Nothing is as powerful as the love of a mom, or, more specifically, a Mama Bear. Director Daresha Kyi’s Mama Bears tells the story of conservative Christian mothers whose lives are changed when they decide to advocate and affirm for their LGBTQ children. Besides these wonderful mothers we follow, the real “star” of the film is Kyi, who allows her subjects to let their voices be heard, and for audiences to understand that the stereotype of “conservative Christian” isn’t an evil thing. The film beautifully conveys that, through it all, the only thing these mothers want are the best for their children — and those who may not have such an accepting family. Seeing these parents fight for the rights of their children and an entire community is a lovely thing to see. It’s wholesome, heartfelt, and I guarantee it will leave you with a smile on your face and your arms open, waiting for a “Mom Hug.” Grade: A —Gabe Lapalombella

A decade after Bones Brigade: An Autobiography set a new standard for Full Frame entertainment, Jessica Edwards’ Skate Dreams rounds out the history of professional skateboarding with the women’s side, and does so in nearly as compelling a manner. Focusing on the fight within the sport for respect and equal pay, spearheaded by veterans Cara Beth Burnside and Mimi Knoop, Edwards masterfully weaves together archival footage with scenes of elevated stunts by such modern stars as Nora Vasconcellos and Jessyka Bailey. In the process, viewers get to hang out with these remarkable women and are afforded the opportunity to know them as people rather than merely interview subjects. Paired with zippy editing and a willingness to play with camera speeds, it’s clear Edwards has a vision for her film and a love for the topic at hand, both of which are evident in each shot. Grade: B-plus —Edwin Arnaudin

“We know we were the last ones here because we don’t even have names.” Few documentary films have as much heart as ᎤᏕᏲᏅ (What They’ve Been Taught). Filmed on the Qualla Boundary in the Cherokee Nation, director Brit Hensel’s film explores Native American history through expressions of reciprocity. Its heart is certainly in the right place, but it’s hard to ignore that the story's biggest strength is also its weakness. Told mostly through the narration of an elder and Cherokee speaker, there’s definitely an informative quality to the film, but it never feels entirely substantive. Clocking in at merely nine minutes, it feels like more of a highlight reel of the Cherokee nation versus an actual tribute. The brief nature of the story will be enough for some, but others will be craving much more. Grade: C-plus —GL

Shortly after midnight on March 10, 1945, the United States commenced the most destructive air raid in human history when American B-29s relentlessly firebombed civilian neighborhoods in Tokyo. When the dust finally settled and the infernos began to subside, over 100,000 dead men, women, and children were discovered underneath destroyed buildings and clogging the rivers of Japan’s largest city. Seventy years later, the last living survivors of the Tokyo bombing are still fighting their government for recognition and reparations for the unimaginable trauma they endured that night in 1945, and for the families they lost in the attack.

Paper City is a heartbreaking documentary on a number of levels. As the survivors — who were all teenagers and young adults at the time of the bombing — recount the horrors they experienced that night and beyond, it becomes impossible not to rethink and reexamine U.S. policy toward civilian death during wartime, then and now (not to mention the way many of us were conditioned to absorb such atrocities as heroic by our educational systems). Adding to these somber reflections is the uphill battle these now elderly survivors face to ensure that their stories aren’t forgotten forever by petitioning a reluctant Japanese government for formal recognition of what they see as Japan’s negligent role in what happened to them. 

These nearly infuriating circumstances are offset by director Adrian Francis’ deliberately relaxed pacing and beautifully shot, grounded withdrawals into Japanese calligraphy. Ceremonial activities such as these offer an escapist yet poignant retreat into tradition and calm, and serve as a wonderful counter to the film’s weighty subject matter. Unfortunately, there can be no happy ending to a story like this, as the events that make up its backbone are historical and cemented in time, but Francis nevertheless sheds plenty of vexing light on an often overlooked aspect of war and its aftermath. Grade: A-minus —James Rosario

The Silent Shore tells the story of a famous French fantasy writer Pierre Dubois and his wife Aline. Visiting their Cartignies home in Northern France, directors Nathalie Giraud and Timothee Corteggiani follow the elderly couple and unearth details about their lives, including the tragic loss of their daughter Melanie. What impressed me about The Silent Shore is its handling of grief — particularly how Pierre sorts through his lingering sadness via writing and the filmmakers’ use of nature imagery to symbolize grief, but recognize these meandering stretches could prove grating for some viewers. Over the course of the film, we get certain “talking head” moments from both Pierre and Aline with many instances of voiceover narration, but paired with those gorgeous shots of the natural world, the entire story feels coated in a dreamlike haze of the Dubois’ memories. Again, that technique might make some audience members roll their eyes, but others will be transfixed by the beauty. Grade: B —GL

(Photos courtesy of Full Frame)