that bear a powerful relevance to our present day.
The Quiet Girl – 2022, directed by Colm Bairéad
Rural Ireland. 1981. Nine-year-old Cait is sent away from her overcrowded, dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the summer. Quietly struggling at school and at home, she has learned to hide in plain sight from those around her. She blossoms in their care, but in this house where there are meant to be no secrets, she discovers one painful truth.
EO – 2022, directed by Jerzy Skolimowski
With his first film in seven years, legendary director Jerzy Skolimowski directs one of his most free and visually inventive films yet, following the travels of a nomadic gray donkey named EO. After being removed from the traveling circus, which is the only life he’s ever known, EO begins a trek across the Polish and Italian countryside, experiencing cruelty and kindness in equal measure, all the while observing the follies and triumphs of humankind. During his travels, EO is both helped and hindered by a cast of characters including a young Italian priest (Lorenzo Zurzolo), a Countess (Isabelle Huppert), and a rowdy Polish soccer team.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed – 2022, directed by Laura Poitras
Told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, and ground-breaking photography, this epic, emotional and interconnected story about internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin’s personal fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the overdose crisis.
Chile ‘76 – 2022, directed by Manuela Martelli
Set during the early days of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship, Chile ‘76 builds from quiet character study to gripping suspense thriller as it explores one woman’s precarious flirtation with political engagement. Carmen (Aline Kuppenheim) leads a sheltered upper middle class existence. She heads to her summer house in the off-season to supervise its renovation, while also performing local charitable works through her church. Her husband, children, and grandchildren come back and forth during the winter vacation, bringing reminders of the world beyond. When the family priest asks her to take care of an injured young man he has been sheltering in secret, Carmen is inadvertently drawn into the world of the Chilean political opposition and must face real-world threats she is unprepared to handle, with potentially disastrous consequences for her and her entire family.
Moonage Daydream – 2022, directed by Brett Morgen
Moonage Daydream illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie, one of the most influential artists of our time. Told through sublime, kaleidoscopic, never-before-seen footage and performances, this experiential cinematic odyssey explores Bowie’s creative, musical and spiritual journey. The film is guided by the icon’s own narration and is the first officially sanctioned film on the artist.
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman – 2022, directed by Pierre Földes
A giant talking frog and an elusive cat help a listless bank employee, his traumatized wife, and a lonely accountant seek meaning in their lives and possibly save Tokyo from catastrophe. Using an innovative live-action 3D motion capture process, Földes captures the memories, dreams and visions of these characters as they attempt to rediscover their true selves. Based on stories by acclaimed Japanese author Haruki Murakami (Drive My Car).
– Joe, Adult Services & Acquisitions Librarian