what (not) to doc

Coming to PBS’s POV this coming Monday, July 24:
SHALOM ITALIA

Director:
Tamar Tal Anati

Premiere:
Docaviv 2016

Select Festivals:
IDFA, AFI Docs, Festival Dei Popoli, Cleveland, Jewish fests in Los Angeles, Calgary, and Philadelphia

About:
Three Jewish brothers return to their native Italy to find the cave in which they hid from the Nazis.

Emmanuel, Andrea, and Bubi, together with their other family members escaped Nazi persecution by living in a makeshift cave in the Tuscan woods for several months. They eventually emigrated to Israel, but now, nearly seven decades later, they reunite to revisit their old homeland and to see if they can find the sanctuary. The eldest, Emmanuel, has never previously returned – having been forced to grow up too fast, he has little interest in reliving old trauma – but the youngest, Bubi, with few memories of the time, convinced him to help find the place that saved their lives. In between treks in the wood, the brothers share meals and memories, humorously argue as family members do, and, most interestingly, confront the slippages between memories, mythologies, and truths – as revealed when they meet up with a neighbor whose version of her family’s role in their story don’t seem to match their own.

Coming to theatres today, Friday, July 21:
THE PULITZER AT 100

Director:
Kirk Simon

Premiere:
Hot Docs Doc Soup (June 2016)

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Denver, Documentary Edge

About:
An examination of the rich legacy of the Pulitzer Prize.

A celebration less of the award than of the artists and writers who have been recognized with the honor over its century-long existence, Simon’s film demonstrates the power of storytelling and speaking truth to power. Interviews with winners of the prestigious award address their work and its impact on society – as well as the impact of the award on expanding their audience. In a present culture that sees journalism being subject to attack by the Oval Office, and facing economic viability on a more general level, it’s important to have a reminder of the necessity of recognizing and honoring its accomplishments.

Coming to NYC’s Maysles Cinema this Friday and Saturday, July 21-22 and already on VOD via Netflix and ARRAY:
THE HOUSE ON COCO ROAD

Director:
Damani Baker

Premiere:
Los Angeles 2016

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Bahamas, Pan African, Atlanta, Toronto Black

About:
A young African-American activist seeks a haven for her family in Grenada, only to face an invasion by the US military.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
In 1983, Fannie Haughton, a young activist and teacher inured to injustices facing African Americans, sought a haven for her family in Grenada, an island nation that had seen an Afrocentric revolution just four years prior. Not too long after, the island was invaded by the US military, and the dream of a socialist utopia became a victim of Cold War politics. Haughton’s son Damani Baker revisits this story, couching it in a larger tale of black activism, as embodied by his mother.

Coming to theatres today, Wednesday, July 19:
ROMEO IS BLEEDING

Director:
Jason Zeldes

Premiere:
San Francisco 2015

Select Festivals:
Seattle, Berkshire, Newport Beach, Cleveland, St Louis, Aspen, St Louis, Hot Springs Doc, Napa Valley, Honolulu, Sarasota, Florida, RiverRun, Urbanworld

About:
A young African-American man turns to Shakespeare to address the violence in his community.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

New to DVD this week:
MEN OF THE CLOTH

Directors:
Vicki Vasilopoulos

Premiere:
DOC NYC 2013

Select Festivals:
Montclair, LA Femme, Hamptons Take 2 Doc

About:
A profile of three master tailors.

I previously wrote about the doc here.