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  • 1st Workshop with Artem 2

    This summer, thanks to a grant from the Matisse Foundation, I had the great pleasure of teaching the music portion of the Art for Progress Summer Arts & Music Program for high school students and young adults interested in pursuing creative careers. Consisting of series of four workshops held on Sunday mornings during July and August at the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Educational Center, the program was designed to explore the many real-world considerations inherent to careers in the arts and music. The focus was to look at some of the dynamics at play in the music and art worlds, and to provide support in the development of specific skills in the various media. Each week, a professional working in the arts was invited as a guest speaker and to host a short discussion. The speakers were happy to answer questions and were very informative and animated as they enlightened the group about the day-to-day life of a working artist. Everyone seemed to have a great time and to get a better sense of how to approach their work professionally going forward. On a personal note…I had the fantastic opportunity to study visual art in Paris while in college, and later jazz theory and improvisation, so it was auspicious to me to be able to work with the foundation representing French painter Henri Matisse, a personal favorite and early influence. Matisse was known to love American jazz music, and that added to my special sense of personal investment in this project. We at AFP are beyond grateful to them for their confidence and support.
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    Having taught in high schools and middle schools for the past ten years as an AFP Teaching Artist in Residence, I have always tried to give my students a peek into my adventures as a musician. As a multi-instrumentalist and singer, as well as producer and recording/sound engineer, I’ve seen many different sides of the music industry and of the lives of musicians themselves. It was an honor to have a chance to impart some of what I’ve learned to a group of young people earnestly embarking on their own artistic journeys. The goal, overall, of my contribution to the program was to address the types of things that young people are rarely taught when they are learning to sing and play. The commercial music industry enticingly offers certain motivations, while those rarely align with the way kids learn music, or the experiences of real artists and musicians. I think this program helped people take an important step toward understanding and balancing those dynamics, and to direct their focus toward being well-versed, lifelong artists.

    As the head instructor of the music portion of the program, I wanted to share some foundational information and fundamental wisdom in a condensed period of time. Upon arrival, everyone was asked to fill out a survey to select their preferred topics or suggest new ones. I was fortunate to have co-instructors Jason McFarlane, Frank Santiago and for the third week, Elijah McCoy, to help me cover the myriad topics requested. Breaking the sessions into three time segments, each instructor chose from among the most popular topics to cover in breakout groups. Each of the instructors brought a different set of areas of expertise and an enthusiastic personal approach to sharing their experience.
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    The subject matter was kept broad and the questions were varied. Some of the areas covered included: singing solfeggio (DO-RE-MI…), how scales and chords are built, how to keep stringed instruments in tune, rhythm section interplay; and dealing with interpersonal dynamics in a creative situation. Every week brought a different combination of returning participants as well as new faces, so we had the opportunity to cover some topics more than once, such as basic music theory and how it applies differently to guitar and piano. Other topics were the subject of spirited debate, like how to determine if a creative idea is good and whether it’s worth developing. For the most part, though, the sessions were about bringing to light some of the things that musical artists think about, including: self discipline, skill building and how to practice; making sure you have everything in order for a gig; how to work through self-doubt; and checking your ego.
    I feel like we helped all involved to get a better sense of perspective, and to gain some new insight into how to navigate their own path.

    The guest speakers: visual artist Artem Mirolevich, trumpeter and producer Albert Leusink, clothing designer Catherine Chang and blues guitarist and singer Michael Hill, each showed the group a window into their view of the life of an artist. Every one of them had a fascinating set of experiences and perspectives to illuminate us about, and they were all completely different. We’re so appreciative to them for openly and honestly sharing their stories and for thoughtfully answering the questions posed.

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    What was especially remarkable about this program was that, while there were some new people whom we’d never had in an Art for Progress program before; many of the attendees were people with whom I’ve been working for years through school programs, and have watched grow from high school students into young musicians. I have booked and played with their bands, and now consider many of them peers. They welcomed and engaged with the first timers to create a seamless social dynamic. There was also a very fluid interplay between the music room and the visual art portion of the program, creating an environment where creative chances were encouraged to be taken. This really brought home the fact that Art for Progress is an integral part of a growing community of mutually supportive artists. Each person brought their own unique set of interests and abilities, and it was inspiring to see how freely everyone shared and exchanged ideas and techniques. I look forward to the opportunity to host more programs like this in the future, where young musicians can get some useful insight and a new perspective on their craft among a group of similar minded peers, and where this community can have a place to grow organically.

