In only five years, the BAMcinemaFest has established itself as one of New York City’s key events showcasing the best new film discoveries of the year. It developed from an earlier series, Sundance at BAM, that brought a selection of films from the tastemaking American independent festival to the BAM Rose Cinemas for a few years. After that initiative ran its course, BAM expanded their scope, curating a program from not only Sundance, but other notable cinema events, with an occasional premiere all their own to fill their limited, and much-coveted, slots. This year’s program includes 25 feature presentations, of which eight are documentaries, all making their NYC premieres, and many by local filmmakers. I’ve already written about them all in my coverage of other festivals, which I’ll link to below:
From Sundance, BAM is highlighting Martha Shane and Lana Wilson’s AFTER TILLER (pictured), an artfully restrained portrait of late-term abortion providers; Roger Ross Williams’ GOD LOVES UGANDA, a provocative exploration of the influence of ultra-conservative American evangelists on African culture and politics; and Lucy Walker’s THE CRASH REEL, a moving profile of how traumatic brain injury effected competitive snowboarder Kevin Pearce and his family.
Offerings which premiered at SXSW earlier this year include that fest’s doc grand jury prize winner, Ben Nabors’ WILLIAM AND THE WINDMILL (pictured), the inspirational story of a young Malawian teenager who taught himself how to build a windmill to provide power for his struggling family; and Malcolm Ingram’s CONTINENTAL, exploring the history of the legendary gay baths at the Ansonia Hotel, which famously launched the career of Bette Midler.
The fest’s remaining docs premiered at True/False and Full Frame. From the former come Nick Betgen’s NORTHERN LIGHT (pictured), a lyrical observational study of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the community’s involvement in an annual snowmobile race; and Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq’s THESE BIRDS WALK, a breathtaking immersion into the lives of Pakistani runaways. From the North Carolina doc fest, BAM is presenting Farihah Zaman and Jeff Reichert’s REMOTE AREA MEDICAL, an eye-opening look at America’s health care crisis, as seen through the services provided by a free annual pop-up clinic set up on a NASCAR speedway in Tennessee.
what (not) to doc 