A documentary about an eccentric American activist and a film chronicling one family's defining summer open May 15 at The Ross.
Patrick McCollum has lived a life so improbable, it sounds like a myth. From carnival worker to renowned jewelry designer, kung fu master, reverend, pagan ritual leader, and international peacemaker — his journey defies logic. Now, Indigenous Elders of the Amazon, including the Kogi tribe in Colombia, believe he fulfills an ancient prophecy: to unite the tribes of the Amazon in a fight to save the rainforest.
Enter director Gabe Polsky, a skeptic drawn into McCollum’s orbit through a series of strange twists. What begins as a character study quickly becomes something deeper — a spiritual odyssey where the absurd and the profound intertwine. Polsky follows McCollum into the heart of the Amazon, seeking answers but finding only bigger questions.
At its core, this is a film about belief, truth and the fine line between vision and delusion. Is McCollum the real deal? Or are we simply too far removed to see what’s right in front of us? One thing is certain: the Amazon’s fate is everyone’s fate. And the time to listen — and act — is now.
"The Man Who Saves the World?" is not rated and shows through May 21.
In the late 1990s, 8-year-old Sasha and her family relocate to a new home on Vancouver Island, but their fresh start is interrupted by increasingly dangerous behavior from the eldest son, Jeremy. At wit’s end, their parents are presented with a shattering choice. Award-winning director Sophy Romvari’s feature debut is a lyrical and profound testament to the things we carry with us, masterfully chronicling the haze of a languid summer and the hyaline clarity of the moments that defined it.
"Blue Heron" is not rated and shows through May 28.
For more information on films, including showtimes and ticket availability, visit the Ross' website.