    -Barry Komitor

  • Registrations have been disabled

    By Evan Jake Goldstein
    August 30, 2018

    It’s hard to believe that nearly eight years have gone by since House of Vans Brooklyn first opened their doors, promising free concerts, art installations, and curated events for all to attend. Originally intended as a pop-up spot for Vans to showcase their signature skate style shoes, the repurposed Brooklyn warehouse became a major hot spot for skaters, hipsters, punks, and music connoisseurs alike. The first come, first serve, RSVP ticketing system for their free summer concerts offers equal opportunity for anyone to attend their events. You can’t buy your way inside if you miss the sign-up period or are late to line up at the door. There are no $8 water bottles or VIP bathrooms, no balcony seating or members-only presales.

    House of Vans feels like a magical place where beers are free for anyone of age willing to wait on line, and t-shirts, tote bags and posters are given away to attendees upon arrival and departure as souvenirs. Hispanic teenagers from the Bronx mosh with the middle-aged white businessmen of Manhattan, their mutual love for the music binding them. They book artists spanning all genres, decades,and levels of fame. The well-curated shows typically feature a headliner, a supporting act of the lead’s choice, and an unsigned opener. The penultimate show at House of Vans Brooklyn featured Deerhunter, Circuit des Yeux, and Standing on the Corner.

    Post-post-genre openers Standing on the Corner were the first to hit the stage. Lead by 22-year-old Brooklyn native Gio Escobar, their unique blend of free jazz, instrumental sample-based hip-hop, spoken word poetry, and funkified indie rock set the tone for the rapidly growing audience to expect the unexpected.

    The evening continued with Circuit des Yeux, the psych-folk project of singer Haley Fohr. Her current lineup for live shows features a drummer, viola player, an upright bass and Haley occasionally on 12-string acoustic guitar enhancing her vocals. Throughout the set, the music swells to massive melodic peaks and poignant plateaus, carved out by Ms. Fohr’s commanding yet calming voice and equally hypnotizing stage presence.

    At last, Deerhunter takes the stage. They begin with ‘Cover Me (Slowly)’ and ‘Agoraphobia’, two favorites from the now classic Microcastle/ Weird Era Cont album which came out a decade ago this week. Band leader Bradford Cox wields his microphone with confidence and swagger, towering over bandmates and the crowd alike. His shirt half unbuttoned and slacks pulled up high, he seems relaxed, comfortable even. Without his signature brimmed hat to cover his face, his smile is visible even behind the microphone. The band is clearly digging the vibes in House of Vans… “I feel like we’re playing a prom!” Bradford exclaims.

    Bradford then switches off between bass and guitar on new tracks ‘Futurism’, ‘What Happens To People’, ‘Death In Midsummer’, ‘Elemental’, and ‘No One’s Sleeping’. The fresh material is elegantly interwoven with ‘Revival’, ‘Desire Lines’ and ‘Helicopter’ from their 2010 critically praised album, Halcyon Digest. It’s nearly impossible to describe the sound of a Deerhunter show, heavily distorted guitar swells and recedes over the crowd as Bradford layers in soft spoken vocals as drums build to form heavy waves of sound.

    We just finished our new album yesterday morning at 6:30, so the next time you see us, we’ll have a whole different set- all new stuff!
    - Bradford Cox

    As Deerhunter’s set continues, I find myself wandering around the venue, trying to take it all in. The converted Greenpoint warehouse has been transformed into a skate-haven turned concert hall for one of the last times. For seating, there are oversized bean bag chairs laid upon the slants of several large skate ramps. I grab a free water bottle from a large plastic container beneath the 30 foot industrial ceiling fan, and sit myself against a storage container outside the enormous loading door leading to the yard. I can’t help but marvel at the diversity of the crowd. To my left, some teenagers are trying out Fortnite dance moves to the shoegazey, improvisational sounds coming from the stage. To my right, twenty-something mustachioed yuppies sip from their vape pens, their heads bobbing ever so slightly out of time.

