Welcome back to the Cause Cinema Spotlight.
This week, we have a dramatic social commentary, bookended by two unscripted projects. One is an inspirational tale about a new sports team, and the other is a fascinating feature doc from the art world. So let’s start there.
The Thief Collector
It was one of the most audacious and puzzling art thefts of a generation; In 1985, Willem de Kooning's seminal work, "Woman Ochre," was sliced from its frame and stolen from the walls of an Arizona art museum, disappearing into the desert. Over thirty years later, in a remote town in New Mexico, the $160 million dollar painting was rediscovered in the unlikeliest of places.
To learn more about the film or see where to watch click here.
The Starling Girl
Seventeen-year-old Jem Starling struggles to define her place within her fundamentalist Christian community in rural Kentucky. Even her greatest joy of dancing with the church group is tempered by worry that her actions are sinful and she is caught between a burgeoning awareness of her own sexuality and her religious devotion. With the return of Owen, an enigmatic youth pastor, Jem soon finds herself attracted to his worldliness and charm. Slowly, he draws her into a dangerous relationship that could upend their entire community.
To learn more about the film or see where to watch click here.
Angel City
Executive produced by Academy Award®-winner Natalie Portman, ANGEL CITY is a gripping 3-part docu-series that goes behind the scenes and onto the pitch of the groundbreaking Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team, Angel City Football Club. Pulling back the curtain on the origin story through the 2022 inaugural season of the female-founded and led team, the series reveals the passion and grit needed to build a franchise from scratch and blaze a bold trail in the world of professional sports.
To learn more about the film click here, or see on HBOMax here.
That’s a wrap for the Cause Cinema Spotlight. Hope you enjoy this week’s picks.
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Thieves, Starlings & Angels