The Museum of Kansas City is excited to announce a new free film series in collaboration with Kansas City PBS and Inflatable Film. All films will be shown in the JE Dunn Construction Theater on the third floor of Corinthian Hall. Popcorn and drinks will be available for purchase in Elixir for guests to enjoy during the films.
In 2026, the series will include a monthly rotation of documentaries produced by Kansas City PBS; the feature film Big Sonia, produced by Inflatable Film; the short film Homeland, produced by Dacotah Hasvold and Craig Santos; and special film screenings with presentations by filmmakers. Before or after Big Sonia, guests are also invited to have a conservation with Sonia through the Big Sonia interactive in the Our City, Our Stories gallery.
Check this website page at the beginning of each month for showtimes.
All films are free, no advanced tickets required. Popcorn and drinks will be available for purchase in Elixir for guests to enjoy during the films.
PLAYING IN OCTOBER
Homeland and Big Sonia are showing regularly Thursdays-Sundays (see below for showtimes). In October, the Museum is showing Bad Blood (Oct 1-4), The Potato King (Oct 8-11), All These Delicate Sorrows (Oct 15-16 & Oct 18), A Tale of Three Cities (Oct 22-25), and Healing Hate (Oct 29-Nov 1). See below for showtimes.
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Homeland
Running time – 12:00; shown on a loop
1:00-2:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays
12:30-1:00 p.m. Sundays
This film by Dacotah Hasvold (Flandreau Santee Sioux) and Craig Dos Santos is part of the exhibition, Homeland: The Osage in Missouri on view at the Museum through February 21, 2027.
Before or after the film, guests are invited to experience Homeland: The Osage in Missouri in the Jean and Tom McDonnell Gallery on the second floor of Corinthian Hall.
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Big Sonia
Running time – 93:00
3:00 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays
3:15 p.m. Sundays
In the last store in a defunct shopping mall (Metcalf South), 91-year-old Sonia Warshawski—great-grandmother, businesswoman, and Holocaust survivor—runs the tailor shop she’s owned for more than 30 years. But when she’s served an eviction notice, the specter of retirement prompts Sonia to resist her harrowing past as a refugee and witness to genocide. A poignant story of generational trauma and healing, Big Sonia also offers a laugh-out-loud-funny portrait of the power of love to triumph over bigotry, and the power of truth-telling to heal us all. Released in 2016 and produced by Inflatable Film. Winner of 22 awards. Learn more at Big Sonia | Tiny Woman. Huge Personality.
Before or after the film, guests are also invited to experience a short film about Enrique Chi as part of KC Together in the Our City, Our Stories gallery on the third floor of Corinthian Hall.
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OCTOBER 15-16 & OCTOBER 18
All These Delicate Sorrows: The Legacy of Kansas City’s Holocaust Survivors
Running time – 27:15
12:15 p.m. Thursday, October 15
11:30 a.m. Friday, October 16
1:30 p.m. Sunday, October 18
*The Museum is closed on Saturday, October 17 for the annual Day of the Dead celebration.
Stories of the Holocaust that often go unheard occurred after the end of World War II in 1945. These stories are of those who survived an unimaginable ordeal only to find themselves beginning again with nothing. All These Delicate Sorrows is a deeply personal documentary featuring interviews with descendants of survivors, archival video testimonials as well as commentary from local historians.
Following the journey of Jewish survivors of the Holocaust from liberation in 1945 to the Midwest, All These Delicate Sorrows chronicles the years in which these new Americans arrived, and began to rebuild the lives they had lost. Many of them worked to secure lasting legacies in the Kansas City area, fostering education of the Holocaust through civic engagement.
Film made possible with support from: Bank of America, Bonnie & Herbert Buchbinder, Marlese & Robert Gourley, Mary & Tom Bloch. Credits: Kansas City PBS.
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OCTOBER 22-25
A Tale of Three Cities: The Search for a Kansas City Crime Fix
Running time – 26:46
11:30 a.m. Thursday, October 22
11:30 a.m. Friday, October 23
2:30 p.m. Saturday, October 24
1:30 p.m. Sunday, October 25
As violent crime dropped nationwide in 2023, Kansas City saw its highest rates. The recent deadly shooting at the Kansas City Chiefs victory parade shined an international spotlight on the issue, leaving many to wonder if the shooting was enough to galvanize the city to tackle violent crime head-on. In search of solutions, filmmaker Michael Price explores successful crime reduction programs in Kansas City, Missouri, Kansas City, Kansas, and Omaha, Nebraska, immersing viewers in critical conversations
about violent crime and inspiring meaningful action.
Film made possible with support from: William T. Kemper Foundation, Commerce Bank, Trustee, Health Forward Foundation. Credits: Kansas City PBS.
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OCTOBER 29-NOVEMBER 1
Healing Hate: Turning Pain into Power
Running time – 26:46
11:30 a.m. Thursday, October 29
11:30 a.m. Friday, October 30
11:30 a.m. Saturday, October 31
12:15 p.m. Sunday, November 1
Healing Hate unveils the inspiring journey of Mindy Corporon and Sunayana Dumala, two resilient strangers who transform a personal tragedy into a powerful force for change. Healing Hate delves into the profound connection between these two women amid the sorrowful echoes of two tragic hate crimes. Corporon lost her son and father in the Overland Park, Kansas, Jewish Community Center shooting in 2014, and Dumala’s husband was killed during a 2017 hate crime in Olathe, Kansas. Corporon and Dumala found strength and solidarity in their shared grief, leading to the birth of their respective organizations, “SevenDays” and “Forever Welcome,” which are dedicated to preventing hate crimes, fostering understanding and promoting inclusivity. Through poignant interviews, archival footage and personal narratives, Healing Hate explores the depths of Corporon and Dumala’s pain and the transformative power of their friendship.
Credits: Kansas City PBS, Filmmaker Solomon Shields.