Institute History
Description
Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic
Radha, a once-promising playwright, is barreling toward the stigma of being single and a struggling artist at the age of 40. Facing nonstop rejections from the theatre community while teaching a motley group of teens, she becomes creatively re-invigorated when she returns to rapping, her long-forgotten passion. When her play finally gets going, however, she puts recording a rap demo on the back burner and must navigate the awful tension of compromising her voice for career success.
In her knockout feature debut, Radha Blank writes, directs, and delivers a devastatingly endearing onscreen performance. The quintessential plight of an artist selling out or being true to oneself has never felt so fresh. Shot on black-and-white film, Blank features New York City and in turn claims it all for her own. Blank’s Radha is a magnetic woman to root for, crackly knees and all. Baring a vulnerability that is inspiring, deliciously funny, and dripping with honesty, this comedic gem represents what 40 really looks like—no less scared, but irresistible and authentic as f*@k.
Closed captioning is available for this film.