what (not) to doc

Coming to PBS’s Doc World on the World Channel this Sunday, September 25: TOCANDO LA LUZ

Jennifer Redfearn’s portrait of three blind Cuban women debuted at Full Frame last year. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, Galway, Miami, and Bath, among other events.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC, saying:
Havana, Cuba. An up-and-coming singer searches for confidence, a young woman in love longs for motherhood, and a veteran of the Revolution comes to terms with the death of her husband. Three women, united by blindness and a desire for independence, guide us through Cuba’s current economic and social landscape while pursuing their dreams and breaking through personal and societal limitations.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, September 23: THE JAZZ LOFT ACCORDING TO W EUGENE SMITH

Sara Fishko’s look at legendary jazz history debuted at the New Orleans Film Festival last year. Its fest circuit also included DOC NYC, Rotterdam, Full Frame, Cleveland, Florida, BAFICI, and the Copenhagen Jazz Film Festival, among other events.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
Between 1957 and 1965, former LIFE Magazine photojournalist W Eugene Smith obsessively photographed and taped the goings-on at the dilapidated Sixth Avenue loft he called home. As revealed in this astonishing WNYC-produced time capsule, what he captured is a treasure trove of NYC jazz of that period, including a three-week rehearsal by the legendary Thelonious Monk and jazz and classical music lessons given by the Juilliard-trained Hall Overton.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, September 23: GENERATION STARTUP

Cynthia Wade and Cheryl Miller Houser’s look at young entrepreneurs in Detroit debuted at Traverse City earlier this year. In addition to its limited theatrical release, the film will screen at the upcoming Milwaukee Film Festival and at other special events.

With American entrepreneurship at its nadir, and industry still seeking cheaper labor overseas, the prospects for a lasting economic upswing are uncertain. While Wade and Houser’s film celebrates some of the forward-thinking risk-takers who are trying to launch businesses, it refreshingly doesn’t sugarcoat the obstacles they face. Working in the particularly economically-depressed city of Detroit, the six subjects exploit the advantages of their location while trying to be part of the community that helps to build it back up, but acknowledge that they have an uphill battle to climb. Notably, they also address issues of diversity and the barriers traditionally faced by women and people of color, who often find themselves woefully under-represented relative to white men in startup enterprises. Nevertheless, the film’s cautious optimism gives hope, and potential inspiration, to other would-be innovators.