Exploring the theme “Formula” for its 17th edition, the Brooklyn Film Festival kicks off tomorrow, Friday, May 30, and runs through Sunday, June 8. More than 100 films will screen, including the nine documentary features noted below:
International nonfiction is represented by several titles: Nantenaina Lova’s THE MALAGASY WAY, a look at sustainable living in Madagascar; Audrey Gallet’s BOY SALOUM, an exploration of Senegal’s Y’en A Marre social movement; Mladen Kovacevic’s UNPLUGGED, exploring the lost musical art of Serbian leaf-playing; Nima Sarvestani’s NO BURQAS BEHIND BARS, about female Afghan prisoners and methods of social control; and Esy Casey’s JEEPNEY (pictured), which explores the Philippines via its iconic public transport vehicles repurposed from abandoned US military jeeps.
The remaining doc features explore American subjects: Allan Luebke’s GLENA, a portrait of the struggles of a working mom-turned-cage fighter; David Beilinson, Michael Galinsky, and Suki Hawley’s WHO TOOK JOHNNY, about a still-unsolved missing child case; Tony Shaff’s HOTLINE, a consideration of the interpersonal role hotlines continue to play in the digital age; and Catherine Gund’s BORN TO FLY (pictured), a profile of the acclaimed choreographer Elizabeth Streb and the Streb Extreme Action Company.
what (not) to doc 