New to VOD this week:
RAISING BERTIE
Director:
Margaret Byrne
Premiere:
Full Frame 2016
Select Festivals:
Sarasota, Bentonville, AFI Docs, Atlanta Docufest, Chicago, Citizen Jane, Cucalorus, Big Sky Doc
About:
An observational coming-of-age portrait of three African-American teenagers in rural North Carolina.
Set in Bertie County, one of the poorest communities in the state, Byrne’s six-year longitudinal profile centers on Reginald AKA Junior, Davonte AKA Dada, and David AKA Bud, who, initially, are part of an alternative high school called the Hive, a safe place for at-risk youth to continue their schooling. Over the course of the film, the three young men face difficult choices that often come hand-in-hand with poverty – completing their education, contending with unemployment, navigating the challenges posed by family members’ incarceration, and the adult responsibilities of young father. Through a strong verité approach, the film captures their transition from teens to young men with poignancy and surprising candor and vulnerability.
what (not) to doc 