Southerners aren’t arrogant – but we do believe there is nothing more fascinating than ourselves and the bodies we inhabit. This collection of 8 evocative shorts seek to both interrogate and celebrate our ideas about the Southern body. From the nourishing and transformative power of neighborhood gardens and art which centers fat beauty and liberation, to the societal and social challenges of processing death and improving our care for pregnant black women and trans individuals, to the deeply personal choices of how we express our identity through our bodies (be it through hair care, imaginative play, or a series of backflips)–this collection explores contemporary social issues and timeless existential questions through the most intimate lens possible: the human body.
Mama's Sundry (15:00)
In South Memphis, married artists start Mama’s Sundry, a movement fostering wellness and sustainability through education, service and a neighborhood garden in a community long designated a food desert.
Footrocket - Apple Seed (3:38)
A lot of backflips.
Hair Care (12:02)
When her hair braider disappears on her, a young woman must traverse an animated Ivory Coast in order to track her down
Bone Black: Midwives vs. the South (21:00)
Bone Black delves into the history and erasure of Black midwives in the South and how the attack on birth workers has contributed to the Black infant and maternal mortality crisis.
Lee Baby (13:45)
Lee, a trans man, and his wife, Charlie, are creating a family. Insecurities, hormone imbalances, loss of bodily autonomy, and the exhaustion of new parenthood test the limits of this queer couple.
Jedo's Dead (12:00)
When a young middle-eastern girl finds her grandfather dead, she is forced to grapple with the earthly rituals and spiritual loose-ends of loss.
Flipping the Bird (6:45)
Thomas joins a bird club only to discover it's not a bird watching club; rather it's a woman in the woods pretending to be a bird.
How to Carry Water (15:05)
Shoog McDaniel is a fat, queer, and disabled photographer working around Florida’s freshwater springs. With Shoog’s photos, the film takes audiences to a world that liberates marginalized bodies – including bodies of water.