Feet in Water, Head on Fire

For date palms to grow, they need to have their feet steeped in groundwater and their heads reaching for the sun so they can absorb the high heat needed to produce the fruit. Only the world's hottest and most arid climates support date palms, like the region around the San Andreas Fault. Shot on 16mm film, this experimental documentary visits various towns and people that rest along the fault line. In the towns of Indio and Mecca (a name that pays homage to the Middle Eastern roots of the fruit harvested in the area), locals come together to celebrate the annual Date Festival. On a golf course in Sun City, two retirees talk about the rhythms of their days living on a luxury playground while, on a nearby date farm, Latinx workers carry out the meticulous process of caring for the palms. Like the fault line itself, those featured tell layered stories of a place that is always shifting and changing. Aisha Jamal

Streaming online May 5-9. Streaming is only available in Canada.