For its annual International Women's Day Screening at the BFI, Birds Eye View willpPresent Kim Longinotto's latest documentary Dreamcatcher, in partnership with Bertha Dochouse and Dogwoof.
The screening will take place at the BFI Southbank on March 8th and will be followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Kim Longinotto, a documentarian who is internationally renowned for her films about extra-ordinary women, particularly female victims of oppression or discrimination. The Q&A will be hosted by journalist Kira Cochrane.
Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world through the eyes of one of its survivors; Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute who worked the streets of Chicago, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humour, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. Her story is their inspiration.
For 25 years Brenda Myers-Powell called herself 'Breezy' and she dominated her world, or that's what she thought. It was a world that had turned her into a teenage, drug-addicted prostitute. After a violent encounter with a 'john,' Brenda woke up in the hospital and decided to change her life. Today she is a beacon of hope and a pillar of strength for hundreds of women and girls as young as fourteen who want to change their own lives.
Dreamcatcher explores the cycle of neglect, violence and exploitation which each year leaves thousands upon thousands of girls and women feeling that prostitution is their only option to survive. By following the very charming, charismatic and truly empathic Brenda, we enter the lives of young women and see in verite footage their realities from their points of view. While the world may overlook these women and men, thankfully Brenda has not, providing an unflinching expose which contrasts seeming hopelessness against the difference that one person can make in the lives of many.
Dreamcatcher enjoyed huge success at its recent debut in Sundance. Described as “raw, powerful, and downright inspirational” - IndieWire and “intensely moving ... a real-world version of movie-star magnetism' - Variety, Dreamcatcher is the perfect film for International Women's Day. Join us on the 8th March, 3pm, at BFI Southbank.
