As Southerners, we don’t shy away from the mysterious, the grotesque, or the uncanny; in fact, we know some of the most important truths about our world are hidden there. With this block of six short films, we have curated a view of the South which is both otherworldly and familiar, transformative and grounding. What can a monster in the woods teach us about religious traditions or healing and mental illness? How might a Carolina Reaper Pepper begin a chain reaction of karmic justice? When a gang of bank robbers mistakes you for one of their own, how do you tell the difference between dreams and reality? With this block, we hope to give you a peek behind the veil and allow you to see the South with new eyes. 

Join us for the screening and a special Q&A with the filmmakers, including UNC professor of screenwriting, Michael Acosta.

Sponsored by the Writing for the Screen and Stage program at UNC.

Films in this block: 
Listen Close (12:30) 
The Spirit Became Flesh (17:29) 
Reaper (7:08)
I Could Just Die and that Would Be Alright (19:58) 
Hope You Don’t Dream (3:49) 
Blackest Darkness(34:00) 

Viewer Warnings: violence, gore, blood, discussion of suicidal thoughts, sequences of flashing lights, X-ray footage, sexual references