Jan. 19, 2023 | Ellen Driscoll Playhouse
The Appreciating Diversity Film Series is proud to present Through the Night as the MLK Day inspirational film on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023, at 7 p.m., in the Ellen Driscoll Playhouse, 325 Highland Avenue, Piedmont. As always, FREE of charge. This 76 minute film will be followed by a discussion of current East Bay childcare services led by BANANAS child care referral and family resources Director Kym Johnson.
Childcare, who needs it? Everyone! If you are a parent, grandparent and/or community member, you know that society can’t function without it. High quality, dependable and affordable childcare is the essential service necessary to every family and to the American workforce and yet it is always a struggle to find. If you are a doctor, nurse, police officer or in a myriad of other work sectors such as transportation or hospitality, you know the additional challenge in finding night care. This important topic is brought to life in the powerful and uplifting documentary film “Through the Night,” directed by Loira Limbal. It is the NYT Critics Pick 2020 and the Hollywood Critic Top 10 from Tribeca and SXSW.
“Through the Night” is an intimate cinema verité portrait of working mothers whose lives intersect at a 24-hour daycare center: a mother working the overnight shift at a pediatric hospital, another holding three jobs to support her family and the woman who cares for their children whose parents have nowhere else to turn. A tender portrait of strength, love, and selflessness, the film showcases the multiplicity of “women’s work” — paid, underpaid, and unpaid — all while negotiating the terms of a dignified existence under the 3 arrows of racism, sexism, and capitalism in America.
Support for working mothers remains very limited across the country. The costs of daycare for a 3-year-old rivals the cost of rent in most U.S. cities. Childcare providers themselves are often struggling in a mountain of expensive bureaucracy and minimum wages. At a time when many Americans work multiple jobs to make ends meet, with a shrinking safety net, women of color are disproportionately impacted.
“This quietly engaging documentary is also subtly political, showing with clear eyes how good people are trying to patch gaps in our society that shouldn’t be there in the first place.”
Los Angeles Times
“Through the Night is a gripping peek into the economic and emotional challenges of Americans.”
The Root
Because childcare is not just a national issue but also a local issue, this free documentary screening will be followed by a short talk and Q & A with Kym Johnson, executive director of BANANAS, Inc. BANANAS is an early care and education organization that provides resources for families and child care providers to support and educate our youngest learners.
The film series is sponsored by the The Piedmont Anti-Racism and Diversity Committee, the Piedmont Adult School, the City of Piedmont, and the Piedmont Chapter of the League of Women Voters.
