Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, May 11:
THE REASON I JUMP
Director:
Jerry Rothwell
World Premiere:
Sundance 2020
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, Docs Against Gravity, London, ReelAbilities
About:
A profile of non-verbal autistic young people, based on the New York Times bestseller by Naoki Higashida.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to The WORLD Channel’s America ReFramed tomorrow, Tuesday, May 11:
CURTAIN UP!
Director:
Hui Tong, Kelly Ng
World Premiere:
Asian American International 2020
Select Festivals:
CAAMFest, San Diego Asian, Los Angeles Asian Pacific, Vancouver Asian, Philadelphia Asian American, DisOrient, NY International Children’s
About:
Elementary school students from NYC’s Chinatown-based PS 124 stage a production of FROZEN KIDS.
PS 124, also known as Yung Wing Elementary, is selected as one of the few schools permitted to present the kids version of the hit Disney musical FROZEN. Notably, the school’s theatre club is the only predominantly Asian American group to participate in the Junior Theater Festival, which allows filmmakers Hui Tong and Kelly Ng to open up a conversation between students, parents, and teachers about Asian cultural and academic stereotypes as they relate to the arts. Their modest film follows the familiar path of behind-the-scenes performance chronicles – auditions, casting, disappointments, joy, rehearsals, countdown to opening night, doubts, and, ultimately, a successful debut – with the welcome twist of focusing on a charismatic group of kids from cultural backgrounds who almost never see themselves on stage or screen.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, May 10:
THROUGH THE NIGHT
Director:
Loira Limbal
World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020 (unscreened)
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, New Orleans, Nantucket, AFI Docs, Double Exposure, Philadelphia Latino, Los Angeles Asian Pacific, Hawai’i, Hot Springs Doc
About:
A 24-hour childcare center proves indispensable for night-shift workers and single parents in this exploration of the personal cost of our modern economy.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD today, Friday, May 7:
STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET
Director:
Marilyn Agrelo
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Seattle, San Francisco
About:
A look back at the origins of the pioneering children’s television powerhouse.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, May 7:
THE HUMAN FACTOR
Director:
Dror Moreh
World Premiere:
Telluride 2019
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hamptons, Chicago, AFI Fest, Philadelphia, Cork, Jerusalem, Woodstock, Savannah
About:
A look back at peace negotiations between Israel and Palestine in 2000 through the memories of American diplomats.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Filmmaker Dror Moreh proved himself an expert navigator of powerful figures in his Oscar-nominated film The Gatekeepers, about the leaders of Israel’s Shin Bet security agency. Now he employs his talents to probe the American-led negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians in 2000. The main insiders on camera are six top American diplomats who testify to the human factor—the personal contact between the lead politicians Ehud Barak, Yasser Arafat and Bill Clinton—for a revelatory look at a lost opportunity.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to DVD this week:
BLACK HOLES: THE EDGE OF ALL WE KNOW
Director:
Peter Galison
World Premiere:
CPH:DOX 2020
Select Festivals:
Bergen, Jackson Wild
About:
An international assemblage of scientists work together to capture the first image of a black hole.
In April 2019, the Event Horizon Telescope – a worldwide network of synchronized radio observatories – made history by revealing a photograph of a supermassive black hole in the M87 galaxy, 55 million light-years from Earth. Filmmaker Peter Galison goes behind the scenes to profile members of the team that made this groundbreaking event possible, individuals operating on the titular edge of human knowledge. Despite this, the film offers very clear explanations of basic scientific concepts at the core of their work, particularly how the EHT is set up to work as a de facto Earth-sized instrument, deftly using animation and graphics. Recognizing that the larger issues being addressed are both dry and far too advanced for the typical viewer, Galison wisely leans in on the human side of the equation, and if it’s not always riveting, the resulting project is a respectful and worthwhile attempt to acknowledge the importance of advanced scientific exploration.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Festival:
The 36th DOK.fest Munich
Dates:
May 5-23
About:
The latest edition of this respected German nonfiction event goes online with nearly 100 new and recent features among its lineup.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, May 4:
FTA
Director:
Francine Parker
World Premiere:
Theatrical release (July 1972)
About:
A chronicle of the controversial anti-Vietnam War political vaudeville tour of American military bases, fronted by Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, May 4:
MC ESCHER: JOURNEY TO INFINITY
Director:
Robin Lutz
World Premiere:
Dutch theatrical release (April 2018)
Select Festivals:
Vancouver, Architecture & Design, Nederlands, New Zealand
About:
A biographical celebration of the famed Dutch artist and would-be mathematician.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Festival:
The 18th True/False Film Fest
Dates:
May 5-9
About:
Sixteen new and recent nonfiction features screen in a hybrid format in this thoughtfully-curated Colombia MO-based event.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
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