Synopsis
USA, 2018; 93 min.
Winner of a Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, Minding the Gap is a vital and heartrending story about young men growing up in Rockford, Illinois. For years, Bing Liu aimed his videocamera on himself and his skateboarding friends Zach, the charismatic joker, and Keire, the only African American in the group, as they careered through the streets of their run-down post-industrial town. But behind these buoyant images of youthful male bonding and liberation are more sobering secrets—of volatile families and the legacy of domestic violence. An intimate and longitudinal reflection on the delicate lines between fathers and sons, boyhood and adulthood, first-time director Bing Liu has crafted an “affecting” (New York Times), “deeply resonant” (RogerEbert.com), and “warmhearted look at the difficulties of reckoning with the past” (Indiewire). Produced by Chicago’s Kartemquin Films (Hoop Dreams, The Interrupters), Minding the Gap is one of the year’s most bracingly honest documentaries.
Sunday, April 8th @ 5pm
Followed by Q+A with Director Bing Liu and other special guests
director bio
Bing Liu grew up making skateboarding videos with his friends. He began working in film while attaining a BA in literature from the University of Illinois. He is a member of the International Cinematographer’s Guild and is a segment director on America To Me, a Participant Media and Kartemquin Films produced mini-series directed by Steve James. He enjoys mornings sipping coffee, afternoons skateboarding, and evenings bicycling.