Category Archives: Documentary

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, July 12:
BETHANY HAMILTON: UNSTOPPABLE

Directors:
Aaron Lieber

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2018

Select Festival:
Los Angeles, Hot Springs Doc, Palm Springs, Martha’s Vineyard, Hawaii, Newport Beach

About:
A portrait of the professional surfer, best known for losing an arm to a shark attack as a teenager.

Hawaiian born Bethany Hamilton had already been surfing competitively for five years when she was attacked by a tiger shark at the age of 13. She gained fame not only for surviving the encounter, but for bouncing back and continuing to compete. Her story became a bestselling book, which was later adapted into a film. Director Aaron Lieber is understandably less interested in focusing on this well-trod territory here, and instead follows the now adult Hamilton, as she still attempts to compete on the pro circuit while balancing the responsibilities of marriage and motherhood. While featuring the requisite well-lensed surfing footage one would expect from such a project, this puffy portrait offers no real surprise or drama and feels overstretched with multiple endings, making it best suited to Hamilton’s existing fanbase.

Coming to VOD this Friday, July 12:
MAY IT LAST: A PORTRAIT OF THE AVETT BROTHERS

Directors:
Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio

Premiere:
SXSW 2017

Select Festivals:
Full Frame, Nashville, IDFA

About:
A behind-the-scenes look at the folk rock band as they record their latest album.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

New to DVD/VOD this week:
THE MOST DANGEROUS YEAR

Director:
Vlada Knowlton

Premiere:
Seattle 2018

Select Festivals:
St Louis, Rhode Island, Newburyport Doc, Atlanta Doc, Kansas, Portland

About:
The parents of trans kids fight against discriminatory legislation in Washington State.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to DVD and VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, July 9:
INVISIBLE HANDS

Director:
Shraysi Tandon

Premiere:
Kansas 2017

Select Festivals:
NYC Asian American, Wales, Bali, Sedona, Julien Dubuque

About:
An investigation into the continued exploitation of child labor around the world.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to National Geographic this Sunday, July 7:
APOLLO: MISSIONS TO THE MOON

Director:
Tom Jennings

World Premiere:
Grimaldi Forum 2019

About:
An archival-driven exploration of NASA’s Apollo program.

One of several nonfiction projects commemorating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s success in the Space Race, Tom Jenning’s doc takes an expansive view, focusing not just on that 1969 mission, but instead covering the range of the Apollo space program from 1961 until 1972. Eschewing talking heads for a more dramatic, lived-in viewer experience, the film is well constructed using archival video, audio, and photographic footage, from contemporary media reports, official NASA documentation, and home movies. Though it’s arguable that there’s really a need for quite so many space-focused docs at the same time – while this one does offer a good overview, so too does PBS’s upcoming CHASING THE MOON, albeit via more conventional storytelling – these projects all serve as a welcome reminder of a time when this nation’s government embraced the world of science rather than disparaged it, and found the political will to work together to tackle a seemingly insurmountable challenge.

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, July 2:
OLD DOG

Director:
Sally Rowe

World Premiere:
Sarasota 2018

About:
A famed New Zealand dog trainer prepares for retirement.

When he first began to work with sheepdogs, farmer Paul Sorenson observed that it was a common practice to use harsh discipline on disobedient dogs. As he explain in filmmaker Sally Rowe’s approximately hourlong portrait, he devoted the rest of his adult life to developing a more intuitive system to working with dogs by studying canine psychology and behavior. This modest film observes his interaction with his animals, but also allows him to reflect on his life, family history and relationships, and legacy as retirement approaches. In particular, Rowe focuses on Sorenson’s mission to share his non-punitive dog training techniques with other farmers, having already been established within his field as a respected expert. Sorenson and his wife are likeable figures, and the overall message of being in tune with nature as opposed to trying to dominate it is welcome, but the film as a whole feels a bit slight to merit feature length.