Pera Museum offers US documentaries

‘Brooklyn Castle’ is one of the films in the Pera Museum’s new film program. The documentaries explore diverse topics such as civil rights and immigration.

Istanbul’s Pera Museum is putting on a program of award-winning contemporary American documentaries that offers a view of American society and culture as seen by independent documentary filmmakers over the next week.

“Reel West Side Stories: American Independent Documentaries” is running from Feb. 28 to March 7 in collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General, Istanbul.

The selected films have won recognition and awards including Academy Award nominations, a National Board of Review Freedom of Expression Award, and a Special Jury Award at the International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam, among many other accolades.

The documentaries explore diverse topics including civil rights, immigration, adoption, environmentalism and freedom of the press. Overall the selected seven films provide viewpoints on socially relevant issues, an understanding of the role of filmmaking as a catalyst for dialogue and for exploring solutions to contemporary problems.

The films in the program include “Deaf Jam,” “Off the Rez,” “Brooklyn Castle,” “Lives Worth Living,” “Inocente” and “Side By Side.”

Screenings can be seen with a discounted museum ticket, which is five Turkish Liras. No reservations are taken.