North by Current

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North by Current

2021

1h 26m

Documentary

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

12 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

"North By Current" is a visual rumination on the understated relationships between mothers and children, truths and myths, losses and gains. After the inconclusive death of his infant niece, filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax returns to his rural Michigan hometown determined to make a film about a broken criminal justice system. Instead, he pivots to excavate the depths of generational addiction, Christian fervor, and trans embodiment. Like the relentless Michigan seasons, the meaning of family shifts, as Madsen, his sister, and his parents strive tirelessly to accept each other.

Nicolas Rapold

New York Times

Out of the fractured family documentary, what emerges finally is a drama of self-realization.

Nov 4, 2021

Full Review

Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Though the footage lacks artistry, the filmmaker makes up for any imperfections with his willingness to strip bare.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 26, 2021

Full Review

Juan Barquin

them.

Maybe the most unique and personal queer film of the year is Angelo Madsen Minax’s North by Current, which lands somewhere between being an experimental essay and a documentary about a family navigating grief.

Nov 2, 2022

Full Review

Steve Erickson

Gay City News

North by Current could’ve easily descended into the burgeoning world of true crime vultures, with Minax’s own troubled family serving as carrion. But it’s far more concerned with exploration than exploitation.

May 12, 2022

Full Review

Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

Benefit from expert editing that favors the poetic and stream-of-consciousness.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 8, 2021

Full Review

Courtney Small

That Shelf

Painting a lyrical portrait of grief and pain that often goes unnamed, North By Current is a sensational film that is not easily forgotten.

Oct 30, 2021

Full Review

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Angelo Madsen Minax

Director

Angelo Madsen Minax

Writer

Felix Endara

Producer

Charlotte Cook

Executive Producer

Justine Nagan

Executive Producer

Chris White

Executive Producer

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Synopsis

"North By Current" is a visual rumination on the understated relationships between mothers and children, truths and myths, losses and gains. After the inconclusive death of his infant niece, filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax returns to his rural Michigan hometown determined to make a film about a broken criminal justice system. Instead, he pivots to excavate the depths of generational addiction, Christian fervor, and trans embodiment. Like the relentless Michigan seasons, the meaning of family shifts, as Madsen, his sister, and his parents strive tirelessly to accept each other.

Director: Angelo Madsen Minax
Producer: Felix Endara
Screenwriter: Angelo Madsen Minax, Angelo Madsen Minax
Production Co: Field of Vision, P.O.V./American Documentary
Genre: Documentary, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Runtime: 1h 26m