    The 11PM curfew approaches, Bradford remarks, “This is the last time we’re playing this set…We just finished our new album yesterday morning at 6:30, so the next time you see us, we’ll have a whole different set- all new stuff…And there will be candy and rainbows!” On my way out, I’m given a poster for the event, as well as a House Of Vans t-shirt with 2010-2018 on it, commemorating the venue’s first and last shows.

    House of Vans Brooklyn is closing its doors, but Vans plans on continuing to give back to the community. This year, they are launching their ‘Vans Gives A Band Music Fund’ where ten Brooklyn public schools will each receive $10,000 of music equipment and a $10,000 grant to fund music programming in schools, helping put instruments in the hands of young people all over Brooklyn.

    Photography by: Jonathan Mehring @mehringsbearings & Laura June Kirsch @laurajunekirsch

  • The art-making process is many different things to each individual. With this in mind, the goal of The Summer Music and Art Program was to facilitate an environment where art can happen as naturally as possible. We wanted participants to bring all their creative expressions to the environment so that they could use them as tools in their arsenal when creating art.

    Each week in the visual arts component, the main activity was based on reflection on the work of a visiting master artist. We had visits from musicians, illustrators, graphic artists, and fashion designers, all of whom presented and discussed their work with the students.

    In order to create an environment of an open community of artists where everyone learns from one another, we made the studios open to all. Visual artists would visit the music studio and musicians would go to the visual arts studio where sometimes they were the model for the day.

    Participants were introduced to new materials that became the catalysts for new problem solving experiences. Students artists were provided the instruction needed to refine their artistic and technical skills.

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    Week One

    We worked from 3-D to 2-D and vice versa while developing a strong visual language that articulates perceived space.  We built sculptures and made charcoal drawings of them with tonal values. We also used layering techniques in drawings by creating shapes with different values.

    Students artists were impressed with what they were able to accomplish in such a short time.

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    Week Two

    We worked collaboratively with the musicians. We worked together in one large room as we all practiced our craft. We discussed the rhythm and movements of jazz music as it relates to rhythm and movement in visual arts. Students artists created mixed media drawings /paintings of “The musicians at play.” They relinquished control and suspended their judgement as they were forced to do drawing exercises that increased the likelihood of ‘the accident’ happening in their work.

    The students artists were brave; they welcomed the experience. They were satisfied with the outcome despite their initial struggles with process.

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    Week Three

    We continued to use the figure as inspiration while working with the musicians as our models to create drawings based on the theory of metamorphosis.

    The students artists were all impressed, not just with the energy and movement they were able to create in their work, but also how they created feeling and interest with the layering process we used.

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    Week Four

    The students artists made portraits by using each other as models and they made lasting connections through their shared experiences. We returned to the practice of willingly relinquishing control and suspending judgement in order to create lines with character and drawings with personality.

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    At the end of our experience we transformed our workspace into a mini gallery. We all came together to celebrate the great drawings, paintings, sculptures and music that was produced during the time we spent together.

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  • MillyCardoso

    Photo courtesy the curator

    Milly Cardoso was born and raised in Miami, Florida and is the Director and Curator for the University of Miami Gallery in the Wynwood Art District. Prior to joining University of Miami, she worked for the Miami Art Museum (Pérez Art Museum, Miami) and the Mitchell Wolfson, Jr. Private Collection.

    Milly is currently organizing an all-female group exhibition titled ” Yes, I’m a Witch” to be presented at FATVillage Projects on September 24 – October 28, 2018, strongly supporting the works of local artists residing in South Florida.

    I decided to chat with Milly about America’s obsession with the topic, what or who determines a witch and the ” mass hysteria” ( of sorts) we still face today.

    Interview with Milly Cardoso:

    BB: From my understanding, it’s been stated, you title the exhibitions you curate after songs? Why is that?

    MC: Not for every exhibition, but yes, I’m very inspired by music. Lyrics inspire me. I hear a great lyric and think “that would make a fantastic exhibition.” I like every genre; I feel sorry for people who only listen to one form of music. They don’t know what they’re missing.

