Merhawi

From remote lands and welcoming cultures, from immigration to innovation—we give you nothing but the facts in this program of DocLands short films! After a near-death experience, an Icelandic photographer and former kayaker discovers a newfound passion for surfing and a new perspective worth living for with the birth of his daughter in Chris Burkard’s Unnúr (US 2019, 16 min). Set in one of the most remote and inaccessible volcanic island chains in the world, a scrappy Russian marine biologist encounters sea lion chaos, joyous raptures, and ultimately a greater hope for the earth in Taylor Rees’ From Kurils with Love (US 2020, 24 min).

A decade after Christopher McDougall’s bestseller Born to Run helped introduce the world to the phenomenal athletic feats of the marathon runners of the reclusive indiginous Tarahumara tribe of Northern Mexico, Emmy®-nominated director Bernardo Ruiz (Harvest Season) offers an in-depth portrait of the community’s attempts to overcome external threats of nearby drug cartels and diminishing crops. The Infinite Race centers around the 2015 Ultra Maratón Caballo Blanco, an annual 50-mile race in Urique that Oakland-born runner Micah True started to help preserve and celebrate the Tarahumara heritage, as cartel violence risks canceling the event altogether. Ruiz balances a nuanced and inspiring portrait of the Tarahumara people with a compelling look at the ways their endurance running has left a mark on runners across the globe.