Learning to Drown

*Photo / Video Credit: Courtesy of Tribeca Festival*

Presented by The North Face and directed by Ben Knight, the riveting documentary “Learning to Drown” tells a bittersweet story of love, loss, and, ultimately, finding oneself. The film features glass-ceiling shattering professional female snowboarder, Jess Kimura., who started snowboarding at the age of just fourteen, and she immediately displayed grit, perseverance, and undying determination. These are the traits that allowed Jess to excel in the sport, even surpassing her male counterparts. Friends, colleagues, and family all described her as invincible. She would get hurt and get right back up again; that was just Jess. She always felt that there was not an equal chance for women in the sport of snowboarding. There was never a defined category in which women were included. In response to this inequality, she intrepidly stated, “Fine, I’ll make my own category.”

After fully immersing herself in the professional snowboarding world and becoming a role model for young females who felt their voices were consistently being stifled, Jess finally met her match. In 2012, Jess crossed paths with Mark Dickson. They clicked instantly, as he brought excitement into her life that she hadn’t felt before (which is saying a lot for someone who willingly risks their lifetime and time again for their career.) Their relationship flourished quickly and the rambunctious couple was inseparable, until one day Mark was involved in a fatal dirt bike accident. Jess watched everything she knew crumble to pieces in an instant.

After Mark’s death, Jess recounted that she fell into a rather dark place. She felt she had lost everything worth living for. She began to throw herself at her passion and became an inspiration for girls all around the world by making her own rules, and this was something to be prideful of. She started to look to the community of female snowboarders, who embraced her free spirit with open arms, as a family.

A few months after Mark’s death, Jess packed a camper Mark had previously purchased and headed to Baja, California, Mexico. They were supposed to take on this trip together, but Jess decided to honor his life and love for all things wild by going anyway. Baja is a hotspot for surfing, something Mark had always enjoyed, but for Jess, the thought of being surrounded by water was terrifying. She was completely out of her element, and for the first time in her life, she was afraid. By the end of the film, the audience is met with stunning clips of Jess surfing with strength and grace, as if she had been doing it her entire life. “God, if he could see me now,” she candidly states. “Learning to Drown” is a poignant reminder that, like the ocean itself, life constantly ebbs and flows, but it is the hardships we experience that bring us even closer to a true and honest sense of self.

The Bouncer

“The Bouncer,” in conjunction with Finnish production house Mjölk movies, presents a whimsically comedic yet eerie short film of an everyday man with lofty goals. The unnamed protagonist works as a bouncer at a popular nightclub in a small European city. He has minimal interactions with people while working and spends most of the nights peering outside the club, looking into the nearby streets. He witnesses a robbery just outside the nightclub, but stands complacent, as he cannot leave while on the clock.

After returning to his quaint apartment, the bouncer puts on a slinky, all-black get-up complete with a ski mask. The audience is left to assume he is going to commit a crime himself. He practices a mantra - “Freeze!” before heading out into the city. Most of the scenes are dimly lit, with little to no audio, casting an almost sinister undertone upon the film.

It is unclear to the viewers what exactly the bouncer’s goal is, but after a few awkward run-ins with other tenants and passersby, it can be concluded that he is not scary at all, but rather fears others. Perhaps he did not want to do any harm, but on the contrary, he wanted to protect people from the type of violence he witnessed at the start of the film. He seems to possess a lack of confidence and general social skills, which does not allow him to be the protector he desires to be. The underlying message of “The Bouncer” seems to become clearer after more than one viewing. Things are not always as they may seem at first glance, and we should be cautious about assuming things about individuals before we see the bigger picture.

No Ordinary Life

Directed by Heather O’Neill and produced by O’Neill and Rich Brooks, “No Ordinary Life” delves into the male-dominated field of photojournalism and how five extraordinary camerawomen changed the industry for the better. Featuring Mary Rogers, Cynde Strand, Jane Evans, Maria Fleet, and Margaret Moth, the documentary takes viewers all over the world to spectate the brave work of these women.

All of these pioneers in investigative photojournalism revealed their intent to share important stories with the world. “I felt like with a camera, we could understand each other,” Jane Evans expressed. Mary Rogers continued on this note, “In war zones, what I care about most are the civilians. It’s important to tell their stories.”

Being a woman photojournalist, in the 80s, was unheard of, so these women broke many boundaries just to pursue their desired careers. They faced many hardships and had to confront misogyny time and time again in their field. In order to withstand the harsh criticism with which they were met. These women built a sisterhood of their own.

The film follows each of these accomplished women from Mosul, Iraq, to Bosnia, to Mogadishu, Somalia, and even more, depicting shockingly violent footage, and each of the camerawomen were at the center of the action. The shots that they captured for CNN brought important news to the entire world, and these women surely defined history for their generation, and generations to come.

The Conductor

Marin Alsop defied all expectations by becoming the first woman in history to head a major American symphony orchestra. Presented by Nylon Films and Waystone Production and directed by Bernadette Wegenstein, “The Conductor” presents Alsop’s remarkable story through interviews and exclusive footage from her stunning symphony concerts.

Alsop grew up in New York City, a child of two musicians. They worked at Radio City Hall and pushed Alsop to become a musician. She started attending Juilliard pre-college at just seven years old, where she played violin. Alsop attended her first orchestra show at a young age and decided after seeing the beloved Leonard Bernstein work his magic, that she too wanted to become a conductor. She found satisfaction in actualizing something that another human being created, with the intent of emotionally moving others.

As she got older, her passion for conducting grew while her fervor for playing the violin diminished. She decided to leave Juilliard because she wanted to study different forms of music aside from classical. Alsop started an all-women swing band, with other former Juilliard students, called “Swing Fever.” They played together for 20 years, before she decided to take the next step in her true passion: conducting.

Marin Alsop started her own symphony, with the assistance of businessman Tomio Taki. This garnered her worldwide attention, and even caught the eye of her idol, Leonard Bernstein. In the following years, Alsop would be appointed lead musical director for symphonies in Baltimore, Såo Paulo, and Vienna. She went on to start an organization titled “OrchKids” in Baltimore, in which underprivileged kids receive free music lessons, meals, and tutoring.

Alsop did not reach her supreme status so easily; she was faced with much discrimination and hatred for her appointments to major orchestras. Her tenacity for conducting allowed her to push forward no matter the difficulties, and she paved the way for other women conductors all over the world. “The Conductor” is a nod to those everywhere who want to reach for their aspirations, no matter how intangible they may seem.

Circus Person

Directed by and starring Britt Lower, “Circus Person” is a poignant love letter to the self. The protagonist, Ava, considers herself a square. When her fiancé leaves her for another, seemingly more vibrant, woman, she decides to unleash her own respective wild side.

To let loose and discover an unknown side of herself, Ava joins a circus. What follows is a beautiful story of finding oneself and learning to laugh at the absurdity of life. Lower presents scenes of a bright, colorful aesthetic, directly juxtaposed with more poetic, somber scenes shot in black and white.

The audience is left feeling like they, too, traveled on an emotional journey with Ava. She speaks directly to her fiancé’s lover throughout the entire film, but she does so with elegance and respect. Although her entire world has changed, she finds solace in knowing that there is still so much left to learn about herself. Her love story with her ex-fiancé may have ended, but her love story with herself has just begun.

Article by Kayla Curtis-Evans, Contributor, Photobook Magazine
Tearsheets by Kenisha Seth, Contributor, Photobook Magazine

Tribeca Film Festival: Learning To Drown, The Bouncer, No Ordinary Life, The Conductor, Circus Person

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