Through the art of self-definition and the power of resistance, folks of color inspire connections between us all. These short films are like the shields of gentle warriors and poets. Viewed together, what is vulnerable behind the lone sword can, in solidarity, become a fortress against assimilation and insanity.

Inge Blackman and her mother question the lasting effects of four hundred years of slavery in Legacy. In this haunting journey, ancestors speak, childhood confusion becomes adult understanding, and survival strategies evolve into wisdom and a deep embrace of life itself. Talking about Amy is an animated homage to Japanese pop artist and New York transplant Emi Iijima, whose matter-of-fact anti-authoritarianism gave birth to the “order made family” project and other messages to society. In Two-Spirits: Belonging, LGBT Native Americans speak about their sense of belonging to the urban reservation and to BAAITS (Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits). Escrito poetically explores the contradictions in what it means to be a queer immigrant in America. Milind Soman Made Me Gay weaves the filmmaker’s personal experience with those of other South Asian men who reconcile sexuality, religion and culture into a beautiful dance. The profile Definition: Aya de Leon is an amazing celebration of this in-your-face, to-the-point Bay Area spoken word artist/teacher. — ELSA E’DER

TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 99 min