What Did You Miss Last Night?

This was my second year for the Black Maria Film and Video Festival at the Grace Street Theater.

It's an outstanding chance to see some of the best short form film being made currently and last night did not disappoint.

The highlight was the Grand Prize Selection, Nora. a narrative/dance film shot in South Africa.

It told the story of Nora Chipaumire, a dancer who was born in Zimbabwe in 1965 and now lives in NYC.

The film interspersed modern dance with the story of her life.

Nora's dancing was mesmerizing, as was the majestic African scenery and the film ended with silence at its brilliance from the audience before rapturous applause.

One of the quirkier films shown was The Death of Grandma Gladys, Kate Lain's photographic tribute to her great-grandma.

The pictures show a woman almost always dressed in men's clothes and sometimes kissing another woman.

From these images, Lain tries to draw conclusions which ultimately become a discussion of post-structuralism.

Funny and intriguing at the same time.

This film fest, which travels the country showing a different program in each city, is a once-a-year treat for RVA.

For five bones, it's an evening of superior film making for film geeks.

Even the female ones dressed in men's clothing.