Happy Summer, movie lovers! It's the beginning of the summer and hopefully you're taking part in some great activities (maybe even participating in Summer of Adventure with the children in your life!!) The theme this month is movies with beautiful scenery, specifically for those of us who aren't able to get away from the city right now. Sometimes I find myself looking more at the world the creators are creating then the actual storyline and that's okay!
Also, as you know, so many great movies are adapted from great books (Perks of Being a Wallflower, anyone?), so if you’re looking for your next great read, feel free to try our Personalized Reading List service, in which our librarians will review what you have loved reading in the past and create a list of new titles specifically designed for you.
See you next month, stay safe, sane, and watch a movie!
Dodie: Miss Juneteenth (2020) DVD, Kanopy
Celebrate the holiday by watching this impressive debut feature from writer-director Channing Godfrey Peoples. Following a mother’s attempts to pass her own interrupted ambitions on to her teenage daughter, Miss Juneteenth is a beautifully observed and quietly powerful drama that applies its coming-of-age tropes to children, parents and politics alike.
The World is Big and Salvation Lurks Around the Corner (2011) DVD; Bulgaria
Sashiko loses both his parents in a terrible car accident on his way to visit his grandparents in Bulgaria, and Sashiko suffers amnesia and is unable to remember anything about himself. His grandfather Bai Dan rushes to see Sashiko at the hospital in Germany. At first Sashiko doesn’t recognize his grandfather but over time, he learns to trust Bai Dan and agrees to journey with him back to Bulgaria to help Sashiko revive his lost memories. Backgammon plays a role in the healing process for both men.
Laurie: Gaza Mon Amour (2020), Kanopy; Palestine
Filmmaker brothers Tarzan and Arab Nasser spotlight love and longing with the story of Issa (Salim Daw), a 60-something, never married fisherman who hopes he hasn’t missed the boat when falling for the widow Siham (Hiam Abbass).
Claire: Nomadland (2020) Blu-ray
A woman in her sixties embarks on a journey through the western United States after losing everything in the Great Recession, living as a van-dwelling modern-day nomad.
Le’ Trail: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) DVD
A story about a special summer in the lives of four lifelong friends who are separated for the first time. The young women find a pair of jeans that fits each of them perfectly and they decide to use the pants as a way of keeping in touch.
Wild (2015) DVD, Blu-Ray
A chronicle of one woman's 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent catastrophe.
Kristen A. : They Say Nothing Stays the Same (2022) DVD, Kanopy, Japan
In this gorgeous, thoughtful film, an old ferryman continues taking passengers across the river as a huge change looms on the horizon: A new bridge is being built just downstream from the serene spot where he lives. With the film’s meditative pace, it gives us plenty of time to absorb and consider the lives of this gentle man, his passengers, and the river itself at such an important cultural turning point. Watching it now during the pandemic, it also helped me step back a bit from our current cultural experience – bringing a more contemplative and much appreciated (if not all rosy) view of time and social change.
Daniel: Supernova (2020) DVD, Kanopy
Partners Tusker and Sam (Stanley Tucci and Colin Firth) embark on a cross country road trip together in their RV, as Tusker has dementia and knows he is getting worse. The two hope to use this trip to spend precious time together before Tusker’s dementia gets worse. Tucci and Firth both give outstanding performances, really capturing true love in this very moving film.
Nearly all Denver Public Library locations are open for walk-in services but if you’re not yet comfortable coming out to public spaces, we still have so many services available! For Denver residents, we have Kanopy, which is always updating with new, awesome films ranging from documentaries to indie films and classics to blockbusters, all available for at-home streaming. We also have several recurring virtual programs for all my movie lovers out there called Doc & Talk and What We’re Watching.
Do you have any big adventure or even little adventures planned this summer? Personally, I just plan to watch movies and read in an A/C fueled home!
In here I like Nomadland the most because my favorite game is https://tunnelrush.co, full of adventure