CONNECTIONS is an opportunity for OLLI students and guests to connect with many of today’s pressing issues via the penetrating perspectives of contemporary documentary films. As the name implies, the themes for the films will showcase the CONNECTIONS humans have with one another, with our environment (including technology) and with other species that share our planet.

A Gorilla Story (2026)
1 hour, 17 minutes
Tuesday, Oct.13 • 2:30-4 pm
Ringling College Museum Campus
Emerald: $17
Sapphire: $17
Gold Member: $18
Silver Member and General Admission: $20

This intimate and engaging documentary blends the remarkable story of David Attenborough’s first encounter with the baby gorilla Pablo in 1978 with a deep dive into how Pablo’s descendants are doing today in the mountains of Rwanda. Weaving together contemporary and archival footage of the gorilla group and narrated by Attenborough, A Gorilla Story is packed with extraordinary gorilla behavior never before filmed or fully appreciated.

Room to Move (2025)
1 hour 53 minutes
Tuesday, Nov. 17 • 2:15-4:45 pm
Ringling College Museum Campus
Emerald: $17
Sapphire: $17
Gold Member: $18
Silver Member and General Admission: $20

A deeply personal and visually expressive film, Room to Move follows acclaimed choreographer and dancer, Jenn Freeman as she navigates the most transformative chapter of her life. A respected force in the contemporary dance world, Jenn built a thriving career through precision, artistry and discipline while privately she managed a lifetime of sensory overwhelm and social disease. From a young age, movement was her language and dance became both her artistic outlet and her survival mechanism. It wasn’t until her diagnosis of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) that she begins her exploration of identity, expression, and the quest for clarity amid the noise of the world.

About the Moderator

Julie Cotton is the creator and host of CONNECTIONS. Julie has a doctorate in Human Development and is a former organizational consultant and executive coach. She is an aficionado of documentary films and a skilled facilitator of group conversations.

CONNECTIONS is made possible, in part, with generous support from the Harms Family Endowment.