Jonathan Olshefski’s debut is one of the most remarkable documentaries of the past year, and paradoxically it brings to mind a fiction film, namely Richard Linklater’s Boyhood. Quest might have wrapped up much sooner if it wasn’t for the director’s persistence, tenacity and commitment to his vision. In effect, what we see on the screen is the result of a 10-year-long observation of an African-American family living in a Philadelphia working class neighborhood. The key to this type of film is to pick the protagonists carefully, and Olshefsky’s instincts are right on target. It’s impossible to dislike the Raineys, with of their honesty, their cheerfulness in spite of difficult circumstances, and their relationships with each other—but also the particular passion they dedicate their lives to. Their passion is music, or more specifically a somewhat makeshift home recording studio. It’s a meeting place for the local community and a litmus test for changes within the family. Transition is a crucial theme to this film, which is also a wider socio-political reflection on the condition of today’s America in the context of class and race. It’s no accident that the opening scenes of the film coincide with Barack Obama’s election to president of the United States, and the ending with Donald Trump taking over.