Karen S. Shapiro

Eva Hesse

German American artist Eva Hesse (1936 – 1970) created her innovative art in latex and fiberglass in the whirling aesthetic vortex of 1960s New York. Her flowing forms were in part a reaction to the rigid structures of then-popular minimalism, a male-dominated movement. Hesse’s complicated personal life encompassed not only a chaotic 1930s Germany, but also illness and the immigrant culture of New York in the 1940s. One of the twentieth century’s most intriguing artists, she finally receives her due in this film, an emotionally gripping journey with a gifted woman of great courage.

The Neighbor

A businessman watches as his life begins to unravel after learning his ex-wife is going to marry his best friend. A distracting battle of wills with a real estate developer, however, might just be the thing that turns his life around.

Beat the Drum

Young Musa is orphaned after a mysterious illness strikes his village in KwaZulu Natal. To help his grandmother, Musa sets out for Johannesburg with his father's last gift, a tribal drum, in search of work and his uncle. The journey confronts him with the stark realities of urban life, but his indomitable spirit never wavers; he returns with a truth and understanding his elders have failed to grasp.

Chance of a Lifetime

Irreverent freelance investigative reporter Tom Maguire hits rock bottom when bigot editor in chief Ivan refuses to print his pieces anymore and his bad back most be operated, but his health insurance just expired. Sympathetic editor Irene Dunbar, feeling guilty she didn't save his job, volunteers for a fake marriage so he can use her insurance. The 'happy couple' in now constantly beleaguered by her mother and an insurance inspector, while each has his own affairs, but the co-habitation also seems to generate meaningful affection.

Dying to Be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story

Story about a runner whose bulimia and anorexia threatens both her dream of competing in the Olympics and her marriage to Denver's mayor.

To Face Her Past

Beth Bradfield (Patty Duke) is a housewife with what appears to be a stable life in an American village. One day, her 24-year-old daughter Lori (Tracey Gold), who is married to Jesse Molina (Maurice Benard) and recently gave birth to his daughter Molly (Laura and Megan Jaime), unexpectedly collapses and is hospitalized. After several tests, she is diagnosed with leukemia. Her doctor (Erick Avari) reveals to Beth that Lori is in urgent need of a donor, though her rare blood type makes finding one a difficult task.

My Dad Can't Be Crazy... Can He?

Teenage boy is unable to deal with his schizophrenic father.