Date: Thursday, May 29
6:30 PM Reception
7:15 PM Screening

Location: Annie May Swift Hall – Auditorium
1920 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208

Please join the Pritzker Pucker Studio Lab for a short program of films and a photo project that were directed by our 2024 PPSL Fellows: Lulu Abathra, Elshadai Aberra, Francesca Gamba and Naya Hemphill. These students received summer project funding from PPSL in 2024, which they used to create stylistically diverse works, including comedy, drama, essay film, and photography.

Lulu Abathra’s ResLife Diaries offers a comedic glimpse into the life of an overstimulated resident assistant who is at risk of losing her job, while Francesca Gamba’s Mi hija explores the emotionally charged relationship between an immigrant mother and her first-generation American daughter. Elshadai Aberra presents two short companion pieces: What Happened to the Sunshine, a hybrid project in which fictional character Star’s attempt to document loneliness evolves into a day of self-reflection and surprising encounters; and Headless Chicken; Chicken No Longer of Head, an impactful visual essay that contrasts personal prose with the restless backdrop of New York City to depict the dissonance of bipolar disorder. Naya Hemphill’s photo diary delves into questions of identity, mental health, and the emotional terrain of solo travel during a study abroad experience in Europe.