New to DVD this week:
THE LAST RESORT
Directors:
Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch
Premiere:
Miami Jewish 2018
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Virginia, Key West, Jewish fests in Toronto, Rochester, and Cleveland
About:
A revealing revisitation of Jewish life in 1970s Miami.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to DVD this week:
ON HER SHOULDERS
Director:
Alexandria Bombach
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, SXSW, Hot Docs, Sheffield, AFI Docs, Full Frame, Human Rights Watch, SF Jewish, Jerusalem, Dokufest, Melbourne, Sun Valley, Doc 10, Ashland, Cleveland, Kansas City, Sarasota, Montclair, Maryland, Dallas, Nashville, Seattle, Warsaw, Biografilm, Heartland
Notable Recognition:
The doc was shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
About:
A look at the burden carried by a young woman as she advocates for her people on the global stage.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, March 19:
HILLBILLY
Directors:
Sally Rubin and Ashley York
Premiere:
Nashville 2018
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Los Angeles, Traverse City, SF DocFest, Hot Springs Doc, Heartland, Southern Circuit
About:
A personal exploration of the representation of rural America.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
CRADLE OF CHAMPIONS
Director:
Bartle Bull
Premiere:
Santa Barbara 2017
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, St Louis, Big Sky Doc, Southern Circuit, Manchester
About:
A portrait of three boxers vying for the Golden Gloves.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC, saying:
Since the 1920s, New York City’s amateur boxers have competed for glory in the Golden Gloves. The legendary annual boxing tournament now lasts three months and attracts 500 fighters, among them Titus Williams, James Wilkins, and Nisa Rodriguez. Director Bartle Bull and his collaborators, including acclaimed cinematographers Tom Hurwitz and Kirsten Johnson, follow these scrappy young athletes as they fight for their Golden Gloves dreams and the life-changing opportunities that may follow victory.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Festival:
The 16th CPH:DOX
Dates:
March 20-31
About:
The celebrated Danish nonfiction event offers more than 170 doc and hybrid features, with the addition of a sidebar of fiction in this year’s edition. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
photo by Drew Kelly
Director:
Alex Gibney
Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
SXSW
About:
An investigation into the high-profile rise and fall of discredited health tech company Theranos.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, March 18:
306 HOLLYWOOD
Directors:
Elan Bogarín and Jonathan Bogarín
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Hot Docs, Full Frame, Cleveland, Sarasota, Montclair, Aspen Ideas, Atlanta, Berkshire, Woods Hole, San Francisco Jewish
About:
A magical realist archaeological exploration of the filmmakers’ late grandmother’s home and possessions.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s DCTV this Monday, March 18:
I’M LEAVING NOW (YA ME VOY)
Directors:
Lindsey Cordero and Armando Croda
Premiere:
Hot Docs 2018
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, DocsMx, Morelia
About:
An undocumented Mexican immigrant faces the limits of self-sacrifice.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Felipe, an undocumented immigrant, combs the streets of New York City collecting cans to survive on the margins of society. After 16 years of hard living, he makes plans to return to Mexico but discovers his family has squandered his money and are in debt. Felipe must decide how much more he can sacrifice for a family he no longer knows. Cordero and Croda’s poignant portrait deftly explores the shifting of one’s allegiances through time and distance, and the delusions we tell ourselves to make peace with fate.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Coming to NYC’s JCC in Manhattan this Sunday, March 17:
THE BRINK
Director:
Alison Klayman
Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Cleveland, Docville
About:
Steve Bannon, post-White House.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, March 15:
COMBAT OBSCURA
Director:
Miles Lagoze
Premiere:
True/False 2018
Select Festivals:
AFI Docs, Jihlava, Dallas, FID Marseille, Virginia, DocuWest, Brisbane
About:
A candid, insider look at the lives of US Marines.
Miles Lagoze became a filmmaker as a Marine. Deployed to Afghanistan, he served as a combat photographer, shooting mission footage for recruitment and news coverage purposes. He kept his camera running beyond this practical concern, capturing with stark veracity the experiences of his fellow soldiers. Shaky handheld footage thrusts the viewer right in the midst of the chaos of combat on one hand, and the monotony of routine on the other. Composed of episodic verité rather than following any particular narrative development, the project might wear out its welcome for some viewers, but nevertheless offers a compelling, ground-level perspective on the futility of the seemingly endless war in Afghanistan.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
what (not) to doc 