On Friday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. the On the Screen series at LTV Studios will present “Footsteps on the Wind” and “No Fear, No Favor” as part of “Women Rising: Stories of Strength and Change,” a film program curated by filmmaker Annette Danto, chair of the Brooklyn College Film Department, that celebrates the resilience, courage and determination of women both in front of and behind the camera.
The films are being shown in honor of Women’s History Month. The cinematic journey showcases women from diverse backgrounds whose journeys inspire hope for the future and change for the better.
“Footsteps on the Wind” is an animated 2021 film that follows the plight of Noor and her little brother, Josef, as they journey far away from home after being orphaned from a devastating earthquake. Directed by Maya Sanbar, the story highlights the tragic stories of unaccompanied child refugees.
The second film, “No Fear, No Favor,” illuminates the wrenching choices faced by impoverished residents who live on the front lines of Africa’s poaching crisis. People fight the internationally fueled illegal wildlife trade through community conservancies that protect the region’s wilderness and generate new livelihoods for future generations. The film is directed by Mirra Bank, an award-winning independent director and producer.
“Like many films, this one has been a labor of love, and our intention is for it to create a ripple effect that will spread understanding and hope through the art of film,” said Sanbar of “Footsteps on the Wind.” “Because we intend it to be used as a storytelling therapy tool for anyone who has experienced loss or displacement, it was important for us to work with psychologists and refugees in workshops so that the story is told in a sensitive way based on truth and can resonate in both a universal and personal way — a delicate balance to strike.
“Having experienced the trauma of the refugee experience through my own family history, it was essential to get the tone and imagery to resonate with the plight of so many children globally who have become refugees — whether it be the result of war, climate change, poverty or natural disaster,” she added. “Inspired by Sting’s song ‘Inshallah,’ which he has kindly donated to our film, we wanted to tell the story of refugees from a fresh point of view.”
Tickets for the screening are $10 (VIP café seating $35 with front row seating and a drink ticket) at ltveh.org, $15 at the door. Student tickets are $5 with a valid ID. LTV Studios is at 75 Industrial Road in Wainscott.
Staff Writer on Apr 3, 2025