Mudbound (USA, 2017, 16)

Rating: 16 – Unsuitable for audiences under 16 years of age; contains offensive language and content that may disturb.

We’re excited to launch the official WhatsApp group—your space to connect, discuss films, and organize casual meetups beyond our screenings!

In the USA, March is Women's History Month, and during the month, the achievements of women are celebrated.

Mudbound is a film more about racism than anything else, although women do play a powerful role in this film. 2 veterans return to rural Mississippi after World War Two and settle back into life. However, the war has changed them, and their world and "life" is not the same.

The reason for showing Mudbound as our film for this month is that it the film of a book by Hilary Jordan. The director, Dees Rees, is an outstanding black American female director and Rachael Morrison won the Oscar for cinematography. This film is the celebration of women doing all kinds of things well.

The New York Times noted that the film does not tone down or dumb down racism. And really, no one wants to sit through another dollop of racial misery and guilt. But in this film, there are enough tender moments between characters, often wordless, but deep and genuine that give hope and bring a smile to the dial. Those moments are almost redemptive. As the NY Times says,

"The way those instances of ordinary human tenderness and decency stand out is proof of the film’s achievement, which is to lay bare a world in which cruelty is normal, and injustice seems as implacable as the weather."

Note: We’re hosting the event on the ground floor of the Ellen Melville Centre, and you’ll easily spot us through the glass walls. The main doors are usually locked, so if they’re closed when you arrive, just tap on the glass, and we’ll open the door for you from inside.