14.12.23, 20:30, Showing Up (2022)

Kelly Reichardt, US, 107', English spoken, no subtitles

Kelly Reichardt's cinema cuts to the bone of American society with humanistic sensitivity yet surgical precision. Her portraits of lonely souls trying to navigate with dignity in a distantly marketised and alienated environment remain a unique presence in the independent cinema landscape. Her latest and possibly most personal work, Showing Up, follows the life journey of sculptor Lizzy. Working for her mother's gallery, she is trying to prepare for her new show, in which she will display her latest clay sculptures of happy women. Plagued by personal problems, however, she just does not get around to this. Family difficulties, mutual competition and a dead pigeon confront her with the complex intertwining of her work and personal life.

Showing Up is Reichardt's fourth collaboration with actress Michelle Williams. Once again, Willams perfectly shapes Reichardt's layered vision of people and society. Lizzy tries to find her way in the art world, but gets lost deeper and deeper in a daunting maze where there is little room for personal integrity. With a tender eye for the mundane, Showing Up offers a tender look at the vulnerable sides of being an artist.