Daredevils Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus ascend to dizzying heights in Jeff Zimbalist’s documentary “Skywalkers: A Love Story.”
By Lucy Spicer
It’s that time of year again: As summer temperatures hit their peak, we’re ready to balance fun in the sun with some distinctly indoor entertainment. This July, Sundance has you covered with four documentaries you can watch without even having to leave the house, as well as one award-winning new release you can enjoy inside a dark, air-conditioned theater.
Nonfiction offerings include an Institute-supported debut by two young filmmakers documenting a summer in their border town, a 2024 Sundance Film Festival doc about two thrill-seekers reaching jaw-dropping heights, and two 2023 Festival films — one from a woman with a rare disability seeking community, and another following two fishermen in Bombay balancing friendship amid a difficult industry. This month’s in-theater fiction film evokes the recent nostalgia of 2008 with an appropriately summer-set coming-of-age story.
Hummingbirds — In their directorial debut, filmmakers Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefanía “Beba” Contreras chronicle the last sunset-soaked summer of their youth in a Texas-Mexico border town, holding tight to their friendship and blossoming activism even as immigration complications hang over their heads. Supported by Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program, Hummingbirds was awarded the Grand Prix in the Generation 14plus competition at Berlinale in 2023. Making its broadcast premiere on PBS’ “POV” July 1.
Is There Anybody Out There? — Before she put out a call in a disability support group on Facebook, director Ella Glendining had never seen a body that looked like hers before. Born with very short thigh bones and no hip joints, Glendining has a disability so rare that she has been unable to find any statistics about it. In her feature-length documentary debut, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, Glendining shares the realities of her everyday life — including the ableism she experiences regularly — as she searches for other individuals living with a disability like hers. Making its broadcast premiere on PBS’ “POV” July 8.
Skywalkers: A Love Story — Some thrill-seekers climb mountains; Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus climb buildings. Known as rooftoppers, the daredevil couple post photos of their dizzying — and not strictly legal — escapades dangling off the sides of some of the world’s tallest buildings. Director Jeff Zimbalist’s documentary, which screened at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, follows Nikolau and Beerkus as they seek to strengthen their relationship and tackle their most difficult climb yet: the 2,227-foot Merdeka 118 skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur. Streaming on Netflix July 19.
Dìdi (弟弟) — It’s the summer of 2008, and 13-year-old Taiwanese American Chris (Izaac Wang) is a typical teenager trying to enjoy the last months before high school begins. For Chris, that means learning to skate and flirt, chatting on AOL Instant Messenger, and facing pressures to excel from his family. Both a coming-of-age story and an ode to immigrant parents, Sean Wang’s moving feature debut draws from the writer-director’s own experiences growing up as first-generation teen in the Bay Area. Developed with support from Sundance Institute’s Directors and Screenwriters Labs, Dìdi (弟弟) won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble and the Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Coming to theaters July 26.
Against the Tide — Sarvnik Kaur’s documentary follows two fishermen in Bombay, Rakesh and Ganesh. Rakesh lives in modest surroundings and fishes on a small boat using traditional methods, while Ganesh’s more expensive lifestyle includes a larger, more modern fishing vessel and a swankier flat. Despite their differences, the two men are bound by a deep friendship and the increasing difficulties of the fishing industry. Supported by Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program, Against the Tide won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award: Vérité Filmmaking at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Making its broadcast premiere on PBS’ “POV” July 29.
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is underway! Traveling to all corners of the United States and beyond in the following months, the 110-minute program features seven short films selected from the 2024 Festival, including three Festival Award–winning titles. Check here for dates and venues; see below for dates in July.
- Austin, Texas, July 4–10, Austin Film Society
- Williamstown, Massachusetts, July 4, Images Cinema
- Riverside, California, July 6–14, UCR Arts
- Portland, Maine, July 21–22, SPACE Gallery
- Anchorage, Alaska, July 22, Bear Tooth Theatrepub
- Cleveland, Ohio, July 26–28, Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque
