Medford, Arlington Groups to Screen Film in April

Landmark Frontline documentary, KIND HEARTED WOMAN, to be screened in West Medford

Arlington International Film Festival(AIFF) in partnership with the Medford Arts Center (MACI) and the West Medford Congregational Church (WMCC) presents KIND HEARTED WOMAN, by acclaimed filmmaker David Sutherland, who will be attending the screening, Sunday, April 6, 2014, 4:00 P.M at the West Medford Congregational Church, 400 High Street.

KIND HEARTED WOMAN (http://itvs.org/films/kind-hearted-woman) is an unforgettable portrait of Robin Charboneau, a 32-year old divorced single mother and Oglala Sioux woman living on North Dakota’s Spirit Lake Reservation. Sutherland follows Robin over three years as she struggles to raise her two children, further her education, heal herself from the wounds of sexual abuse she suffered as a child and fulfill her goal of returning to her reservation to help prevent the abuse of women and children. This personal story allows us entree into the process of the tribal court and sexual abuse on the reservation.

“As in my other films profiling rural poverty,” says Sutherland, “I was trying to reach out to another forgotten corner of the American landscape, this time to put a face on a Native family so that we could see them close-up with all the detail that illuminates the rich reality of their lives.”

“We are pleased to be partnering with AIFF and WMCC to bring this important documentary to Medford , “says Mike Oliver, president of MACI. “The efforts of this young woman to overcome adversity are inspiring.”

David Sutherland is an independent filmmaker focused on creating documentary portraits. His films include Country Boys, The Farmer’s Wife, Out of Sight, and Paul Cadmus: Enfant Terrible at 80. For over thirty years, he has produced acclaimed documentaries, many of which have been shown on PBS.

KIND HEARTED WOMAN represents the current evolution of Sutherland’s filmmaking technique, which he describes as “cinematic portraiture.” Says Sutherland, “The sound is designed so the viewer hears my subjects breathing, sighing, and groaning from 100 yards away. My objective is to make you feel that you’re living in their skin.” For more information on Sutherland, see davidsutherland.com.

Tickets are $10.00. Proceeds from the event will go to ReMember, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of the Lakota Sioux and the Pine Ridge Reservation

– Submitted by MACI President Mike Oliver