Flying Lessons + Oreo

Flying Lessons 
Dir. Sarah Waldron. 2023, 84 mins. With Julia Schanker, Shayvawn Webster, Tori Ashley Matos. This dramatic feature follows two estranged sisters forced together by their mother’s sudden death: Beatrice, an autistic teenager who wants to learn to fly, and Talia, a queer musician with no interest in teaching her. With an improvised, documentary style, the story explores unconventional ways raw emotion and feelings of loss are communicated. Flying Lessons draws from the real-life experiences of director Waldron and her godsister, co-writer and star Schanker. Followed by a Q&A with Waldron moderated by actor, dramaturg, disability/accessibility educator Sydney Zarlengo. Content warning: death, ableism, and self-harm. 

Preceded by:

Oreo  
Dir. Cashmere Jasmine. 2021, 18 mins. Oreo is a dark-comic, surrealist short featuring four vignettes: “Black Card,” “Girls,” “Mira,” and “The Other.” Each vignette depicts Black women at various ages and life stages as they experience moments of being on the “outside.” This inventive film shows how common feelings of loneliness are often compounded by experiences of class, race, religion, and colorism, focusing on those moments where each woman or girl chooses to conform or not to conform by standing in their otherness. Content warning: racism and bullying. 

Free with RSVP. 

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Accessibility Information: 

A sensory-friendly space is available in the Media Lab on the third floor. Sensory kits are available at the front desk. 

Location: Museum of the Moving Image is located at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, NY 11106, and the film screening will happen in the Bartos Screening Room, which is on the first floor, towards the left side of the large staircase.  

Transportation by subway: Closest subway stations are the R at Steinway Street and N/W at 36 Ave. Please check with the MTA for any service changes, especially on weekends. For other ways of transportation, please see this page.  

Wheelchair Access: The Museum is fully accessible by wheelchair. In the Bartos Screening Room, there is space for wheelchairs at the back of the theater. 

Assistive Listening with Amplified Sound: Please inform us if you need an assistive listening device with amplified sound. When you arrive at the Museum, to receive an assistive listening device, you can ask for this device at the Admissions Desk. 

Captions and American Sign Language (ASL): The film screening will have open captions and ASL interpretation for the introductions and panel discussions. 

If you have any questions, please contact Tiffany Joy Butler by emailing [email protected] or calling 718-777-6800.