Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films this Friday, June 29:
BISBEE ’17
Director:
Robert Greene
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, True/False, CPH:DOX, Visions du Reel, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, BAMcinemaFest, Sydney, Jeonju, Minneapolis/St Paul, Cleveland
About:
An old town on the Arizona-Mexico border collectively confronts the darkest episode in its history.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, June 26:
STRANGER FRUIT
Director:
Jason Pollock
Premiere:
SXSW 2017
Select Festivals:
Traverse City
About:
A controversial re-examination of the murder of Michael Brown in Ferguson MO.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, June 25:
SINGING WITH ANGRY BIRD
Director:
Hyewon Jee
Premiere:
IDFA 2016
Select Festivals:
Sheffield, ZagrebDox, Tempo Docs
About:
A Korean opera singer forms a children’s choir in the slums of India.
Hyewon Jee’s film follows the efforts of opera singer Jae-Chang Kim – nicknamed “Angry Bird” by his students for his quick temper – to demonstrate the value of music to a community of underprivileged parents in Pune, India. Though the Banana’s Children Choir he created has won acclaim internationally, affording his young singers the opportunity to travel beyond their country and, more importantly, to aspire to a more hopeful future, Kim still experiences resistance from some of their parents, who don’t see any immediate financial gain from the activity. His solution: To bring the parents into the choir for a special performance for Pune’s mayor and Korean dignitaries. Jee profiles a few too many subjects, resulting in a more cursory survey rather than a deeper sense of any individual, but the overall impression is a hopeful one about the positive impact of culture.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to HBO tonight, Monday, June 25:
BELIEVER
Director:
Don Argott
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Montclair, Miami, Outfest
About:
A Mormon rockstar advocates for inclusion and acceptance of LGBT people in the Church of Latter Day Saints.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
photo by Gidalya Pictures
Director:
Alexandra Shiva
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Cleveland, Full Frame, Florida, Salem
About:
A look at the experiences of newly arrived Syrian refugees in Baltimore.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to FOX Sports tomorrow, Saturday, June 23:
NOSSA CHAPE
Directors:
Jeff Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist
Co-Director:
Julian Duque
Premiere:
SXSW 2018
Select Festivals:
Montclair, Kicking & Screening
About:
A Brazilian soccer club reckons with a devastating tragedy.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, June 22:
THE KING
Director:
Eugene Jarecki
Premiere:
Cannes 2017
Select Festivals:
Sundance, Nantucket, Nashville, Seattle, Martha’s Vineyard, London, Sarasota, Chicago DOC 10, Deauville, Zurich, Haifa
About:
A musical road trip across the US in Elvis Presley’s 1963 Rolls Royce explores the rise and fall of the American empire.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films tomorrow, Friday, June 22:
THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA
Directors:
Michael Palmieri and Donal Mosher
Premiere:
SXSW 2018
Select Festivals:
Sheffield, AFI Docs, Nashville, BAMcinemaFest, Provincetown, Indie Grits, Ashland, Frameline, Portland QDoc
About:
A small Arkansas town hosts both a spectacular Passion Play and a gospel drag show.
If Eureka Springs AR, population 2073, is united by one thing, it’s a belief in God. This Bible Belt town celebrated its Christianity by erecting a massive statue of Jesus known as the “Christ of the Ozarks” 50 years ago, and instituted a large-scale Passion Play around the same time. Reflecting the changing times, however, Eureka Springs also celebrates the Lord via regular gospel drag shows performed at the local gay bar, Eureka Live. While Palmieri and Mosher’s engaging film addresses the potential impact of an anti-transgender bathroom bill on the town, their subjects refreshingly defy preconceptions about where they’d land on the issue, demonstrating instead a tight-knit, inclusive small-town community – one that has surprising commonalities rather than disruptive differences. Eschewing easy demonization of any particular person or group, the filmmakers instead construct a free-moving look at faith, love, and principles in Eureka Springs, highlighted through parallels between the performances of the drag queens and the Passion Play actors – the latter in their own way doing a form of straight, Christian drag – resulting in a welcome, uplifting portrait.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, June 22:
SPIRAL
Director:
Laura Fairrie
Premiere:
DOC NYC 2017
Select Festivals:
Washington DC Jewish, Montclair
About:
An exploration of the resurgence of Anti-Semitism in France.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Photo: BBC/Antelope South/Louis Armstrong House Museum
Director:
Hugo Berkeley
Premiere:
Full Frame 2018
Select Festivals:
Newport Beach, Harlem
About:
On America’s Cold War propaganda campaign which deployed African-American musicians around the world.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
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