This film is followed by a prerecorded Q&A.

Eva yearns to leave the psychiatric hospital that she’s called home for the past six years. Her greatest dream is to reconnect with her estranged son, whom she hasn’t seen for over a decade, but she fears he won’t forgive her for her past mistakes. After a long wait at the facility, punctuated by philosophical and often humorous conversations with other patients, Eva’s opportunity to leave finally arrives. Director Miguel Eek (City of the Dead, DOXA 2019) captures this moment of transition in Eva’s life with a keen eye for composition and an empathetic approach. The First Woman is a tender portrait that will challenge preconceptions about people living with mental illness. -MS