Synopsis

US, 2015; 76 mins

Legendary documentary pioneer Albert Maysles (Iris, Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter), working with a team of filmmakers, brings his trademark generosity of spirit to this enchanting portrait of passengers aboard Amtrak's Empire Builder, traveling en route from Chicago to Portland and Seattle. Unfolding in a series of vignettes, against a backdrop of changing American landscapes, the film observes a cross-section of people during moments of transition in their lives and speaking their own truths: college students prepare for their futures; a very pregnant woman seeks support from family elsewhere; and able-bodied men seek work in the oil fields of North Dakota. "Beautifully assembled and touching,” according to the New York Times, In Transit is both subtle and monumental—an empathetic examination of American life in the tradition of Studs Terkel and Walt Whitman. Best Documentary, Special Jury Mention, 2015 Tribeca Film Festival.