    BB: What song, in particular, has most personally affected an exhibition? How so?

    It’s difficult to pick a favorite, but it would have to be Clang, Boom, Steam. It’s an exhibition I curated in 2013 with male artists that focused on the state of masculinity in contemporary art. Clang, Boom, Steam is a song by Tom Waits. It’s only 52 seconds long, but it delivers so much testosterone in 52 seconds. I love Tom Waits; the guys were enamored with the song as well.

    BB: Are the songs you adopt linked with an underlying meaning? For example, you have a future exhibition titled “Yes, I’m a Witch,” by Yoko Ono, is this correct?

    MC: Yes, that’s correct. I’ve been working on this exhibition for over a year, and it will open to the public this September. The exhibition is titled after Yoko Ono’s 1974 song, “Yes, I’m a Witch.” There’s a verse in the song, “Yes, I’m a witch, I’m a bitch. I don’t care what you say. My voice is real, my voice is truth. I don’t fit in your ways”.

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    Julia Oldham, Forestmaker, 2018 video and animation, 1 minute

    The exhibition explores feminism, the witch trials, and the mysticism surrounding witches. There’s always been a desire to punish strong women. Exuding feminine strength wasn’t acceptable then and it’s still a problem now. I think the 2016 election is a great example of that. I remember when I was 15 I saw an interview with Sharon Stone. She said, “If you have a vagina and a point of view, that’s very threatening.” Her words really stuck with me, and I don’t think at the time I really understood what it meant, I know now.

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    Photo: Sinead O’Connor on Saturday Night Live

    I’m inspired by women like Joan of Arc, Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn to Hilary Clinton, Maxine Waters, Catherine Scalia, Yoko Ono and many more. I want this show to be an ode to the strong woman who goes against societal norms. The woman that owns her power and sexuality and challenges the patriarchy.

    BB: Does the song reflect the continuing issues happening today, such as Harvey Weinstein sexual allegations claims and the #Metoo movement (where millions of women joined in protest) rather, chimed in their own personal stories when Alyssa Milano erupted social media with the #Metoo hashtag?

    MC: Yes, I’m a Witch came out in 1974 before the movement, but Yoko Ono was championing women way before then. I think the Me Too movement still has a long way to go. However, I strongly support any movement that encourages women to speak up. I think the song is an affirmation, it’s about owning the word. The word ‘witch’ is not a bad word, however, it’s used to silence and ridicule women.

    A perfect example is Sinéad O’Connor, who tore a photograph of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live. She’s an artist I respect very much, and I love her music. Her career was ruined for speaking out against the Catholic Church. Turns out she was right. There was a problem then, and there’s a problem now. Everyone turned against her, made fun of her, and the church did whatever it could to silence her, even accusing her of black magic. She’s overdue an apology, a big one at that.

    MI0000732773BB: Not many people were aware that Ms. Tarana Burke, an African- American woman initiated the Me Too movement back in 2007, after a dreadful conversation with a 13-year-old girl who had been sexually abused. It wasn’t until 10 years after Ms. Burke founded Just Be Inc., a non- profit to help victims of sexual abuse and assault. Thankfully the New York Times reported the story to the public which brought attention to Ms. Burke’s endeavor and realized the lack of support from white female feminists. It wasn’t until Milano’s social media comment that women began to support other women in statements about sexual misconduct.

    In the exhibition ” Yes, I am witch”, are you examining the topic through the lens of the artist’s perspective? Will there be works exemplifying all types of women ostracized through historical accounts and contemporary issues? Are you also investigating how women “witch” each other out?

    MC: The decades of good work Tarana Burke has done for the Me Too movement is unsurpassed. We also can’t overlook the fact that Alyssa Milano is a celebrity with a bigger following that helped contribute to the movement. I think Tarana Burke and Alyssa Milano are working towards the same goal. All women have struggled to be part of the conversation and it’s easy to see how women are negatively regarded in our society. Case in point, “Grab ’em by the pussy.” And no, I will never stop referencing that because it happened, we have a president asserting that women should be treated as objects. It was disheartening to see how many women still voted for him.

