I’d Rather Be Dead Than Silent

After 9/11, fear and Islamophobia grip America. Into this storm steps Professor Khaled Abou El Fadl — Islamic jurist, human rights advocate, and one of the fiercest critics of Wahhabism and the Saudi regime. His refusal to stay silent makes him a lightning rod: vilified, threatened, and nearly killed for his words. Surrounded by a private library of half a million books — some banned for centuries — Khaled fights for an Islam rooted in pluralism and democracy. At his side is Grace Song, his wife and partner, who shares in the danger and the defiance. Together they confront assassination attempts, smear campaigns, and the loneliness of standing against power. I’d Rather Be Dead Than Silent is a visceral portrait of courage under siege — a film that dares to ask what silence costs in an age of rising hate.

FACE TO FACE - DON BACHARDY

Face to Face is an intimate documentary about Don Bachardy, one of the 20th century’s most renowned portrait artists and longtime partner of writer Christopher Isherwood. Through candid interviews and rare footage, the film reveals Bachardy’s evolution—from his Hollywood inspirations to the striking portraits that defined his career.

Featuring sitters from Ginger Rogers and Henry Fonda to Jerry Brown, the documentary showcases Bachardy’s fearless ability to capture the essence of his subjects. At its heart are the 448 portraits he created of Isherwood in his final months—a profound testament to love and artistic devotion.

Spanning early influences, daring nude studies, and recent self-portraits, Face to Face is both a study of an artist’s vision and the extraordinary life he has devoted to seeing with honesty and empathy.