Little Boxes Directed
by
Rob Meyer USA / 2016 / 89:10 minutes
Screening
Times and Venues:
Q&A Attendees *subject to change: Rob Meyer
SYNOPSIS:
When Mack, Gina and 11-year-old Clark uproot their lives and relocate to a small, predominantly white town outside of Seattle, everything familiar becomes uncertain. Neighborly curiosity turns African American father and son into oddities, white mother into a novelty, and they are all forced to figure out how to fit in without trying too hard.
While adolescent Clark, with large afro and chill NY vibe, becomes a plaything for his sheltered girly classmates, and Gina delights her cocktail swilling female colleagues, Mack questions the polite facade all around him. Discovering broken appliances and previously hidden defects in their new home becomes an outlet for his frustration, as he tries to guide his family through the seemingly impossible transition. With an excellent cast and a series of cunning and playful interactions, "Little Boxes" cleverly depicts troubling racial dynamics, and exposes society's hidden forms of racism and the disruptive effect it can have on a black person. -- Monique Ray and Sveltana Krotek
BIO: Rob Meyer received his MFA from NYU's graduate film program, where his short thesis film "Aquarium", starring Jeremy Allen White, won awards around the world, including one at the Sundance Film Festival. Prior to NYU, he was an associate producer at PBS's NOVA, HBO Documentary Films and "National Geographic", where he worked extensively on Emmy and Peabody award-winning documentaries in Nepal, Antarctica, Alaska, and Egypt. His first narrative feature film, "A Birder's Guide to Everything", featuring Sir Ben Kingsley and Kodi Smit-MchPhee, screened at the Woodstock Film Festival, was released in 2013 and was described by "The New York Times" as a smart, likeable, coming of age film ... an eye opener for anyone who takes the everyday natural world for granted. "Little Boxes" is Meyer's second feature.
The Woodstock Film Festival is a not-for-profit, 501c3 organization with a mission to present an
annual program and year-round schedule of film, music,
and art-related activities that promote artists, culture,
inspired learning, and diversity. The Hudson Valley Film
Commission promotes sustainable economic development
by attracting and supporting film, video and media production.
