Shatara Michelle Ford | USA | 2020 | 82m

Part psychological horror, part realist drama, this exhilarating debut feature from Shatara Michelle Ford is set against the backdrop of national discussions around inequitable health care and policing, the #metoo movement, and race in America. Test Pattern follows an interracial couple whose relationship is put to the test after a Black woman is sexually assaulted and her white boyfriend drives her from hospital to hospital in search of a rape kit. Their story reveals the systemic injustices and social conditioning women face when navigating sex and consent within the American patriarchy. Winner of top prizes at the BlackStar and New Orleans Film Festivals, this gripping social thriller offers a unique exploration of institutional racism and sexism from a Black woman's point of view.

Content warning: This film includes a depiction of sexual assault.

"A dazzling, devastating feature debut." -Jourdain Searles, Hollywood Reporter

"Reveals, with fiercely focussed observation, the combined breakdown of public institutions and private life." -Richard Brody, New Yorker

"Test Pattern offers a fresh way of examining sexual assault and its aftermath on screen, one that feels just as emblematic of its moment as Thelma & Louise." -Soraya Nadia McDonald, Film Comment

Lionsgate/STARZ Producer Award - BlackStar Film Festival
Jury Award - New Orleans Film Festival
Special Jury Award - DeadCenter Film Festival

Cost $9 USD
Ticket good for five days.

Watching here supports Kino Lorber and Carbon Arc.