LOSING GROUND

"A nearly lost masterwork … Had it screened widely in its time, it would have marked film history." – The New Yorker

Blending dashes of Bergman, Cassavetes and Rohmer into an intellectually complex, emotionally resonant exploration of marriage, artistry and passion that's completely her own, Kathleen Collins relates the tale of philosophy professor Sara (Seret Scott) and her painter husband Victor (Bill Gunn). Over the course of a heated New York summer, Sara embarks upon an academic investigation of ecstasy, Victor tries to find joy in his creative and physical pursuits, and their professional and personal affairs drive the duo in different directions.

One of the first fictional features written and directed by an African-American woman, Collins' sole full-length film almost became a lost masterpiece of US independent cinema. Though Losing Ground was made in 1982, it only received a theatrical run in 2015 via a digital restoration created by the playwright turned filmmaker's daughter – making its MIFF run a very rare opportunity to see this remarkable film on the big screen.

"That Losing Ground still feels fresh, over 3 decades later, is not only a testament to its timelessness, but also is sadly indicative of how scarce complex depictions of the inner lives of women – specifically black women – are, in contemporary American cinema." – Indiewire