Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, November 6:
ITZHAK
Director:
Alison Chernick
Premiere:
Hamptons 2017
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Palm Springs, Jewish fests in Miami, Palm Beach, Atlanta, and Phoenix
About:
A deeply intimate portrait of acclaimed violin master, Itzhak Perlman.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
TAKE BACK THE HARBOR & ZION
Dates:
November 8-15
Section:
Short List: Shorts, highlighting some of the top doc shorts of the year:
’63 BOYCOTT
Director: Gordon Quinn
In 1963, more than 250,000 students boycotted Chicago’s public schools to protest racial segregation. Combining period footage with reflections from participants, ‘63 BOYCOTT links the past with present-day concerns around inequality in the education system.
EARTHRISE
Director: Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee
In 1968, the first image of the Earth was captured from space, an iconic photograph that had an immediate and transformative impact around the globe. EARTHRISE explores the memories of the Apollo 8 astronauts responsible for the image, and their experience of awe in viewing the Earth framed against the void of space.
END GAME
Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
A moving film about the passage from life to death, END GAME is a portrait of the last days of those in palliative care in two San Francisco Bay Area medical facilities pioneering new paradigms for end-of-life decisions.
THE GIRL AND THE PICTURE
Director: Vanessa Roth
80 years ago, Xia Shuqin witnessed the murder of her family during the Nanjing Massacre. THE GIRL AND THE PICTURE uncovers how an American missionary’s camera serendipitously captured Xia and her sister, binding his family and theirs forever.
THE HEAD & THE HAND
Director: Marc Serpa Francoeur
A meditative portrait of two women who confronted great adversity with a profound bond and remarkable positivity, THE HEAD & THE HAND presents a rich exploration of disability, independence and sisterhood.
LESSONS FROM A SCHOOL: NOTES FROM DUNBLANE
Director: Kim A Snyder
In the aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting, local priest Father Bob Weiss connects with Father Basil O’Sullivan of Dunblane, Scotland, from a community which could uniquely relate to Newtown’s trauma. Kim A Snyder’s film explores the power of resilience through the bond forged between these two priests.
MY DEAD DAD’S PORNO TAPES
Director: Charlie Tyrell
Following the death of his emotionally distant father, filmmaker Charlie Tyrell seeks to better understand him through the personal belongings he left behind… including a stack of dirty VHS tapes.
RX: EARLY DETECTION, A CANCER JOURNEY WITH SANDRA LEE
Director: Cathy Chermol Schrijver
After an annual mammogram results in a diagnosis of breast cancer, Emmy-winning TV host and lifestyle expert Sandra Lee sets out to discover the best options for treatment and recovery, opening up her private journey to share the importance of early detection with other women.
SIDELINED
Director: Galen Summer
In 1978, inspired by the popularity of NFL cheerleaders, Playboy organized a pictorial feature approved by team management happy for the media exposure. But when the resulting pictures set off a critical backlash, cheerleaders were fired, exposing society’s hypocrisy around female sexuality.
TAKE BACK THE HARBOR
Directors: Kristi Jacobson, Roger Ross Williams
On Governor’s Island, an ambitious program works to restore once-bountiful oysters and the environmental benefits they bring to New York Harbor. TAKE BACK THE HARBOR highlights students at a remarkable public high school where environmental stewardship is part of the curriculum.
WE ARE NOT DONE YET
Director: Sareen Hairabedian
US veterans and active-duty service members come together through a workshop led by poet Seema Reza to combat their traumatic military pasts via the written word. Sharing fears, vulnerabilities and victories, their writing becomes a tool for empowerment and healing culminating in the live performance of a collaborative poem under the direction of Jeffrey Wright.
ZION
Director: Floyd Russ
Born without legs and growing up in the foster care system, Zion Clark moved from one home to another as he grew up. Floyd Russ’ inspiring portrait reveals how his discovery of wrestling in the second grade provided not only a therapeutic outlet, but a sense of family.
More Info:
For full descriptions, a list of expected guests, screening details, and to purchase tickets, click on the individual titles above, and follow links for ticketing, where still available. Note that anything indicating Rush Only may still have tickets available day-of at the venue. Or consider purchasing one of DOC NYC’s several Pass options for access to a variety of programming.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to Investigation Discovery tomorrow, Tuesday, November 6:
GYPSY’S REVENGE
Director:
Jesse Vile
Premiere:
Investigation Discovery (November 2018)
About:
Another look at the disturbing case of Dee Dee and Gypsy Rose Blanchard.
For viewers who have not already seen HBO’s 2017 documentary MOMMY DEAD AND DEAREST, this is the latest revisitation of the shocking story covered there. To sum up the case without revealing its central twist, Dee Dee was the mother of Gypsy Rose, known to family and friends as a close-knit pair, with the former serving as a full-time caregiver to her mentally and physically disabled daughter. After a Facebook post announces Dee Dee’s death, everything is upended, and disturbing revelations follow in quick succession about both of the Blanchards. With access not only to Gypsy, but to her father, other family members, and friends, Vile constructs a compelling retelling, while also introducing some intriguing new information that to some extent helps justify another film on the topic.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to VOD today, Monday, November 5:
MOMENTUM GENERATION
Directors:
Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist
Premiere:
Tribeca 2018
Select Festivals:
Hawaii, Martha’s Vineyard, Hot Springs Doc, Sidewalk, Aspen
About:
The behind-the-scenes story of a close-knit group of surfing legends.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a group of teenage surfers lived together in the North Shore of Oahu, near the legendary Pipeline. Before too long, their number – including Kelly Slater, Rob Machado, Kalani Robb, Taylor Steele, and others – would become synonymous with the sport. Providing access to a lifetime’s worth of personal archives, these iconic athletes share their story of friendship-fueled competitiveness that put them all on the world map. While at times tending to get lost in anecdotes and insider stories, the film successfully captures the group’s youthful optimism and closeness.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR? | photo by Jim Judkis
Dates:
November 8-15
Section:
Short List: Features, our picks for the most accomplished docs of the year, and potential awards contenders: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens tonight, Monday, November 5:
DAWNLAND
Directors:
Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip
Premiere:
Cleveland 2018
Select Festivals:
IFF Boston, Seattle, New Haven Docs, Provincetown, Woods Hole, Camden, Vancouver, Bend
About:
Maine sets up a truth and reconciliation commission to address systemic crimes against its Native American population.
