CAM is pleased to partner with the annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival to present two programs of short films that explore the world of contemporary art through a cinematic lens. Each evening explores connections between themes in CAM’s current exhibitions with new releases as part of the Festival’s fine arts spotlight.

These events are free and open to the public. Make it a true dinner and a movie! Bring a spread to enjoy during the screenings and snack on complimentary popcorn. Additional refreshments will be available for purchase.

Doors open at 7:00 pm. Click here to register.

Accessibility notes

• Seating is first come, first served and set up in tables and chairs.
• Guests are welcome to bring food. Outside alcohol is not permitted. 
• To request an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter for this event, please contact programs@camstl.org with as much prior notice possible to ensure availability.

About the program

Wild Kindness is a short film program exploring the deep connection between people and place, with a particular care given to the value of the importance that the natural environment has in sustaining our creative and communal life. The title of the program is drawn from a work in Teresa Baker’s exhibition Somewhere Between Earth and Sky, in which the artist plays with scale, shape, color, composition, and materiality to convey an unbound, expansive sense of how we regard our landscape. Similarly, from the contexts of oceans to dry lake beds to farmlands, these short films present perspectives on ways to both tend to and mend our human connection with land and water amidst environmental and cultural changes.

Papillon (Butterfly) (2024), directed by Florence Miailhe. 15 minutes.

A man swims in the sea. As he does so, memories come flooding back. From his early childhood to his adult life, all the memories are connected to water. Some are happy, some glorious, some traumatic. This story will be the story of his last swim.

Qotzuñi: People of the Lake (2024), directed by Gastón Zilberman and Michael Salama. 13 minutes.

After drought and diversions led to the disappearance of Lake Poopó’s once-vast waters in 2016, the Uru-Murato communities must face the cultural and economic consequences of what it means to be Qotzuñis, People of the Lake, when the lake ceases to exist.

Common Pear (2025), directed by Gregor Božič. 15 minutes. 

In a not-too-distant future ravaged by climate crisis, a team of scientists analyse the archival footage of farmers from the past, in an attempt to understand their connection to the land.

Arctic Alchemy (2025), directed by Colin Arisman and Zeppelin Zeerip. 29 minutes.

Called “An inspired reminder of why we push ourselves to experience truly wild places,” (Outside Magazine), Arctic Alchemy follows renowned Alaskan adventurer and climate scientist Roman Dial and his team on a 112-mile research expedition, on packraft and foot, above the Arctic Circle.