Charismatic painter Beverly McIver has secured her status as a rising star of the New York art scene, earning numerous awards and grants, when a casual promise from her past comes due and rocks her personal and professional foundations. Years ago, Beverly assured her mother Ethel that she would care for her mentally disabled older sister, Renee, when Ethel no longer could. But only when Ethel is diagnosed with cancer does Beverly begin to realize the gravity of her potential obligations.
Directors Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan (SO MUCH SO FAST, IFFBoston 2006 Audience Award winner) follow Beverly and Renee to Arizona, where they begin their experimental cohabitation. Renee’s highly routinized lifestyle may not seem so demanding upon first glance: she enjoys making and selling woven potholders, keeping track of locals’ birthdays, and talking to people. But for the fiercely independent Beverly, who has spent decades crafting a life of solitary creativity and focused artistic ambition, Renee is not so much a pleasant companion as she is a reminder of what could have been in New York.
Framed by Beverly’s remembrances of growing up black in 1960s Greensboro, NC, and punctuated by her breathtakingly honest paintings, RAISING RENEE reminds us of family’s capacity not only to love and support, but to inspire.
—Sandra L. Frey
Screening supported by The Roxbury Film Festival
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