Filmmaker Scheduled to Appear, Producer Scheduled to Appear
Two films that take alternative yet complimentary approaches to memory storytelling and historical perspective from two leading-edge filmmakers in Bloomington for the first time! Q&A to follow.
Bad Hostage (dir. Mimi Wilcox, 2024, USA): A thrilling piece of family lore intersects with the famous kidnapping of Patty Hearst and a dramatic bank heist in Sweden in this investigation into the pernicious origins of Stockholm Syndrome. On the Academy Awards' shortlist for Best Documentary Short. [22 min; documentary; English]
The Rebel Girls (dir. Felicia D. Henderson, 2024, USA): Inspired by the true story of the 1960s fight for Civil Rights, The Rebel Girls sees the movement through the eyes of the girls who reinvigorated the struggle through the power of magical thinking, friendship, faith, and fortitude. Winner of Best Live Action Short at the 2025 African American Film Critics Association Awards. [22 min; drama; English]
This screening will be followed by a Q&A with Bad Hostage director Mimi Wilcox and producer Max Asaf, The Rebel Girls director Felicia D. Henderson, and acclaimed documentarian Debra Tolchinsky.
Mimi Wilcox is an Emmy-nominated documentary editor and filmmaker who honed her skills working at the renowned production company Kartemquin Films. Max Asaf is an award-winning freelance documentary filmmaker, producer, and archival researcher. Felicia D. Henderson is a producer, writer, and director. In addition to her series credits, Felicia has written full-length movies for 20th Century Fox, the Disney Channel, and MTV Films. Debra Tolchinsky is a documentary director/producer, a multimedia artist, a curator, and an associate professor at Northwestern University. Debra was the founding director of Northwestern's MFA in documentary media.
This program is produced in coordination with The Media School.
"Mimi Wilcox’s brilliant Bad Hostage is one of those documentary shorts that illuminates a subject that I hadn’t considered but becomes so obvious in retrospect: the inherent sexism in the very concept of Stockholm Syndrome…She does so through personal filmmaking against a backdrop of international storytelling. It’s great." — Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com
“[Bad Hostage is] an urgent and fascinating exploration of misogyny and state oppression.” — Cinerama
Any film screened at IU Cinema may contain content that viewers find sensitive or upsetting. Visit our Audience Advisories page to learn more.
