Festival:
The 32nd IDFA
Dates:
November 20-December 1
About:
Yesterday’s post on the largest documentary festival in the world covered its competitive sections, while today’s looks at non-competitive programming. Continue reading
Author Archives: basiltsiokos
IDFA 2019 Overview, Part Two
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On DVD/VOD: LIYANA
New to DVD/VOD this week:
LIYANA
Directors:
Amanda Kopp and Aaron Kopp
Premiere:
Los Angeles 2017
Select Festivals:
BFI London, Mill Valley, Citizen Jane, Durban, Hot Springs Doc, Denver, Bahamas, Palm Springs, Oxford, Southern Circuit, Toronto Black, Zagreb Dox, Miami, NY Children’s, Ashland, Cleveland, Montclair, NY African, Blackstar
About:
Swaziland orphans collectively create an adventure folk tale.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
On VOD: A FILM UNFINISHED
New to OVID.tv this week:
A FILM UNFINISHED
Director:
Yael Hersonski
World Premiere:
Sundance 2010
Select Festivals:
Berlin, Full Frame, Hot Docs, Jerusalem, Silverdocs, EDOC, Beldocs, Rio, Taiwan, Melbourne, Milwaukee, Tallgrass, San Francisco Jewish
About:
A searing exposé of the hot yoga entrepreneur Bikram Choudhury, accused by multiple women of sexual assault.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
IDFA 2019 Overview, Part One
Festival:
The 32nd IDFA
Dates:
November 20-December 1
About:
This is the first of two posts on the lineup of the world’s biggest documentary film festival, which presents approximately 170 new and recent features, in addition to many more retrospective offerings. Today’s post covers the competition sections, while tomorrow’s will spotlight non-competitive strands. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
On VOD: BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR
Coming to Netflix tomorrow, Wednesday, November 20:
BIKRAM: YOGI, GURU, PREDATOR
Director:
Eva Orner
World Premiere:
Toronto 2019
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hamptons, Hawaii, Philadelphia, AFI Fest
About:
A searing exposé of the hot yoga entrepreneur Bikram Choudhury, accused by multiple women of sexual assault.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Bikram Choudhury was at the forefront of popularizing yoga in North America and around the world. An Indian immigrant with a Beverly Hills base, Choudhury was a born entertainer, known for dressing in nothing more than a black speedo and a Rolex. His teaching style was tough love sprinkled with salty language and punctuated by spontaneous bursts of singing. He built a franchise empire with hundreds of Bikram studios around the world.
Filmmaker Eva Orner traces Choudhury from his rise in the 1970s to his disgrace in accusations of rape and sexual harassment in more recent years. She taps a vast trove of archival footage that demonstrates Choudhury’s charm and offers clues to his dark side.
Over the years, Choudhury’s story has received steady press coverage, but there is a fresh power in this telling, with key figures going on camera for the first time including his longtime lawyer, Micki Jafa-Bodden. The film raises larger questions about the nature of leaders and followers and the corruption of messianic figures. To this day, Choudhury has evaded prosecution and continues to attract yoga students from all over the world, bringing added tension to this rigorous investigation.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: COLD CASE HAMMARSKJÖLD
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, November 19:
COLD CASE HAMMARSKJÖLD
Director:
Mads Brügger
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Nantucket, True/False, Hot Docs, Thessaloniki Doc, Göteborg, One World, Movies That Matter, AFI Docs, Docville, It’s All True, Moscow, Docs Against Gravity, DocsBarcelona, Seattle, Transilvania, Greenwich, Encounters, Biografilm, Docaviv, Munich, Melbourne
About:
A provocative investigation of the 1961 death of the United Nations Secretary-General.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
On TV: ERNIE & JOE: CRISIS COPS
Coming to HBO today, Tuesday, November 19:
ERNIE & JOE: CRISIS COPS
Director:
Jenifer McShane
World Premiere:
SXSW 2019
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Nantucket, AFI Docs, Traverse City, IFF Boston, Berkshire, Woods Hole, Heartland, NewportFilm, Milwaukee, Nashville, Woodstock, Hot Springs Doc
About:
A profile of a pair of police officers on a mission to help the mentally ill.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On TV/DVD: FOR SAMA
Coming to PBS’s Frontline and to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, November 19:
FOR SAMA
Directors:
Waad al-Kateab and Edward Watts
World Premiere:
SXSW 2019
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Cannes, Sheffield, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, Traverse City, Riverrun, Minneapolis-St Paul, Seattle, Biografilm, Belfast, deadCENTER, Maryland, New Zealand, Guanajuato, Munich, Galway, Melbourne, Mountainfilm
About:
An intimate chronicle of life during war.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF ALIEN
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, November 19:
MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF ALIEN
Director:
Alexandre O Philippe
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Hot Docs, Karlovy Vary, BAFICI, Hong Kong, Jerusalem, Melbourne, Seattle, Munich, Hawaii, Istanbul, Sitges, Taipei Golden Horse
About:
An expansive film essay on the origins of ALIEN.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
On TV: N SCOTT MOMADAY: WORDS FROM A BEAR
Coming to PBS’s American Masters today, Monday, November 18:
N SCOTT MOMADAY: WORDS FROM A BEAR
Director:
Jeffrey Palmer
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Traverse City, deadCENTER, Milwaukee, ImagineNATIVE, Seattle
About:
On the work and influence of Pulitzer Prize-winning Native American author, N Scott Momaday.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
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