Kanopy

  • Meditation for Tough Times

    We live amongst our stressors and our struggles. Anxiety manifests as feelings, physical symptoms, and in how we connect or disconnect with the people around us. We so often think “I’ll be more relaxed when-” but there is always the journey of getting to “when.” Mindfulness is the practice of finding peace wherever we are,… Continue reading

  • The Story of Film, Part 2: The Hollywood Dream

    The Story of Film, Part 2: The Hollywood Dream

    Our travel through Mark Cousin’s history, The Story of Film, now takes us to the years 1918-1928 and the work of the great American silent comedians. Let’s start with Charlie Chaplin, probably the most famous of all the silent film stars. Like most silent comedians, Chaplin got his start acting and directing in comedy shorts… Continue reading

  • Missing Live Music? We’ve Got You Covered, Part 3

    Welcome back to our Live Music series! We certainly hope you’re hanging in there during these especially strange times. Certainly, one of the best ways to get through a difficult period is through music, and that’s why we’ve been writing this series. The next film in our lineup is one that has a true community… Continue reading

  • Missing Live Music? We’ve Got You Covered, Part 2

    Welcome to the second installment of our Live Music series. We hope you enjoyed basking in the glory of all things 1990’s riot grrrl last time. Today, we’re taking a look at the 2015 hip-hop/fashion fusion documentary Fresh Dressed from director Sacha Jenkins, available on Kanopy. Continue reading

  • The Story of Film, Part 1: Birth of the Cinema

    In 2004, Irish film critic Marc Cousins published The Story of Film. Focusing on the history of innovation in cinema, it attempted to explore the full breadth of world filmmaking, discussing the work of artists of all races, genders, and nationalities, including many whose work has gone unacknowledged by mainstream, Hollywood-biased histories. That book became… Continue reading

  • Cinema for the “Queerantine” from Kanopy and Hoopla

    In a time when we are physically disconnected from one another, maybe even from ourselves, watching a film can be a great way to reconnect with the world. For queer folks who feel isolated, watching an LGBTQ+ film can help alleviate that sense of loneliness and reignite a connection to community. And what better time… Continue reading

  • Mental Health during Quarantine

    As someone who struggles with mental health, I know that things have been especially hard while in quarantine. Anxiety is heightened, depression flares up, and a sense of hopelessness can become overwhelming. First, please don’t judge yourself if you feel your mental health is struggling right now. Be gentle with yourself.  You are not alone… Continue reading

  • It Could Always Be Worse

    I don’t know about you, but the idea of being quarantined for a few days sounded like a great idea with all the books and movies I have on my list. Now that I am stir crazy and want to get out of the house that is highly inadvisable, so I decided to put together… Continue reading

  • Missing Live Music? We’ve Got You Covered

    If you’re a live show junkie, Washington’s new “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order might have you feeling a little stir-crazy. Not to worry: we’ll be writing a series of posts that might help you get your music fix with the aid of streaming services like Freegal, Hoopla, and Kanopy.  First up, let’s take a deep… Continue reading

  • Move That Body

    One of the things I noticed the most about being home the first few days of self-isolation was my lack of movement. With gyms and some parks and playgrounds closed, and with more people sheltering in place, innovation began to occur. My local yoga studio started doing free yoga classes online via YouTube. Talking to… Continue reading

  • Kanopy Has You Covered

    Kanopy is a library-provided movie app I have on many devices. I have it on my phone, Apple TV, and our iPad, but it’s not an app I’ve used very often… until now. One of the things I enjoy the most about Kanopy is what it offers breaks me out of my comfort zone. Kanopy… Continue reading

  • St. Patrick’s Day and Chill

    This St. Patrick’s Day we may find ourselves hunkering down with a movie and drinking at home. That made me think of some of my favorite films over the years that I’ve watched around this time of year. My absolute favorite when I was a kid was Darby O’Gill and the Little People. My godmother… Continue reading

  • Be the Change: Race and Social Justice

    Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced. – James Baldwin Recently on a streaming service, I watched a documentary on White Privilege.  At the beginning of the documentary, which was hosted by a white women, there was a room full of people of color and… Continue reading

  • Friday the 13th: Stream the Screams

    It’s Friday the 13th, which always makes me want to curl up with a good horror flick…or even a bad one. But I’m sure I’m not the only one, and DVD wait lists can sometimes crush those plans…however with our streaming services a horror flick is just a click away with your library card. Want… Continue reading

  • Stream Oscar-winners from the past

    Stream Oscar-winners from the past

    Movie lovers rejoice! The Seattle Public Library recently added a film streaming service called Kanopy. Kanopy offers a collection of over 30,000 films with an emphasis on classic, independent and international films but also includes award-winning documentaries, selections from The Great Courses lecture series, and a wide ranging sample of some of the finest PBS… Continue reading