steadfastfilms

Some people watch documentaries because they think they should; the way you might guilt trip yourself about having only read two thirds of the books at citylights: because they broaden your mind, sharpen your perspective, and fill out your shelves. I heartily commend these amazing individuals.

Alas I have to confess to only watching docs when someone’s story is intriuging, even if its concerns are somewhat marginal- take for instance a hypothetical short doc about one woman’s search for the perfect laundromat in San Francisco. If I take nothing away from the film except for a wistful grin at having met this delightful personality, the film would have been worth my while. If perchance I learn something slightly more substantial about the subculture of laundromat users in the city, the unspoken protocols about dryer use that keep the peace, the tensions and expectations of city living, and the small joys one has to grasp tightly to…these would be extras. Important extras for sure, but not why I started, and continued watching the film.

Steadfast Films is about making documentaries you watch, not because you ought to- but because you cannot help but to. They are films with an unflinching commitment to the unvarnished encounters between ordinary individuals and the reality they find themselves in. The gown of reality is often richer than any fiction we could invent precisely because it is out of our control. Out of this sublime chaos comes incredible joy, unspeakable sadness, and all the shades in between. These shades, these encounters, these stories of choices and compromises matter to you because this is a space you know.It is a space I know.