In the early 1970s, Helen Hooper was a free-spirited young woman who linked up with Pete McCloskey, a charismatic Republican congressman twenty-six years her senior, first as a political aide and then in marriage. Four decades later, as they anticipate his death, she wrestles with their marriage, her sexuality, and what’s been lost and won through a life by the side of a man she affectionately calls Bear. Nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Editing at the 2024 IDA Awards, Helen and the Bear is a surprising and moving portrait of a woman—and relationship—that contains multitudes.
Helen and the Bear
Tuesday, May 26
7:00Showtimes updated on Tuesday evenings
Legend
OCOpen Captioned
Special Content
35mm
SFSensory Friendly
Helen and the Bear
Q&A with Director Alix Blair
Tickets: $13 (members), $18 (nonmembers)
"A moving portrait of the decades-long relationship between former US Congressman Pete McCloskey and his wife Helen, two indomitable forces who have weathered several storms and arrived at their golden years — where fresh challenges await."
SPECIAL EVENTS
Q&A with filmmaker Alix Blair
Tuesday, May. 26 2026, 7:00
- Alix Blair is an award-winning documentary maker, both in film and audio, and has been working in nonfiction storytelling for over a decade. Her second feature Helen and the Bear premiered in April 2024 and is nominated for two IDA awards. Alix is currently a PhD student in the Energy + Resources Group at UC Berkeley, in the Climate Futures Lab and the Critical Ruralities Lab. She has a Masters in Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. She has a certificate in Climate Change and Health through the Yale School of Public Health. Alix is certified in Ecological Horticulture from the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UC Santa Cruz and, for a time, worked on small-scale organic farms. She co-founded the Bay Area-based Collective of Documentary Women Cinematographers and is a member of Film Fatales. She runs the series Documentary Happy Hour. Alix is also a trauma-informed yoga teacher and lectures on the impacts of vicarious trauma in documentary making.
Tickets: $13 (members), $18 (nonmembers)
This film is part of the Docs Without Borders series.
Coming Soon
The Stranger
Opens 4/10
Kontinental '25
Opens 4/10
Steal This Story, Please!
Opens 4/17—Q&A with Amy Goodman on 4/12
The Christophers
Opens 4/17
My Father's Shadow: Preview Club Wrap-Up
Get the inside scoop on this film festival darling before you see it on the big screen
Eat, Shop, Catch a Film!
Take advantage of JBFC Member discounts at local restaurants, shops, and more.
Frederick Wiseman's America
Apr. 8–May 3: Tickets on Sale Now