photo by Ap/REX/Shutterstock
Director:
Matt Tyrnauer
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
Zurich, Atlantic, New Zealand
About:
An exploration of the dark influence of Machiavellian attorney Roy Cohn on today’s polarized political landscape.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s DCTVscreening series tonight, Monday, September 16 and to theatres this Wednesday, September 18:
MIDNIGHT TRAVELER
Director:
Hassan Fazili
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
Berlin, CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Docaviv, DocumentaMadrid, DOXA, Sheffield, Thessaloniki, True/False, Doc Edge, RiverRun, Seattle, Montclair, Biografilm, San Francisco, Salem, Sydney
About:
The filmmaker, his wife, and their two daughters face an uncertain road to asylum when they are forced to flee Afghanistan.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres via Fathom for a special one-night only event tonight, Monday, September 16 before opening in New York/Los Angeles this Friday, September 20:
THE GAME CHANGERS
Director:
Louie Psihoyos
World Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
Berlin, Hot Docs, Thessaloniki Doc, Mountainfilm, Boulder, Washington DC Environmental, EarthxFilm
About:
An exploration of the misconceptions and truths about plant-based diets.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres today, Friday, September 13:
DESOLATION CENTER
Director:
Stuart Swezey
World Premiere:
CPH:DOX 2018
Select Festivals:
Sheffield, DokuFest, Big Sky Doc, Slamdance, DOXA, Indielisboa, Chicago Underground, Revelation, Sydney Underground, In-Edit Spain, Cork, Freep, Florida
About:
A look back at underground happenings stemming from the 1980s LA punk and industrial scene.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to DVD/VOD this week:
CRYSTAL CITY
Director:
Terrence Crawford
World Premiere:
Cleveland 2019
Select Festivals:
Wicked Queer, Q Doc Portland
About:
Profiles of several gay New Yorkers using or in recovery from crystal meth.
Responding to the open secret of crystal meth use/abuse by gay men, Terrence Crawford’s profiles multiple men who are in recovery, and occasionally relapsing, from its use, as well as one young hustler who is still on meth and doesn’t seem to have any desire to stop. Split into titled chapters, the film explores various aspects of the epidemic, including crystal meth’s history, covalent factors, and recovery programs. The film’s subjects candidly discuss how they were introduced to the drug, and its connections to sex, hustling, and HIV. Crawford assembles a welcome mix of participants reflecting different ages and backgrounds, but there are a few too many, preventing a deeper dive into any individual’s story. The film’s gay male metropolitan context lends an insularity that might prove challenging for outside audiences, but its focus on issues of addiction and sobriety are universal.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, September 13:
AMÉRICA
Directors:
Erick Stoll and Chase Whiteside
World Premiere:
True/False 2018
Select Festivals:
IDFA, CPH:DOX, Full Frame, Sheffield, AFI Docs, BAMcinemaFest, New Orleans, Denver, Camden, Guanajuato, DokuFest, Hot Springs Doc, Ashland, Maryland, Sidewalk, Reykjavik, Adelaide, Docs Against Gravity
About:
Three brothers take on the role of caretakers for their grandmother.
After her son, Luis, is (perhaps unjustly) arrested for elder abuse, the care of 93-year-old América falls to her grandsons Diego, Rodrigo, and Bruno. The three brothers, itinerant circus performers, have been estranged, but try to put aside their differences for the sake of their beloved grandmother, who suffers from dementia. Erick Stoll and Chase Whiteside’s wistful, humanistic film follows the family over three years, capturing the young men as they dote on América, navigate the legal system to free their father, quarrel with one another, and, ultimately, demonstrate the deep bonds of familial love.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to PBS’s American Masters tomorrow, Friday, September 13:
RAÚL JULIÁ: THE WORLD’S A STAGE
Director:
Ben DeJesus
World Premiere:
Los Angeles Latino 2019
About:
A tribute to the life and legacy of acclaimed Puerto Rican actor Raúl Juliá.
Twenty-five years after Raúl Juliá’s untimely passing comes this affectionate and informative tribute to the pioneering actor, one of the few Latinos to break through into mainstream success in Hollywood. Known for iconic roles in THE ADDAMS FAMILY series and KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, Juliá first had a celebrated career on the stage. Director Ben DeJesus traces the actor’s trajectory from his native Puerto Rico to 1960s New York City, where Juliá struggled for a time before coming to the attention of Joseph Papp for his fabled New York Shakespeare Festival, beginning a notable professional relationship that included Tony and Drama Desk nominations, and that led to film and television work. This comprehensive, if standard, biography assembles a who’s who of collaborators, admirers, and loved ones to reflect on Juliá’s life and work, and the impact his career has had on those Latinx performers who have followed.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
