Charm Circle

Oscillating between present day and decades-old home videos, filmmaker Nira Burstein returns to her childhood home—now crumbling from the inside out—to explore the circumstances in which her parents live. Prolific musical expression and creative resourcefulness punctuate an otherwise tumultuous environment. With the announcement of her younger sister’s polyamorous wedding, refueling tensions threaten to sever what’s left of the family bond.

Burstein’s brave, wryly amusing first feature is a tender, unpredictable portrait of a family struggling against an array of issues with honesty and a steely sense of humor. Going beneath the surface of the social struggles of its subjects, the film reveals people as more than the problems they experience and the labels applied to them.