DOC NYC review: ‘TO KID OR NOT TO KID’ is about supporting women.

Parenting is not for everyone. Some women are adamantly against having children. There is a stigma that’s attached to that choice. TO KID OR NOT TO KID speaks directly to that choice and the backlash it predominantly receives.  How does this choice affect others and more importantly, is it anyone’s else’s right to have an opinion on the matter at all? When I was younger, I thought I’d never have children. It wasn’t until I was 26 and was riding the subway when I saw a baby in a knitted strawberry hat and my body ached. Boom. I knew I was meant to be a mother. But it wasn’t until almost 10 years later that I actually gave birth. I was busy traveling the world, using the best equipment, like the best coolers for the money you can get (much like filmmaker Maxine Trump) The only difference is I already knew I’d regret it.

The film explores not only the decision but the potential for that regret. It also addresses the fears that all women have about losing their identity. As someone who is a SAHM to two kids under three, 15months apart,  there are many days I feel like “I’m just Mom.” I yearn for adult conversation and most definitely experience postpartum anxiety. Thankfully, the film also addresses these emotions. It doesn’t skirt the conversation about getting pregnant and the potential difficulties involved. Motherhood is endless judgment. But so is the opposite. A woman cannot win either way. We don’t judge men in the same way, but I suppose that’s no surprise. Women’s rights are once again under scrutiny. Be it the government, doctors, the economy, the societal pressure to reproduce is unreal when you break it down by dollars and cents. Director Maxine Trump speaks with women from all backgrounds and life choices to see where they’re coming from as she tries to find her own truth about wanting to have kids with her husband. It’s an incredibly thoughtful film that made me feel more normal, frankly. TO KID OR NOT TO KID is wonderfully relevant in a time when women feel like they finally have more of a voice. The world is changing and women’s honesty will make the world a better place. We need to hold one another up not tear each other down. There are too many forces at hand already trying their best to divide us.

WORLD PREMIERE Filmmaker Maxine Trump turns the camera on herself and her close circle of family and friends as she confronts the idea of not having kids. While exploring the cultural pressures and harsh criticism child-free women regularly experience, as well as the personal impact this decision may have on her own relationship, Maxine meets other women reckoning with their choice: Megan, who struggles to get medical permission to undergo elective sterilization, and Victoria, who lives with the backlash of publicly acknowledging that she made a mistake when she had a child.

 

Official Site: https://www.tokidornottokid.com/
On Twitter: MaxineTrump
On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tokidornottokid/
Director: Maxine Trump
Producer: Josh Granger
Cinematographer: Maxine Trump
Editor: Maxine Trump
Running Time: 75
Language: English
Country: USA, England, Wales
Year: 2018

DOC NYC review: ‘FAMILY IN TRANSITION’ is more complicated than it appears.

This doc explores the boundaries we push for love and acceptance. Amit is a husband, a father, and business owner. She is also transgender. This story is about her transition and how it affects the family and friends that surround her. It’s a timely film here in the US as the government is attempting to legally discredit transgender identity by legally defining gender as a biological, immutable condition determined by genitalia at birth. Amit has four children with her wife Galit. Daughter Agam is beyond wise for her years and the most vocal about their unique family dynamics. She understands that people’s ignorance is not her problem. She chooses to surround herself with open-minded peers. The emotional toll of transitioning seems endless. It has the highest highs and lowest lows. How does a marriage survive when circumstance completely changes? What happens after she goes to Thailand for gender reassignment surgery for a month? It’s not a glamorous film. It’s real, it’s honest. It’s exactly what people need to see. Family in Transition is a story of unconditional love and the ultimate sacrifices we make to become whole from the inside out.

DOC NYC International Premiere on November 11 / Opening Nov 16 in LA and Nov 23 in NY

Amit, a husband, and father of four, living in Nahariya, Israel, reveals to his family that he’s a transgender woman. Amit’s wife, Galit, decides to stick with Amit through this journey. Despite personal difficulties and social stigmas, the family insists on staying together, believing that love will overcome all difficulties.

DOC NYC review: ‘We Are Not Done Yet’ shines a spotlight on PTSD

HBO’s powerful new documentary short WE ARE NOT DONE YET, airing November 8thand produced by actor Jeffrey Wright (HBO’s Westworld), follows the stories of ten U.S. veterans striving to combat their traumatic military histories through art, poetry and performance. At a workshop led by poet Seema Reza and Community Building Art Works, they share their fears, vulnerabilities and victories, using the written word to heal, bond, encourage and empower. Their work culminates in a live performance at Washington D.C.’s Lansburgh Theater under the direction of Wright. As much of an activist as he is an actor, Wright produced the short and has been heavily involved with veteran organizations for years. He was so inspired by the group’s process and motivation during the workshop that he knew he had to get a camera crew inside and help share their stories.

There is something so cathartic about standing onstage and bearing one’s soul. When it’s your own written word it’s on another level. When the words are true, it’s the most powerful of all. WE ARE NOT DONE YET gives a literal voice to a group of veterans living with PTSD. They have used performance art to share their stories, lives, and emotions with an audience now far beyond the Lansburgh Theater. HBO has given us a gift in this short. It has opened the door for others to speak,  hope, and feel connected in a new way. Watching these fine people is nothing short of breathtaking. I’m not sure you can sit back and hold back the tears as a human being as you experience their trauma through their writing. Not of a moment of this film feels exploitative from an observer with zero military background. I’m hoping it reads the same for those who might believe they are alone. WE ARE NOT DONE YET aired this evening and will be available on HBO Now and HBO Go. This is important filmmaking. The message is clear. We cannot ignore the trauma, we must embrace it and do better for all our veterans.