Category Archives: Documentary

Streaming: HELL OF A CRUISE

Coming to Peacock today, Wednesday, September 14:
HELL OF A CRUISE

Director:
Nick Quested

World Premiere:
Peacock (September 2022)

About:
An exploration of the spread of COVID aboard a luxury Diamond Princess cruise ship in January 2020, and why, one week later, cruise ships were still sent out to sea.

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Camden 2022 Overview

Festival:
The 18th Camden International Film Festival

Dates:
September 15-25

About:
This respected Maine nonfiction event showcases just over 30 recent documentaries both in person and online.

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On VOD: UNSEEN SKIES

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, September 13:
UNSEEN SKIES

Director:
Yaara Bou Melhem

World Premiere:
San Francisco 2021

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Sydney, Docs Against Gravity

About:
American artist Trevor Paglen, who uses the most advanced technology to map surveillance, data flows, and the state’s monitoring of our lives, is about to launch the most ambitious project of his career.

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On DVD: WE ARE THE THOUSAND

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 13:
WE ARE THE THOUSAND

Director:
Anita Rivaroli

World Premiere:
SXSW 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Hot Docs, Melbourne, Docs Against Gravity, Thessaloniki Doc

About:
An uplifting, inspiring, and emotional music documentary about a seemingly impossible plan to record a song by the Foo Fighters with a thousand musicians.

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On DVD: FUTURA

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 13:
FUTURA

Director:
Pietro Marcello, Francesco Munzi, Alice Rohrwacher

World Premiere:
Cannes 2021

Select Festivals:
Toronto, New York, IDFA, Vienna

About:
A collective exploration of what youth think about the future, through a series of interviews filmed during a long journey across Italy.

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On DVD: HOLD YOUR FIRE

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 13:
HOLD YOUR FIRE

Director:
Stefan Forbes

World Premiere:
Toronto 2021

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Palm Springs

About:
Captives, cops, and robbers in New York City’s longest hostage siege reflect in this suspenseful and enlightening take on an event long misunderstood.

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On DVD/VOD: FROM WHERE THEY STOOD

Coming to DVD/VOD today, Tuesday, September 13:
FROM WHERE THEY STOOD

Director:
Christophe Cognet

World Premiere:
Berlin 2021

Select Festivals:
Jihlava, Thessaloniki Doc, FID Marseille, Jerusalem, Indielisboa, Open City Doc

About:
A handful of prisoners in WWII camps risked their lives to take clandestine photographs and document the hell the Nazis were hiding from the world. In the vestiges of the camps, director Christophe Cognet retraces the footsteps of these courageous men and women in a quest to unearth the circumstances and the stories behind their photographs.

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Streaming: SEARCHING FOR MR RUGOFF

New to the Criterion Channel this week:
SEARCHING FOR MR RUGOFF

Director:
Ira Deutchman

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2019

Select Festivals:
Palm Springs, Cleveland, Wisconsin, Galway, Mill Valley

About:
A look back at the outsized personality behind legendary art house distributor Cinema 5.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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Streaming: UNFINISHED SPACES

Coming to OVID tomorrow, Tuesday, September 13:
UNFINISHED SPACES

Director:
Alysa Nahmias, Benjamin Murray

World Premiere:
Los Angeles Film Festival 2011

Select Festivals:
Camden, Denver, Havana, Palm Springs, Cinequest, Miami, Sebastopol Doc, Full Frame, Buenos Aires, New Orleans filmOrama

About:
An exploration of Cuba’s National Art Schools never-completed utopian architectural project.

I previously wrote about the film here.

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Streaming: KATE BORNSTEIN IS A QUEER & PLEASANT DANGER

Coming to OVID today, Monday, September 12:
KATE BORNSTEIN IS A QUEER & PLEASANT DANGER

Director:
Sam Feder

Select Festivals:
Outfest, Athena, Northside, Translations, TranScreens, Hot Springs Doc

About:
A portrait of the pioneering gender outlaw, visionary trans author and performer Kate Bornstein.

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