In 2012, inspired by the idea of restorative justice demonstrated in South Africa after apartheid, the state of Maine formed a truth and reconciliation commission, an opportunity for victims of injustice to share their stories with the perpetrators. In this specific case, the commission was designed to reckon with the historical treatment of Native Americans, including the forced removal of Native children from their families and placement in foster homes, efforts to assimilate them within white American society. Though some are hesitant to use the terms, the result was cultural genocide, with families fractured, children losing language and tradition, and, in some case, their innocence, as some suffered from physical and sexual abuse during the process. Mazo and Pender-Cudlip detail the harrowing process of the commission as indigenous people find the courage to tell their stories, while also exploring the conflicts that arise among its different stakeholders. While the former is far more affecting than the latter, which at times overburdens the film, both elements are stark reminders of the damage done, not only by overt racism, but by even seemingly well-intentioned actions informed by white privilege.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
A HYMN FOR ALVIN AILEY
Dates:
November 8-15
Section:
Docs Redux, revisiting a classic doc:
A HYMN FOR ALVIN AILEY (1999)
Director: Orlando Bagwell
Made for PBS’s Great Performances series, Orlando Bagwell’s Emmy Award-winning film is an homage to Alvin Ailey, the pioneering African-American choreographer and founder of New York City’s renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Following Ailey’s death, the Theater’s artistic director, Judith Jamison, choreographed “Hymn,” a celebration of his influence featuring Anna Deavere Smith. Bagwell uses this piece as a departure point for a broader look at Ailey, his work, and its legacy. Featuring archival interviews with Ailey and his collaborators and striking performance footage, A HYMN FOR ALVIN AILEY serves as a welcome introduction to Ailey’s work for newcomers and a fitting reminder of his artistry for those already familiar with his work.Orlando Bagwell will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at DOC NYC’s Visionaries Tribute.
Visionaries Tribute
DOC NYC’s fifth annual Visionaries Tribute will take place on Thursday, November 8 at Manhattan’s Edison Ballroom. Veteran filmmakers Wim Wenders and Orlando Bagwell will receive Lifetime Achievement recognition. The Robert and Anne Drew Award for Documentary Excellence will go to Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin and the Leading Light Award will go to Tabitha Jackson, Director of the Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program
More Info:
For full descriptions, a list of expected guests, screening details, and to purchase tickets, click on the individual titles above, and follow links for ticketing, where still available. Note that anything indicating Rush Only may still have tickets available day-of at the venue. Or consider purchasing one of DOC NYC’s several Pass options for access to a variety of programming.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to theatres and to VOD today, Friday, November 2:
DAUGHTERS OF THE SEXUAL REVOLUTION: THE UNTOLD STORY OF THE DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS
Director:
Dana Adam Shapiro
Premiere:
SXSW 2018
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, USA, Tallgrass, Sarasota, Lighthouse
About:
An insider’s look at the legendary cheerleading squad.
I previously wrote about the doc for Nantucket’s program, saying:
This 2018 SXSW Special Jury Award-winning film is an entertaining and intriguing look at the iconic Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Dana Adam Shapiro explores the squad’s history and cultural impact in relation to America’s shifting views of women’s roles and sexual freedom in the 1970s. Former squad members—and, most notably, their outspoken, fiercely protective den mother, Suzanne Mitchell—offer unique perspective and explain how the cheerleaders balanced wholesomeness with empowered sexuality to become a pop-culture phenomenon, all while contending with sexism behind the scenes.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
THE SHOW’S THE THING | Janis and Tina at Madison Square Garden, November 27, 1969. Photograph by & © Amalie R. Rothschild
Dates:
November 8-15
Section:
Sonic Cinema, films on music and musicians: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to theatres today, Friday, November 2:
IN SEARCH OF GREATNESS
Director:
Gabe Polsky
Premiere:
Chicago 2018
About:
An exploration of the qualities that lead to athletic excellence.
Polsky’s film hinges on an intriguing idea – what insight do some of the world’s most iconic athletes have about what made them so good that they have become synonymous with their sport? To that end, he has gathered hockey’s Wayne Gretzky, football’s Jerry Rice, and soccer’s Pelé for in-depth interviews, together with some fairly tangential archival on folks like Venus and Serena Williams (perhaps to offset the very male focus of the film) and commentary from experts. These icons do offer some serious food for thought – chiefly the rejection of the notion that they are necessarily physically exceptional or that an outrageous amount of regimented practice led to their stardom, instead touting the importance of creativity, flexibility, and passion. The film itself is incredibly conventional, however, consisting primarily of talking heads, and an eye-catching titles sequence aside, fails to take full advantage of the dynamism made possible by its subjects’ long and well-documented careers.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
what (not) to doc 