In 1933, as German modern artists were increasingly persecuted by the rising Nazi Party, painter Paul Klee escaped to Switzerland, where a mysterious disease wreaked havoc on his body and profoundly changed his artwork. After being diagnosed with the same rare and life-threatening disease, now known as systemic scleroderma,…

The gender fluidity of the eponymous hero/heroine of Virginia Woolf’s ''Orlando: A Biography'' has inspired readers for almost a century. Taking Woolf’s novel as his starting point, academic virtuoso-turned-filmmaker Paul B. Preciado mixes personal essay, historical analysis, and social manifesto. In his brilliant Berlinale…

In the Vana-Võromaa region of South Estonia, a multigenerational group of women embark on a smoke sauna tradition known as “savvusanna kombõ,” coming together in protective darkness to share secrets and wash off the shame that has accumulated in their bodies. SMOKE SAUNA SISTERHOOD is a deeply moving, breathtaking journey of…

TELL THEM YOU LOVE ME explores the extraordinary story of university professor Anna Stubblefield who becomes embroiled in a controversial affair with Derrick Johnson, a non-verbal man with cerebral palsy. After Anna says she unlocked Derrick's mind from his body by teaching him to communicate using a keyboard, a relationship…

Directors Petter Ringbom and Marquise Stillwell vividly bring to life the dynamic story of Nellie Mae Rowe, the daughter of a former slave who made brilliant art in obscurity for her entire life, until she met wealthy gallerist Judith Alexander. By mixing traditional documentary techniques with animations and scripted scenes…