Screening + Q&A: Student Academy Award-Winning Keeer

Screening + Q&A: Student Academy Award-Winning Keeper

Thursday, November 21, 2024 · 4 – 6 PM

Bronx Documentary Center
614 Courtlandt Ave, Bronx, NY 10451

Celebrate the power of storytelling with Keeper, the 2024 Gold Medalist for the Student Academy Awards and a contender for the 97th Academy Awards for Best Short Documentary.

For Flynn, a single father and empty nester in the Bronx, beekeeping offers calm and healing—even as he faces a severe allergy to bee stings. Caring for hives across the city, including in his daughter Alaura’s childhood bedroom, Flynn finds purpose in his connection to the bees. However, when diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, Flynn must step back, leaving the hives in Alaura’s care. As he battles cancer, Flynn prepares Alaura to thrive and carry on, with or without him.

Following the screening, join us for a conversation with director Hannah Rafkin, alongside film subjects Sean Malik Flynn and Alaura Flynn of Boogie Down Bronx Honey. The discussion will be moderated by Pamela Y. Rozon, BDC alum and Action Lab Documentary Fellow, and will include an audience Q&A session.

Hannah Rafkin (@hannahrafkin) is a queer documentary filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Her award-winning film Keeper premiered at DOC NYC and was funded by the NYC Women’s Fund. A 2023 graduate of the Social Documentary MFA Program at the School of Visual Arts, Hannah’s work has been showcased at NewFest, the Margaret Mead Film Festival, and others.

Sean Malik Flynn (@boogiedownbronxhoney), Bronx-born beekeeper, has spent seven years rescuing honeybees across NYC, keeping swarms safe in his apartment until finding them new homes. A former Marine Corps Military Policeman, Flynn’s commitment to the health of his hives is matched only by his love for producing pure Bronx-sourced honey.

Alaura “AJ” Flynn (@alaura.flynn), a SUNY Cobleskill graduate in K-9 Training and Management, has worked with bees since the age of 12. With infectious energy and dedication, AJ is committed to the care of bees and animals alike, embodying the same resilience and spirit as her father.

Pamela Y. Rozon (@pam_snaps) is a photojournalist and videographer based in the South Bronx. A 2024 graduate of Hunter College, she focuses on the social and environmental impacts of climate change in her community. Pamela is a proud alum of the Youth Photo League and a 2024 Action Lab Documentary Fellow.