North by Current

Overview

Filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax returns to his Michigan hometown after the tragic death of his infant niece and the arrest of his brother-in-law for the crime. Through a unique blend of essay film techniques, personal cinema vérité, staged scenes, and years of home footage, Minax explores a community grappling with opioid addiction, economic hardship, and deep-rooted religious beliefs. Rather than focusing solely on the crime, North by Current emphasizes empathy as a means to foster understanding, reshaping narratives around family, incarceration, addiction, and trans identities within a rural context.