Category Archives: Documentary

Coming to PBS’s American Masters tomorrow, Friday, September 7:
WYETH

Director:
Glenn Holsten

Premiere:
Provincetown 2018

About:
An exploration of the popular American painter Andrew Wyeth.

In this well-researched and composed portrait, Glenn Holsten pays tribute to Wyeth, who, despite – or perhaps because – being acknowledged as one of the 20th Century’s most popular artists, found his work sharply criticized or outright dismissed by the larger art establishment of his day, which favored the rise of abstract expressionism rather than his seemingly old-fashion figurative work. The film takes issue with this perspective, arguing for the depth of feeling and masterful technique displayed in Wyeth’s work, demonstrated by an exhaustive review of his paintings. In addition to recounting the biographical detail about the artist’s family and upbringing that is de rigueur for the PBS strand, Holsten spends productive time exploring the importance of several muses, including his neighbor Christina Olsen, who features in his celebrated and haunting piece, Christina’s World, and Helga Testorf, who inspired 15 years of secret paintings, the 1986 revelation of which resulted in controversy.

Coming to Netflix tomorrow, Friday, September 7:
CITY OF JOY

Director:
Madeleine Gavin

Premiere:
DOC NYC 2016

Select Festivals:
Cleveland, Raindance, Ashland, Tallgrass, Mill Valley, Newport Beach, Woods Hole, Athena, Dallas, Workers Unite

About:
A profile of a Congolese community that helps train sexual assault survivors to help others back in their communities.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
The City of Joy is a community for women survivors of violence in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Opened in 2011, the project was founded by Eve Ensler, Dr. Denis Mukwege, Christine Schuler Deschryver, and supported by V-Day. The film chronicles the institution’s first class of resilient women as they process their trauma and create a revolutionary community. We see survivors transformed into leaders and sorrow turned into hope. Each day at City of Joy is a lesson.

New to VOD this week:
ANATOMY OF A MALE BALLET DANCER

Directors:
David Barba and James Pellerito

Premiere:
Dance on Camera 2017

Select Festivals:
Full Frame, AFI Docs, Provincetown, DocUtah, Rio, GlobeDocs, Raindance, Hot Springs Doc, Key West, SF Dance, Austin LGBT

About:
A portrait of longtime American Ballet Theater principal dancer Marcelo Gomes.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

New to VOD this week:
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRÉ

Director:
Kate Novack

Premiere:
Toronto 2017

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Tribeca, Palm Springs, CPH:DOX, RiverRun, Montclair, IFF Boston, Seattle, Melbourne Queer,

About:
A portrait of influential fashion editor André Leon Talley.

I previously wrote about the doc here.