Documentary - Charm Circle
Vacancy Arts and Gigantic Pictures have announced that its feature documentary film Charm Circle, which won the audience award at Sheffield DocFest, will be released in UK cinemas from Friday 24th February...
Press Release
Directed, Produced and Edited by award-winning New York filmmaker Nira Burstein, Charm Circle follows filmmaker Nira Burstein as she bridges the fractured relationship between herself and her parents, offering an intimate glimpse into the lives of an eccentric New York family. Catalyzed by the announcement of her younger sister’s polyamorous wedding, Nira returns to her childhood home—now crumbling from the inside out— to reckon with complex psychological and financial challenges. Emotional and timeless, the story weaves together decades-old home videos and contemporary footage, painting a powerful family portrait that questions the value of the bonds that tie us together.
Nira Burstein said: “I’m sincerely looking forward to sharing Charm Circle with UK audiences. Ever since the film first world-premiered at Sheffield DocFest, the UK has felt like a second home. With that festival, there were pandemic-related capacity restrictions so we didn’t have the chance to come together in a way we can now, so I’ve been waiting for this moment to arrive and it’s exciting to finally be here. From watching Charm Circle with other audiences, I’ve gathered that this movie is an opportunity for catharsis, to laugh, to cry and the myriad of emotions in-between.”
The film is also produced by Betsy Laikin (Samantha and the Amazing Acro Cats, Now Return Us To Normal), and Executive Produced by Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live, Portlandia, Los Espookys); Brian Devine, Brooke Devine & Jason Orans at Gigantic Pictures (Sons of Sam, Killer Legends, The Killling Season) and Jonathan Gray (Black Swan, Precious, The Station Agent, The Mole Agent, American Factory, One Child Nation).
Fred Armisen said: “I got involved with Charm Circle because it showed me an intimate look at a family’s life in Queens, New York. It’s a borough of New York City that isn’t depicted as frequently or as romantically as Manhattan or Brooklyn. Nira Burstein documents her parents and sisters in a way that is totally unexpected. I don’t know how she got them to be so unselfconscious while she was filming this. Her dad is a complex and wonderful character that I wish I could have come up with. Her mom is artistic and somewhat shy, but has this mischievous smirk that makes me wonder what she’s thinking about. This is not a slice of life movie. Some real issues are confronted here. But it has a happy ending. I know I’m not supposed to say that, but I love every part of this documentary.”
Charm Circle was shortlisted for the IDA Awards for Best Feature Documentary and nominated for Best Editing, had its World Premiere at the 2021 Sheffield DocFest where it won the Audience Award and the First Feature Award Special Mention. In addition, it made its hometown, New York premiere at DOC NYC where it was awarded the Jury Special Recognition in the Metropolis Competition as well as the Cinema Verite Special Recognition Award at Thin Line Fest.
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