New Zealand moving to Alert Level 2 came with the welcome news that cinemas are now allowed to open (with safe physical distancing and hygiene practices in place). However, if you’re not quite ready to leave the house - or just want an excuse for a night in - there is still plenty of excellent new content available for your viewing pleasure on the internet.
Celia
Celia Lashlie was a social justice advocate in Aotearoa renowned for her Good Man Project, that taught young boys how to be “good men”, which she developed from her learnings as the first women prison officer in a man’s prison in this country. The documentary follows the last year of her life. (Have the tissues ready.)
Rent on Academy on Demand for $6.99
Blinded by the Light
A soundtrack littered with Bruce Springsteen backs this sweet film about a young Pakistani boy trying to come into his own in working-class, late 80s England. There’s some class debate and, of course, the film partially centres on the racism that is still present for minority groups in England today, but you’ll still come out of this one feeling thoroughly heart-warmed.
View on Neon (with an account)
Bombshell
This film has been described as a “feminist drama”, but what it really is is an (at times stressful) insight into the conservative American women experience. If you remember the take down of former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes, you’ll probably learn something from this about the complexity that is caring about women amongst patriarchal Republican America.
Rent on Lightbox from $6.99
Crip Camp
Crip Camp tells the story of a summer camp that started down the road from Woodstock in the early 1970s and turned a generation of young people living with a disability into activists for better disability rights legislation. The film was released under the Obama’s new(ish) production company and, notably, directed by one of the former campers (Jim LeBrecht).
View on Netflix (with an account)