Program 1a: LA Stories

This program paints a cinematic portrait of Los Angeles, touching on themes of homecoming, womanhood, the artistry of dance and music, and the challenges faced by teachers amidst pressing social issues. CIVIC is a short film that follows Booker on his first trip back home to South Central, L.A. after several years of self-imposed exile. Without any clear motive, or even a warning, Booker returns to the place that holds his origins and the people who shaped him. Framed almost exclusively inside of his car, CIVIC tracks Booker’s fleeting and fragmented encounters around his old streets. Booker spends most of his time with his childhood best friend, Tee. They ride around to liquor stores and lingering in parking lots after closing time. Closeness and distance ebbs and flows between them as they talk about their lives, old and new. The repaved ground between them allows Booker to dive deep into the past, seemingly letting go of the tension in the present. However, we soon realize Booker is avoiding his responsibility to his family members across this trip. Just as he plans his disembark from L.A., he has an unexpected encounter that helps to reframe his perspective in the world. CIVIC is an introspective film, giving life to the wordless exchanges, the mundane and the familiar shorthand of unfettered Black life. HOW TO DEAL WITH FAME When a masculine-presenting actress gets cast as the leading lady in a play where her character dresses the opposite of her, her mother’s arrival for the performance reminds her of the womanhood she lacks.