POV

Sharon-Rose Khumalo, a South African beauty queen, faces an identity crisis after discovering she's intersex. Her path crosses with Dimakatso Sebidi, a masculine-presenting intersex activist, as they both navigate a journey marked by society’s stigma and inner struggles. Intertwining raw reality with poetic beauty, Who I am Not captures the heart-wrenching fight for acceptance in a binary world.

After learning that his son, Yahya, has died at sea trying to get to Spain, Ahmed Tchiche must find a way to bring his remains back home to Morocco so he and his family can have a proper goodbye. Through interweaving threads, Until He's Back explores the dangerous journey — crossing the Gibraltar Strait from Africa to Spain — and the difficulty of returning the bodies of those who drown at sea.

Watching a child learn how to swim is like witnessing a great opera. The maestro of this emotional orchestra is Bill Marsh. Swimming is the closest human beings will ever get to flying. And there is no greater joy (or fear) than watching your kid take the leap. Watching Bill teach kids how to swim is the parable we need, because inside his lessons are profound universal truths.

American Seams explores the stories of three women quilters whose lives complement and contrast each other across stunning landscapes in rural Colorado, Utah, and the Navajo Nation of New Mexico. In Thời Thơ Ấu (Childhood), a Vietnamese American daughter captures her parents on 16mm as they dream of their childhood and homeland.

In Golden Moon, a young Kyrgyz girl named Altynai works as a truck driver—a male-dominated and physically demanding job—as a way to pay for her medical school at Columbia University. In Over the Wall, welcome to the fast-paced world of a NASCAR pit crew. An immersive film following Brehanna Daniels, the first Black woman pit crew member and tire changer in the sport.

Jardines is an intimate portrait of the experiences and trajectories unique to displaced queer folks as they flee violence and persecution in their home countries. The film introduces us to people from all over the world as they contemplate the uncertainty of a future in the United States at a time when asylum legislation and LGBTQ+ rights are under legal duress.

In Shirampari: Legacies of the River, set in the heart of the Amazon, a young Ashéninka boy must face his fears and catch a giant catfish, signaling his journey into manhood. In Boat People, Thao recounts the story of her family’s escape through the metaphorical lens of her fascination with ants.

Shot with a mix of smartphones and GoPros from a first person perspective, filmmaker Taku Aoyagi takes us on his daily bike rides as an Uber Eats worker. But pedaling on Tokyo’s deserted streets, delivering boba tea to cloistered condos, he starts wondering… what was it that Ken Loach said about the Uberization of society? And what does gig-work offer an unemployed person with student debt?

Aaju Peter is a renowned Inuit lawyer and activist who defends the human rights of Indigenous peoples. She's a fierce protector of her ancestral lands in the Arctic and works to bring her colonizers to justice. As Aaju launches an inspiring effort to establish an Indigenous forum, she also embarks upon a deeply personal journey to mend her own wounds, including the unexpected passing of her son.

In a volunteer aid van occupied by multiple generations of civilians, an authentic, intimate observation of the war in Ukraine unfolds. Each passenger is unique in age, origin and circumstance, but alike in where they find themselves — fleeing their homes while huddled together in a cramped back seat. Bound for Poland, the vehicle operates as their shelter, waiting room, hospital and confessional.

At 21, he was a leader of Hong Kong's Umbrella Revolution. By 23, he became Hong Kong's youngest elected lawmaker. At 26, he was Most Wanted under the National Security Law. Who’s Afraid of Nathan Law? offers a close look at the city's most famous dissident to uncover what happens to freedom when an authoritarian power goes unchecked.

Lawand, deaf from birth, seeks a fresh start with his family in the UK after a traumatic year in a refugee camp. At Derby's Royal School for the Deaf, he learns sign language and discovers a way to communicate with the world. As he thrives, his family faces deportation, challenging their stability. Name Me Lawand is a love letter to the power of friendship and community.