Interview:
Daresha Kyi,
director,
Kimberly Shappley,
documentary subject,
"Mama Bears"
Directed by Daresha Kyi, the documentary Mama Bears highlights the work undertaken by a group of evangelical Christian mothers who underwent the necessary emotional and spiritual transformation to accept and support their LGBTQ+ children. Borrowing its title from the private Facebook group of the same name, Mama Bears focuses on two mothers: Kimberly Shappley, who moves her pre-teen trans daughter Kai to Austin because of the hate and the harassment they face in Pearland, and Sara Cunningham, who becomes deeply involved as a Mama Bears activist after her long journey to reconcile her religious beliefs with her love for her adult gay son Parker. The documentary also examines the difficult relationship between Tammi Terrell Morris, a lesbian, and her loving but conflicted mother Tenita. Mama Bears will screen during the SXSW Film Festival at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 13 at the Alamo South Lamar, 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Sunday, March 14 at the Violet Crown, and 12:30 p.m. Friday, March 18 at the Alamo South Lamar. Mama Bears is also available for SXSW Film Festival registrants to stream online for 48 hours beginning at 9 a.m. Monday, March 14. Daresha Kyi previously co-directed the documentary Chavela and directed the "Texas Strong" episode of the short documentary series Trans in America. Aired: March 17, 2022. Web sites: https://mamabearsdoc.com https://www.facebook.com/MamaBearsDoc/ https://www.sxsw.com/festivals/film/ https://schedule.sxsw.com/2022/films/2053790 |
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