    The artists whom all originate from different backgrounds and interests will be working in a variety of media. Some artists will share their take on the folklore surrounding witches, while others focus on the issues women face today.

    BB: The example of Ms. Burke is to emphasize how white women support one another and how it seems their voices carry substance and credibility while the non- white communities are not given validation. Don’t you think this is another form of a witch hunt?

    MC: Unfortunately, it’s an unjust society. Every white person benefits from white privilege, it doesn’t mean they don’t face their own struggles. I think we need to take advantage of white privilege and use it to fight the system that unfairly created it.

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    Marina Font The Feeder, 2014 Archival pigment prints on canvas

    BB: Through history and cultural research, we learned that many cultures believed in the mystic, practiced rituals, honed in on nature as medicine and looked on the cosmos for answers. It was sacred and those who performed the mystic were honored as demi-gods and superior beings. Quite a contrast to the witch hunts that took place in the New World ( early American colonies) after 1692/93. But it wasn’t just the practice that was sentenced: any type of sexual expression and/or liberation was too. Do you think that society still has this backward way of thinking (although we’d like to convince ourselves we have progressed through time)?

    MC: Anything we don’t understand is immediately categorized as evil. If somebody sees a spider on a wall, the first urge is to kill it. If it’s intimidating and doesn’t fit the norm, we want to destroy it or ban it. In Yes, I’m a Witch a few of the artists will explore rituals along with other women’s issues, like menstruation. Which to this day it’s still dismissed and ridiculed as disgusting.

    BB: There was an article written in Forbes magazine where the author Margie Warrell discusses why women need to “stop talking themselves down” and actually defines this as “out of power language”: which is when women excuse their actions or opinions and “use patterns of speech that keep us from showing up our brilliance, power, and presence.” The article provided examples that reminded me of the metaphysical concept, what one says will be, what one states will manifest or be careful of what you say. When specialists describe witches, they portray the woman as one who is able to tap into a higher state of consciousness and/or manipulate time and space hence manifesting realities. Wouldn’t you say that the “out of power of language” concept the author refers to is a bit similar to chanting, casting spells or manifestation but is explained from a psychological perspective because it is easier to communicate to a larger audience who may not believe in “mystic” speech?

    MC: That might be some people’s description of a witch, but is that reality? Do witches really manipulate time and space to manifest reality? I don’t think so, but I do believe in the power of language. Calling a woman a witch isn’t too different from calling her a whore. It’s a way of shaming women to “behave” and discourages other women from following in their footsteps. I think the best way to support all women is to make sure decisions like Roe V. Wade are never overturned.

    BB: Isn’t it obvious that woman was labeled witch because it was easy to kill off a gender who was not afraid to use natural power ( who apparently knew how to use it from the beginning of time)?

    MC: I think witches were the first true radical feminists. They weren’t deceived by patriarchal indoctrination, and it created an evil persecution of women wrongly accused of being witches. The term is still used by the patriarchy to silence and punish women. It’s also a form of censorship of women’s power and sexuality. Women who were accused of witchcraft were often shaved as a form of torture. Anything that was deemed problematic or a symbol of vanity had to be destroyed.

    BB: Why did you select the group of female, Miami based artists for the exhibition ” Yes I am Witch”?

    MC: I like to support local artists, and I knew the artists selected such as yourself would be passionate about the theme and create powerful work. There are thirteen artists; coincidentally, it’s the perfect number for a coven.

    BB: My last question deals with contemporary society’s obsession to turn the taboo into marketable trends. What do you think about the latest witch craze? It seems now it is a trend for women to call themselves witches and sisters of the dark moon. Do you think it’s authentic?

    MC: I love the freedom of expression; I don’t mind women calling themselves witches. I think different opinions is what makes our society thrive. As consumers, we need to do our own research.

    ” Yes, I’m a Witch” opens to the public on Saturday, September 29th 6pm to 11pm. Location: Fat Village, Fort Lauderdale (521 NW 1st Avenue), Florida.

    See you there.

