How I Got Over

Formerly homeless women stage a play inspired by their true-life stories

2014 | Running Time: 87 minutes | Rating: NR

HOW I GOT OVER follows the residents of a temporary housing facility for homeless and low-income women as they craft and rehearse an original play based on their life experiences. As part of the Kennedy Center’s Theatre Lab Life Stories Program, the women from Washington D.C.’s N Street Village community interweave their personal narratives spanning incarceration and addiction, turning their painful experiences into a work of art. Demonstrating art’s transformative capacity, the documentary shows both how the process of writing and performing is a healing experience for the women and how their storytelling generates a conversation around systemic poverty with the potential to provoke meaningful social change. The film premiered at the 2014 AFI DOCS Film Festival. Director/Producer/Writer: Nicole Boxer; Producer: Tim Rockwood

International Documentary Association 2015: Humanitas Award (nomination)
Palm Springs International Film Festival 2015: Audience Award – Best Documentary Feature (nomination)


“How I Got Over is an inspiring and emotional tale of triumph and the value of art as salvation.”

UNDER THE RADAR