Some Kind of Refuge | Shorts: Stories on the Wire | San Francisco Documentary Festival

Available in 22d 11h 19m 37s

Available May 28, 2026 7:00 AM UTC

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Some Kind of Refuge explores a unique and resilient New Orleans community living in an area

along the banks of the Mississippi River called “the battures.” This intimate film offers a glimpse

into a life where survival depends on resourcefulness and a deep respect for nature. Living in

hand-crafted water adaptive homes, the inhabitants are defined by their individuality, spiritual

freedom, and a resilient mindset.

Central to the story are next door neighbors Macon and Jules, the oldest residents of the

Batture. Macon is a historian and author who has chronicled the batture’s history and its

struggle against commercial interests seeking to reclaim the land. Jules is a master carpenter

and artist who recently lost his wife and regained himself through a closer relationship with God

and community. The film captures a dogged commitment to a life outside the constraints of

modern society, offering a rare and valuable portrait of a disappearing way of life.

Year
2026
Runtime
15 minutes
Country
United States

Director
Alexandra Kern
Producer
Colin Cadarette, Alexandra Kern
Executive Producer
Harry Vaughn, Julie Goldman, Chris Clements, Maryclaire Manard
Cinematographer
Eric Vera
Editor
Victor Artesona, Anne Alvergue
Composer
Brad Oberhofer

6 films in package

Los peces no se ahogan

In a colonial house in the center of Havana, Malelo lives alone after having cared for María Antonia for decades — a neighbor from a bourgeois background with no descendants. While he tries to legalize the inheritance, he turns his home into a refuge for those who, like him, endure the struggles of daily life together.

Mr. Ramen

Mr. Ramen tells the story of the last family-owned ramen restaurant in Los Angeles' historic Little Tokyo neighborhood. Thirty-two years ago, Shinobu-san opened Mr. Ramen on Little Tokyo’s historic 1st Street. After his passing, his sons—Ray, Yudai, and Eugene—are faced with a difficult choice: continue running the restaurant in his memory, or step away to pursue their own paths. As the future of Mr. Ramen hangs in the balance, the film captures a family at a crossroads—and what’s at stake when gentrification threatens to erase a neighborhood.

My Yellow Home

Marta and Aysha play in a post-apocalyptic environment. Marta asks her friend to accompany her to her grandparents' house, as she would not be able to do it on her own.Marta and Aysha's journey is a poetic reflection on childhood in a post-disaster time.

Save Flat Top

At the epicenter of gentrification, the Lincoln Heights community is at risk of losing Flat Top — their last piece of sacred, open, undeveloped land.

Some Kind of Refuge

The Batture explores the unique and resilient community of batture dwellers living on the banks of the Mississippi River on the outskirts of New Orleans. This intimate film offers a glimpse into a life where survival depends on resourcefulness and a deep respect for nature. Living in hand-crafted adaptable homes, the inhabitants are defined by their individuality, spiritual freedom, and a resilient mindset.Central to the story are next door neighbors Macon and Jules, the oldest residents of the batture. Macon is a historian and author who has chronicled the batture’s history and its struggle against commercial interests seeking to reclaim the land. Jules is a master carpenter and artist who recently lost his wife and regained himself through a closer relationship with God and community. The film captures a dogged commitment to a life outside the constraints of modern society, offering a rare and valuable portrait of a disappearing way of life.

This May Be A Huge Mistake

For decades, artists, queer individuals, and marginalized communities have relied on live/work arts spaces as vital sources of affordable housing and creative environments. However, Toronto’s rapid urban development has significantly transformed these once cherished spaces, replacing them with standardized condominium developments.