    *Yoko Ono image courtesy of AllMusic.com

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    Photo by Dwayne Tucker

    – Beláxis Buil

  • Courtesy of The Orchard

    Courtesy of The Orchard

    Jeremiah Zagar wasn’t the first filmmaker to approach novelist Justin Torres about adapting the latter’s 2011 coming-of-age tale We the Animals to screen. But the others were “too Hollywood,” according to Torres, and wanted to change his semi-autobiographical story into something else. (“Breaking Bad meets Malcolm in the Middle,” suggested one would-be suitor.)   Torres was having none of it. Then Zagar contacted him. The director, a documentary maker (In a Dream, Captivated: The Trials of Pamela Smart) who’d never helmed a fiction film before, had picked up the book in McNally Jackson in Soho and couldn’t put it down. “It had one of the best first pages I’d ever read,” he says.

    Torres and Zagar were discussing the making of We the Animals during a post-screening Q&A, one of several the pair have conducted while promoting the film. The project is something they’re clearly proud of and passionate about.

    The book is a raw, pulsating, first-person account of three brothers and their volatile parents loving and fighting each other in an upstate New York town, as told by the youngest boy. It’s based on Torres’ own life and family, including the fact that his father is Puerto Rican and his mom of Irish-Italian descent. Though it was very different from Zagar’s own hippie-esque upbringing, he understood the “epic family mythology” of Torres’ book, the insular experience of a strong family dynamic. “We spoke the same language,” agree both writer and filmmaker. Torres was subsequently very much part of the filmmaking process, from casting  (all three of the boys are first-time actors) to finding the right house for the family in the film.

    Courtesy of The Orchard

    Courtesy of The Orchard

    Per Zagar’s desire for the film to have a “fast-paced, musical quality,” We the Animals is energetic and propulsive. The powerful and poetic film is largely faithful to Torres’ story, capturing the energy and emotion of a tightknit family under duress. (Zak Mulligan’s stylized yet naturalistic cinematography deserves much credit.)

    In the beginning of the film, the brothers – Manny, the oldest (Isaiah Kristian), Joel (Josiah Gabriel) and the film’s protagonist Jonah (Evan Rosado) seem like one unruly organism, running through the woods yelling, crouching under a sheet with a flashlight, chanting “body heat, body heat,” and dancing along with their young father Paps (Raúl Castillo) as he cooks and blasts music in the kitchen. But Jonah quickly stands out, waking up at night while his brothers are sleeping to crawl under the bed and draw in his journal by flashlight. His dark, scratchy drawings punctuate the film, evolving into animated sequences (courtesy of illustrator Mark Samsonovich) that express his turbulent inner emotions. Ma (Sheila Vand) acknowledges his sensitivity, coddling and reassuring him, “I’ll never let anything bad happen to you.”

    Courtesy of The Orchard

    Courtesy of The Orchard

    We find out that Ma and Paps met when they were kids themselves and though they left Brooklyn in pursuit of a better life, their relationship and existence are fraught, equal parts physical abuse and deep affection; Paps, who sometimes drinks to excess, is especially apt to lash out. Ma’s exhausting assembly-line job in a bottling plant and his gig as a night watchman don’t quite make ends meet, exacerbating their woes. After a traumatic scene – one of several – in which Paps teaches Jonah how to swim the hard way at a nearby lake, the couple fight in the car on the way home, as the boys watch quietly. There are many closeups of their faces throughout the film: watchful, not really comprehending their parents’ battles, but joyful when the couple inevitably reconciles.

    And no wonder. When Paps decides he’s had enough and leaves the family for a spell after one particularly gruesome fight, Ma can’t get herself out of bed and the boys are left to fend for themselves. Hungry, they steal food from a local store, then raid a neighboring farmer’s garden. They wind up hanging out with his grandson, Dustin, a slightly older boy who introduces the three to heavy metal and porn. This awakens scary new feelings in Jonah, who subsequently dreams of Dustin and himself underwater. Already quieter and less violent than his brothers, Jonah becomes even more alienated by his hidden feelings. “We’re never going to escape this,” says Paps at one point about the plight of his family. Eventually, however, Jonah does exactly that, after an explosive catharsis that seems a very long time coming.

    We the Animals opens on Friday at at the Angelika Film Center and The Landmark at 57 West.

    Marina Zogbi