Over the course of eight years, Quest follows the trials and tribulations of the Rainey’s, a north Philadelphia family trying to do more than make ends meet—Christopher “Quest” Rainey, his wife Christine’a, aka Ma Quest, their adult son William, and their tween-to-teen daughter Patricia. While Ma Quest is employed in a homeless shelter, Quest himself works odd jobs to support his passion for music and in-home recording studio, a cornerstone for the neighborhood’s rap artists and musicians.
Issues within the family and on the streets are shown with open eyes toward underfunded and undervalued communities. Director Jonathan Olshefski uses a vérité style to chart the family’s day-to-day life—including the ups and downs, the tragic and the triumphant—with nuanced respect. A Sundance hit, Quest is an important movie of the moment showing both the personal and the political.
Director’s Biography
Jonathan Olshefski: Jonathan Olshefski is an artist and documentary filmmaker, who has an MFA in Film and Media Arts from Temple University, and is currently an Assistant Professor at Rowan University, where he teaches in the department of Radio, TV, and Film. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife and two sons.