Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films tomorrrow, Tuesday, August 20:
THE HOTTEST AUGUST
Director:
Brett Story
World Premiere:
True/False 2019
Select Festivals:
SXSW, Hot Docs, CPH:DOX, BAMcinemaFest, Sheffield, DOXA, Montclair, DokuFest, Open City Doc, Sarasota, Maryland
About:
An exploration of climate change and late-stage capitalism.
Filmed two Summers ago throughout New York City, director Brett Story’s film is a panoramic study of working-class anxieties. While semi-poetic narration occasionally is employed, the bulk of the film consists of everyday New Yorkers discussing things on their mind, touching on the economy, the environment, and other issues of the day, revealing a depressing amount of casual racism, cynicism, and ignorance that is meant to stand in microcosm for Trump-era America. While some of the unidentified subjects and their commentary – and the subtle links Story draws between them in the film’s edit – are compelling in their own way, their overall impact is muted by their episodic nature. As a result, the film succeeds in creating a sense of uneasiness, but not feeling particularly satisfying in the end.
