Identity, Uncertainty & Ego

Nicole Dorsey and Face2Face host David Peck talk about her new film Black Conflux, identity and uncertainty, empathy, attitude and ego, staying present, humility in asking good questions and why what you do next really matters.Watch the film now online.TrailerFind out more about Nicole and the film here.Synopsis:“The lives of an anxious teenage girl and a troubled man converge fatefully, in Nicole Dorsey’s vivid debut exploring womanhood and toxic masculinity.“Black Conflux is a constant visual delight.” –Stephen Dalton, The Hollywood ReporterSet in suburban Newfoundland in 1987, Nicole Dorsey’s debut feature is a dreamy account of two converging lives.Fifteen-year-old Jackie (Ella Ballentine) is navigating the tricky transition between vulnerable adolescence and impending adulthood. The film opens with Jackie auditioning for her school choir with a gorgeous rendition of “Hey, Who Really Cares?”, by obscure early-’70s psychedelic folk singer Linda Perhacs. It’s a symbolic overture for a promising young woman from a broken home. Raised by her aunt and living under the cloud of all the disappointments endured by the women in her family, Jackie finds herself giving in to internal and external pressures — partying, skipping school, and hitchhiking — in search of her own identity. Her choices leave her speeding inevitably towards Dennis (Ryan McDonald), a socially inept loner with a volatile dark streak and delusional fantasies of adoring women at his beck and call.Black Conflux is a vibrant and stunning debut, one that shies away from conventions common to small-town coming-of-age stories. Dorsey exhibits an inspiring cinematic style — both assured and mature — as she reflects on the past and her own experience. Exploring womanhood, isolation, and toxic masculinity, Black Conflux is a bracingly relevant narrative for today.”With thanks to Ravi Srinivasan and TIFFAbout Nicole:Nicole Dorsey is a Canadian film director and screenwriter, whose debut feature film, Black Conflux, premiered at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival.The film was subsequently named to TIFF's annual year-end Canada's Top Ten list for 2019, and received a nomination for the John Dunning Best First Feature Award at the 8th Canadian Screen Awards in 2020.A native of Burlington, Ontario, she is a graduate of the film studies program at Ryerson University. She directed a number of short films prior to Black Conflux, including Ivadelle (2009), Pop the Grapes (2013), Dennis (2015), Star Princess (2015) and Arlo Alone (2018).Image Copyright and Credit: Nicole Dorsey and Band With Productions.F2F Music and Image Copyright: David Peck and Face2Face. Used with permission.For more information about David Peck’s podcasting, writing and public speaking please visit his site here.With thanks to Josh Snethlage and Mixed Media Sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.