Past Film/Video | Contemporary Screen | Series & Festivals

First Cow

(Kelly Reichardt, 2019)

Introduced by Vera Brunner-Sung, filmmaker and Ohio State associate professor

Info & Tickets

Two men standing in a sunny, wooded clearing wearing trapper's clothing from the 1820s.

Jan 21, 2024 1:00 PM

Film/Video Theater

$7 members and adults 55 and over
$9 general public
$5 students

Accessibility
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully. If you have questions about accessibility or require an accommodation such as CART captioning or ASL interpretation to participate in this event, please email accessibility@wexarts.org or call (614) 688-3890. Requests made by two weeks in advance will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the Wexner Center for the Arts will make every effort to meet requests made after this date.

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With the gorgeously shot First Cow, Artist Residency Award recipient Kelly Reichardt trains her patient eye on male connection in the hardscrabble, early 19th-century Pacific Northwest.

A taciturn loner and skilled cook (John Magaro) has traveled west with a group of fur trappers to a fort in Oregon territory. Set apart from the loud and aggressive men, he finds true connection with a Chinese immigrant (Orion Lee) also seeking his fortune. Soon the two collaborate on a successful business, although its future relies on the clandestine participation of a nearby landowner’s prized milking cow. From this simple premise, Reichardt constructs an interrogation of foundational Americana with a sensitive depiction of male friendship and a mounting sense of suspense. (122 mins., DCP)

Reichardt’s history with the Wexner Center goes back goes back to 2004 with a residency in the center’s Film/Video Studio. The relationship has continued through multiple visits to introduce films,a 2015 Wexner Center Artist Residency Award to support Certain Women, a 2017 retrospective of her works that featured an in-person appearance, and a 2023 visit for the Midwest premiere of Showing Up.

See the complete Tender Masculinity lineup.

IMAGE CAPTION
First Cow, courtesy of A24.

"If only every film could achieve the sublime tenderness of First Cow."

Karen Han, Polygon

About the speaker

Vera Brunner-Sung is an award-winning filmmaker who uses experimental, documentary, and narrative techniques to explore the relationship between place and identity. Her work has shown at numerous festivals, museums, and galleries in the US and abroad. She is an Associate Professor of Theatre, Film, and Media Arts at The Ohio State University. brunner-sung.com

Tag(s)

Film/Video

FILM/VIDEO PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
National Endowment for the Arts
Ohio Humanities

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Rohauer Collection Foundation

WEXNER CENTER PROGRAMS MADE POSSIBLE BY
Ohio Department of Development
Greater Columbus Arts Council
The Wexner Family
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Ohio Arts Council, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts
CampusParc
Ohio State’s Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme
The Columbus Foundation
Nationwide Foundation
Vorys, Sater, Seymour, and Pease

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY
Mike and Paige Crane
Axium Packaging
Nancy Kramer
Ohio State Energy Partners
Ohio History Fund/Ohio History Connection
Larry and Donna James
Bruce and Joy Soll
Jones Day
Alex and Renée Shumate