The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom (Lucy Walker | USA | 39 min.)
Survivors from Japan's recent tsunami find the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins. A stunning visual poem about the ephemeral nature of life and the healing power of Japan's most beloved flower. This Academy Award nominated documentary was supported by the Rooftop Filmmakers’ Fund.

THE FUSE: OR HOW I BURNED SIMON BOLIVAR (Igor Drljača | Bosnia | 9 min.)
Personal home movies follow how a young boy's attempts to avoid a bad grade in school in 1990's Sarajevo may have contributed to a civil war.

I BEAT MIKE TYSON (Joshua Z. Weinstein | USA | 14 min.)
In 2005, an unknown Irish boxer shocked the world, beating Mike Tyson. Then he disappeared. Rooftop alum Weinstein rediscovers Kevin McBride in a gritty Boston suburb, his body deteriorating, compulsively fighting on. This lyrical film finds a boxer at the end of his career, engaging in the Sisyphean task that is his life.

TRYPPS #6 (MALOBI) (Ben Russell | 10 min.)
From the Maroon village of Malobi in Suriname, this hypnotic single-take film moves into and out of a mysterious ritual. Deliberately offering no explanation, the film lets the viewer imagine their own meanings. It’s Halloween at the Equator, Andrei Tarkovsky for the jungle set.

DOCTOR RAO (Wu Zhi & Alexej Tchernyi | 6 min.)
Doctor Rao passed away. Family and friends are celebrating his last journey.

Tyler (Ethan Knecht | 3 min.)
In this dark and adorable short comedy from Rooftop alum Ethan Knecht, a bored goldfish flees to the Coney Island beach.

Strange Shapes
"Brooklyn’s Strange Shapes recently released b-sides from their 2011 EP Star Chart, an album that’s been on nearly all of my playlists for months. Their tunes are a masterful combination of fun, upbeat Ra Ra Riot-esque indie pop and tight instrumental arrangements spearheaded by Booker Stardrum’s stellar percussion, Ezra Tenenbaum’s 12-string lead guitar, and Marshal Garbus’ Nashville-tuned rhythm guitar." Wild Honey Pie