Coming to Netflix tomorrow, Saturday, June 26: WONDER BOY
Director: Anissa Bonnefont
World Premiere: French TV (October 2019)
Select Festivals: Tribeca, Paris Chéries Chéris, Compiegne
About: French fashion house Balmain’s creative director Olivier Rousteing allows the camera to become his confidante as he embarks on a search for his birth mother.
About: A portrait of artist Kenny Scharf, whose work fuses popular culture and fine art.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read: Along with friends Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf grew from a graffiti artist into a major force in the 1980s NYC art scene. Obsessed with garbage, cartoons, and plastic, this playful Peter Pan’s roller coaster career flourished despite the decimation of the AIDS crisis and the fickle tastes of the art world. From street art to museums, Scharf continues to create colorful, complex work that puts him at the forefront of where popular culture meets fine art.
About: Friends, family, cartoonists, and notable fans of the iconic PEANUTS celebrate honor creator Charles Schulz and celebrate the global popularity and long-lasting significance of the comic strip.
Coming to virtual cinemas tomorrow, Friday, June 25: CHASING CHILDHOOD
Director: Margaret Munzer Loeb, Eden Wurmfeld
World Premiere: DOC NYC 2020
Select Festivals: Portland, San Francisco Doc, Cleveland, Harlem, Annapolis, Sarasota
About: Reformed helicopter parents and education professionals reveal the benefits of allowing kids to have freedom to play unencumbered by schedules and structure.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read: Overprotected and overdirected, American children are wilting under the weight of well-meaning parents. In the pursuit of keeping them safe and creating an impressive resumé of extracurricular activities to wow admissions boards, over-parenting smothers children across socioeconomic classes. This thoughtful film follows education professionals and reformed helicopter parents who seek and offer solutions for developing more confident, independent young people while restoring some joy and freedom to childhood.