Welcome to Rockford, Illinois, in the heart of Rust-Belt America, home to filmmaker Bing Liu. With over 12 years of footage, Liu discovers connections between two of his skateboarder friends’ volatile upbringings and the complexities of modern-day masculinity. As the film unfolds, Liu captures 23-year-old Zack’s tumultuous relationship with his girlfriend as it deteriorates after the birth of their son, and 17-year-old Keire struggling with his racial identity as he faces new responsibilities following the death of his father. While navigating a difficult relationship between his camera and his friends, Liu weaves a story of generational forgiveness while exploring the precarious gap between childhood and adulthood.
Bing Liu is a Chicago-based director and cinematographer who Variety Magazine listed as one of 10 documentary filmmakers to watch. His 2018 critically acclaimed documentary Minding the Gap has earned a total of 28 award recognitions since its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where it took home the Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Filmmaking. He is also a segment director on America To Me, a 10-hour documentary series examining racial inequities in America’s education system, set to premiere on Starz. His most recent film, All These Sons, has screened at IDFA, Doc10 and the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival.
Presented by the Graduate Certificate in Documentary Media Studies
School of Media Studies
The New School
https://newschooldocstudies.wordpress.com/
http://www.newschool.edu/public-engagement/documentary-media-graduate-certificate/
The New School Doc Studies 