Watch Well?

Well? is a 2010 documentary film directed by and featuring actress and playwright Lisa Kron. The film follows Kron as she explores the concept of health and wellness, particularly in relation to her own personal experiences growing up in a racially and economically diverse community. The film is structured as a series of personal anecdotes and reflections, interspersed with interviews with Kron's mother and other members of her community. Through these stories, Kron attempts to understand the underlying factors that contribute to health and wellness, such as socioeconomics, race, and cultural background.

One of the key themes of the film is the idea of community and how it can affect an individual's health. Kron's hometown of Lansing, Michigan serves as a microcosm for this idea, as she describes the various social and economic dynamics that exist within the town. She also highlights the disparities in healthcare access and outcomes that exist between different racial and socioeconomic groups.

Throughout the film, Kron also grapples with her own health issues, particularly an allergy to environmental toxins that she believes is linked to her upbringing in a polluted area. She explores alternative healing practices such as acupuncture and energy medicine, and considers the role of stress and trauma in affecting physical health.

Another prominent theme is Kron's relationship with her mother, and the ways in which their different approaches to health and wellness reflect broader cultural shifts. Kron's mother, Ann, is a white progressive activist who was involved in the civil rights movement and worked as a nurse in inner city hospitals. However, as Kron reflects, her mother's beliefs about health often reflected a kind of 'white guilt', and her own experiences as a queer woman of mixed race meant that her definitions of health and wellness diverged from her mother's.

Overall, Well? is a thoughtful and introspective exploration of a complex topic. Its unique blend of personal narrative and social commentary offers a nuanced perspective on the factors that contribute to health and wellness, and challenges viewers to consider the role of individual agency and systemic structures in creating more equitable and healthy communities.

Well? is a documentary with a runtime of 10 minutes.