Meanwhile – Abramorama picks up the new Docu-Poem

Abramorama announced today that it has acquired American theatrical distribution rights for Meanwhile, a powerful documentary poem in six verses that follows multidisciplinary artists breathing through chaos, navigating the complexities of race, racism, and creative resistance. In dynamic collaboration, Novelist and Poet Jacqueline Woodson (text), Composer Meshell Ndegeocello (soundscape), Producer ErikaDilday (support), Editor M. Trevino (structure), and Director Catherine Gund (direction), combine artists’ expressions with historical and observational footage to unveil a rare cinematic meditation about identity, race, racism and resistance as they shape our shared breath. Abramorama will kick off the theatrical run in New York beginning Friday, March 14th at DCTV’s Firehouse Cinema with additional cities across the United States to follow.

Centering breath as a symbol of resilience, Meanwhile captures raw, unfinished moments—dancers in rehearsal, artists midway through their work—focusing on the act of creation. Rooted inthe upheavals of 2020, the film uses breath as its through-line to symbolize collective survival. It invites viewers to witness the process of liberation and be present in the “meanwhile”—a moment of creation, struggle, and hope that transcends fixed identities. The film doesn’t look at this solution or resolution. Instead, it invites you to be in the meanwhile.

The film was an official selection of the 2024 Frameline48 San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, the American Museum of Natural History’s Margaret Mead Film Festival, Newfest, and the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival. Featuring work from artists such as Ching-I Chang, Mel Chin, Natalie Diaz, Teresita Fernández, Amber Ford, Tushrik Fredericks, Daniel Alexander Jones, William Kentridge, Nate Lewis, Jessica Maffia, Marie Lloyd Paspe, Shamel Pitts, Beverly Price, Josh Quat, and Ivy Young, the film is dedicated to the late Ivy Joan Young and La Fredia Hall Davis, whose lives and work served as an inspiration for the themes explored in the film.

Abramorama CEO Karol Martesko-Fenster stated, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with the passionate storyteller Catherine Gund, and the team at Aubin Pictures. Catherine has crafted a museum worthy film that captures a unique pulse of our times in tandem with the complexity of life made, even more powerful when experienced on the big screen.”

Director Catherine Gund is an Emmy-nominated and Academy-shortlisted director, producer, and activist. The founder of Aubin Pictures, her work focuses on social justice, arts and culture, racial and reproductive justice, and HIV/AIDS. Her films have screened worldwide and on PBS, HBO, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. Gund won a 2023 Gracie Award for Documentary Producer. Notable films include Paint Me a Road Out of Here, Aggie, Chavela, and Born to Fly. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Director Catherine Gund added, “We are honored to share our way of seeing through a time of grief, chaos, and representational trauma. We have always known that artists will be our north stars.”