“Rebellious Bird” by Jennifer Levonian

Rebellious Bird is a fresh looking watercolor cut-out animation created by Philadelphia-based Jennifer Levonian. The documentary short ostensibly revolves around Wendy Ramsburg, an American Civil War reenactor who portrays women soldiers that disguised themselves as men, but the film also asks broader questions about gender roles in society, which Levonian smartly ties together with the story of Albert Cashier (as recounted in Spanish by her husband) and her own pregnancy. Levonian created the film during a one-year artist residency at The Library Company of Philadelphia with support from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through the Heritage Philadelphia Program.

(Thanks, Greg Condon)