Getting Physical (Short Film Block)

Thursday, September 18th, 1pm
Memorial Hall Main Theater
Total Runtime: 88m 30s

Why We Ride dir. Erin Kirby
Desired dir. Luciana Vigil, Angel Vincent
Discreet dir. Kevin Lewis
Mace dir. Beecher Reuning
Suspicions About the Hidden Realities of Air dir. Sam Drake
Embodied dir. Samuel Wright Smith
The Sacred Society dir. Benny Zelkowicz

Different stories all about the human body. From questions about who we are on the inside, to forces acting on us from the outside, this block looks at life in this body and what we do when it ends.

Cyclists riding on a park trail in an urban area with trees, buildings, and streetlights.

Why We Ride

Directed by: Erin Kirby

This short documentary explores the experiences of women who cycle, particularly within the Denver community.

Runtime: 12:00

Desired

Close-up of a young woman with dark curly hair resting her head on a pillow, lying in bed.

Directed by: Luciana Vigil, Angel Vincent

Inspired by her IG model best friend’s lifestyle and self expression, Jada, a black woman who struggles with her self image, decides to undergo a Brazilian butt lift.

Runtime: 17:17

Discreet

A person lying in bed at night, illuminated by a soft lamp beside the bed, stretching with arms raised above the head.

Directed by: Kevin Lewis

A young man’s desire spirals into obsession as he tries to reshape himself in the image of someone else.

Runtime: 13:42

Mace

A woman with long dark hair wearing a black dress and holding a beige purse and brown bag in a public bathroom or locker room with tiled green walls and ceilings. The woman is barefoot and standing in front of a sink while looking towards the camera.

Directed by: Beecher Reuning

A transgender woman’s first date spirals into a nightmare when she’s confronted by a figure from her past.

Runtime: 10:45

Suspicions About the Hidden Realities of Air

Blurred image of a tree and surrounding land, with a zoom effect causing motion blur.

Directed by: Sam Drake

Fragmented records reveal a concealed history of Cold War–era human radiation experiments, surfacing through a haze of manipulation and embedded studies. Desert dust settles into teeth, inscribing a residual record. Contaminated images conjure the unseen.

Runtime: 9:07

Embodied

Colorful impressionist painting of five people in a room with yellow walls. One woman in a green dress stands in the center, speaking to a woman in a pink top. Two women with purple and white hair are seated in the foreground, facing the women standing. The scene appears to depict a conversation or meeting.

Directed by: Samuel Wright Smith

Embodied is a collective reflection on death, as shared by individuals facing the end of life with the aid of psychedelic-assisted care. Anecdotes, stories and musings are shared through oil pastel animation.

Runtime: 13:09

The Sacred Society

A black and white drawing of a hand lying flat, with the fingers extended and the palm facing down.

Directed by: Benny Zelkowicz

In the end, our bodies are as fragile and ephemeral as paintings made of sand. Who will care for them when our time is over?

Runtime: 12:30