Full Story Film Fest with Documentarian Luke Lorentzen
Mellon "Writing in Place" grant brings place-based nonfiction storytelling by students across majors at Journalism's Full Story Film Fest.
September 22, 2020
Stills from the student-directed films
Journalism at Denison University welcomes you to join us for our Full Story Film Fest. Watch eight student-directed nonfiction short films about life during Covid-19. These films capture poignant moments that are humorous, sad, longing, insightful—and depict surprising moments of connection. Prizes will be awarded by our documentarian-in-residence Luke Lorentzen, director of Midnight Family and Last Chance U.
Film lineup:
Do you cry during Zoom classes? Does your Covid diet include ice cream? Has it been hard to visit grandma without hugging her? Has it been hard to choose a college without being able to visit it? Calvin tells the story of how a family negotiates these struggles and more as they go into lockdown. They even paint the upstairs hallway together!
Jake documents his father’s commute to work through a mostly emptied out Boston during the early days of lockdown, and then the transition back to home and family. It’s a strange journey, but his father is a compassionate companion. Once home, he leads the family Seder via Zoom.
Eili tells the story of her father and Rona, a puppy, adopted as a companion to get through lockdown, and through a transitional period of life. This is a film about making connections—even during a time of separation.
In the early days of lockdown, “essential” workers were often those who worked hardest, for the least money, to keep the rest of us safe at home. This is a film about one such worker, Rain’s mom. Through the filming and storytelling of this piece, we come to see other ways in which her mom is essential.
Abby’s parents are teachers, and her sister, thousands of miles away, is preparing to step into this profession at a precarious moment in history. This is a funny and tender portrait of how one teacher family handles transition during a pandemic.
Jen’s mom is a nurse on a Covid ward, and her father is a volunteer fireman. From home base, they think of the welfare of others, and their own leaky window, in this quiet depiction of one “front line” of coronavirus pandemic.
Jaley uses patient observational cinema to portray a single mom who works on a Covid ward, and her children who alternate between wild frolicking on the trampoline, fights in the kitchen, and the stringing of colored lights in the bedroom of the youngest. Should Lena open the living room window so she can kiss her boyfriend? Don’t do it! says her mom.
Melissa, like many international students, faced a bewildering set of decisions when Denison’s campus closed last March. Ultimately, she set off for home, for China. Despite the obstacles, and the two-week quarantine in isolation once she got to the country, the journey took on an emotional meaning she could not have predicted.
The course emphasizes storytelling for scientists looking to publicize their work and teaches storytellers how to write about science with more expertise.
This 24-hour improv show is an extreme bonding experience, a great way to get close to your friends, and a big opportunity to work toward a common goal
