Lantern documentary is a profile of courage

And at the Magic Lantern? Friday the theater will open two new films, one a premiere and the other a second-run Spokane showing:

"On Her Shoulders": This documentary, told both in English and Arabic, tells the story of 23-year-old Nadia Murad, a genocide and rape survivor who escaped the clutches of ISIS and has become a tireless, if at times exhausted, representative of her people.

"Beautiful Boy": Timothée Chalamet ("Call Me by Your Name") stars as the title character, a young man struggling with drug addiction. Also starring Steve Carell, Maura Tierney and Amy Ryan, this  story — based on not one but two memoirs — is a Lantern pickup.

Here are some critical comments regarding "On Her Shoulders":

Vanessa H. Larson, Washington Post: " 'On Her Shoulders' is a moving, sensitive portrayal of a woman - and a people's - perseverance."

Nell Minow, RogerEbert.com: "We see this movie to learn who the young Nobel Peace Prize winner is, but in the end, it is about her challenging us to learn who we are."

Leah Pickett, Chicago Reader: "Director Alexandria Bombach avoids the details of Murad's brutal captivity, showing instead the intense pressure and responsibility the 23-year-old feels as a spokesperson for her people."

Again, I'll update when the other area theaters finalize their listings.