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Navigating Intimacy

These films move beyond the smooth-as-silk sensuality we so often see on screen to draw out a more nuanced view of intimacy. Tense urges, tricky inheritances, unspoken trauma, and tentative curiosity punctuate the private lives of these characters. As they stumble through fits of shame, fiery encounters, and hazy memories, their stories speak to both the messiness and joys that come from connection at such proximity.

Content advisory: The films in this program contain sexual content, including depictions of nudity and sexual acts.

In this program


Thirstygirl

Directed by Alexandra Qin

Two sisters struggle with addiction and mental health on a trip through the American South.

Seventeen

Directed by Geqi Li

Sex work, teen pregnancy, and abortion challenge a mother-daughter relationship.
Content advisory: This film includes depictions of nudity and sexual acts.

Next of Kin

Directed by Timothy Guion Smith

After a painful rejection, mother and son connect over the inheritance of HIV/AIDS “poz undetectable” status.

homecoming

Directed by Monica Mai

When a father returns home from prison on the night of his estranged teen’s homecoming dance, the pair must take stock of their relationship.

Something Blue

Directed by Jinsui Song

Fragmented memories of unspoken trauma bubble up at a cousin’s wedding.

After Sunset, Dawn Arrives

Directed by Andy Yi Li

A close encounter sparks queer curiosity for an elderly widower dancing into a new chapter of his life.