Description:

Quest (Jonathan Olshefski, 2017, USA, DCP, 104 min.)

Thursday October 5 7pm

Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Full Frame Documentary Festival, Jonathan Olshefski’s first feature follows the North Philadelphia Rainey family over the course of a decade. This intimate cinema verité film is a moving and inspiring look at a remarkable African-American family who are confronted with their own issues and tragedies and yet find the resolve to think beyond themselves to their larger community. Father Christopher "Quest" Rainey has struggled with drug addiction; mother Christine'a, aka "Ma Quest," was badly burned in a stove explosion; oldest son William is battling cancer; and youngest daughter PJ is struck in the eye by a stray bullet. Despite their adversities, the Raineys look to the betterment of their neighborhood. Christine’a works at a domestic violence shelter and Christopher opens up his small home music studio to the local kids, providing them an opportunity for expression and a sign that they are valued. “The movie’s quiet eloquence invites you to reflect on what it means to belong to a family and a place.” — A.O. Scott, New York Times

In person: editor Lindsay Utz

-

Co-presented by Northwestern's MFA in Documentary Media Program