Director
The filmmaker's grandfather recounts fleeing German-occupied Kyiv just before the massacres at Babyn Yar, while his father tells of his return to Kyiv for the first time since emigrating to the US. In the backdrop, the Soviet translation of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is woven through images of the Mississippi River today. The film jumps through time, but the rhythm of an accordion keeps the pace.
Director
"Ride with Larry" puts a human face on the day-to-day fight against Parkinson's through the story of Larry Smith, a retired police captain, now beloved small-town baker. After twenty years with Parkinson's, Larry attempts to ride 300 miles across his state of South Dakota with the support of his family and community to show the power of keeping your body active and mind positive, proving that the best cure is living life to its fullest. The film follows Larry as attempts to push his limits and expand the boundary of possibilities for those with Parkinson's. Weaved amongst his journey is an intimate portrait of Parkinson's, illuminating the day-to-day fight of those diagnosed, their families, and caretakers. It is a film for all those stigmatized or mired in the darkness of illnesses without cures. Larry and his wife Betty refuse to be defined by this diagnosis, proving that sometimes the best cure is living life to its fullest.
