Submitted by the Friday Harbor Film Festival
The Friday Harbor Film Festival Director Series will present a varied selection of not-to-be-missed documentaries to brighten your life during the winter of 2021. All can be accessed online at fhff.org at extremely low prices. Here is the lineup for January and February:
Jan. 7-17: The importance of public lands
• “A Plea for Refuge,” directed by Dan Holmes of KAVU, follows two adventurous friends who hike and fly paragliders across the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the eastern Brooks Range of Alaska, north of the Arctic Circle, learning the importance of fiercely protecting its nature. A livestream Q&A with the director is planned.
Jan. 18-31: Farming innovations
• “Growing Solutions” looks at real-life solutions to challenges plaguing farmers, such as water scarcity, soil degradation and the ravages of climate change. Regenerative agriculture allows farmers to be more resilient in the face of mounting challenges
• “Vertical: The Future of Farming” follows a new generation of urban, indoor farmers, whose approach to food production offers the potential to combat climate change while feeding hundreds of millions by utilizing vertical space in cities, rather than expansive rural fields.
• Special Event! A livestream panel discussion with the directors and local farming experts
Feb. 1-17: A heart-warming and exciting musical trilogy
• “Shining Night: A Portrait of Composer Morten Lauridsen,” offers a glimpse into the life and music of the artist considered to be one of the greatest living choral composers, now a San Juan Island resident.
• “In Search of the Great Song,” explores and celebrates the universal current pulsing through all life in spoken word, sound, and music. Twelve countries, one question: What is the great song to you?
• “Beyond the Fear of Singing,” explores how the world-wide epidemic of song silenced by criticism in childhood is being met by an irrepressible uprising of the primal urge to sing.
• Special Event! Director Michael Stillwater, along with composers Morten Lauridsen and Alex Shapiro, both San Juan Islanders featured in the films, will participate in a livestream Q&A.
Feb. 18-28: Just for animal lovers!
• “Stray” draws us into the fragile world of Zeytin, a stray dog living life on the streets of Istanbul as seen through Zeytin’s eyes. Directed by Elizabeth Low and Danielle McCarthy-Bowles, this film will be presented by Magnolia Pictures prior to its release on Hulu.
