Sara Newens – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

MARLEE MATLIN: NOT ALONE ANYMORE (SXSW 2025) – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

March 15, 2025March 19, 2025 Valerie Kalfrin aaron sorkin, Children of a Lesser God, documentary, Henry Winkler, Marlee Matlin, Marlee Matlin Not Alone Anymore, Oscar Best Actress, Randa Haines, Sara Newens, Shoshannah Stern, Sian Heder, SXSW 2025, Troy Kotsur, William Hurt

In 1987, Marlee Matlin became the first deaf performer to win an Oscar, earning the Best Actress award for Children of a Lesser God. For more than three decades, she was the only deaf actor to win an Oscar—and in navigating Hollywood, she often felt alone. The documentary Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore is a revealing and introspective look at this groundbreaking performer but also an insightful one, conveying its interviews and revelations through how Matlin experiences life: with visuals, sign language, and captioning.

Reviews

RACIST TREES – Review by Valerie Kalfrin

January 20, 2024 Valerie Kalfrin Crossley Tract, documentary, Joanna Sokolowski, Mina T. Son, palm springs, Racist Trees, Sara Newens

The sixty-foot-tall tamarisk trees bordering a golf course look lush from one side of Palm Springs—but from the other, they’re a barrier blocking picturesque mountain views and high-end property values. The modest community in the shadow of these behemoths has a majority of Black homeowners, something that comes as no surprise watching the documentary Racist Trees—except to some White residents and city officials here patting themselves on the back for their progressiveness.