Coming to DVD this coming Tuesday, June 9: RED ARMY
Gabe Polsky’s exploration of Cold War politics through the USSR’s ice hockey team had its world premiere at Cannes last year. Festival screenings followed at Telluride, Toronto, DOC NYC, the New York Film Festival, Chicago, Austin, Vancouver, Karlovy Vary, and the Hamptons, among others.
I previously wrote about the doc upon its theatrical release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD today, Friday, June 5: AN HONEST LIAR
Justin Weinstein and Tyler Measom’s look at a professional truth seeker keeping his own secrets made its debut at Tribeca last year. It went on to screen at Nantucket, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, and Outfest, among other fests. After a limited theatrical release, it now comes to VOD via iTunes and Vimeo on Demand.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films tomorrow, Friday, June 5: SPARTACUS AND CASSANDRA
Ioanis Nuguet’s affecting portrait of two Roma children debuted in the ACID sidebar of Cannes last year. Other festivals have included Rome, DOK Leipzig, True/False, Hot Docs, and Tempo Doc.
Thirteen-year-old Spartacus and his ten-year-old sister Cassandra have been in France for six years, having moved with their parents from Romania. Part of the persecuted Roma minority, they’ve struggled all their lives and, if it weren’t for 21-year-old Camille, a trapeze artist who has given them haven in her circus, the kids would still be living on the streets. The siblings love their parents, despite their flaws, but when their alcoholic father threatens to leave the country, the children are forced to reckon with a decision that will determine their future – enter France’s foster care system and secure an education, essentially abandoning their parents, or return to their familiar, impoverished life to live on the fringes of society forevermore. Nuguet captures intense candor from all involved without feeling exploitative, and even manages to soften the stark images of poverty and hopelessness with beautifully composed and artfully manipulated photography.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Tomorrow, Friday, June 5 sees the opening of the 22nd Sheffield Doc/Fest, the beloved UK nonfiction event that has gone through significant staff changes over the past year, seeing the departure of several key figures, including director Heather Croall (to Adelaide Fringe Festival), deputy director Charlie Phillips (to the Guardian), and director of programming Hussain Currimbhoy (to Sundance). This edition marks Claire Aguilar’s first in the role of director of programming, having joined the staff after a long tenure at ITVS. Running through Wednesday, June 10, the festival will present over 70 documentary features across a wide range of thematic strands. In addition to curating notable festival favorites, the event offers audiences their first look at several new films, including the opening night debut of Benedikt Erlingsson’s THE GREATEST SHOWS ON EARTH: A CENTURY OF VAUDEVILLE, CIRCUSES AND CARNIVALS, preceded by a live circus show. Other highlights follow below: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
South Africa’s Encounters, Africa’s largest documentary film festival, kicks off its 17th edition tomorrow, Thursday, June 4, in Cape Town, with screenings continuing there and in Johannesburg through Sunday, June 14. About half of its 30+ feature lineup consists of African films, with the remainder made up of a diverse selection of international festival favorites. The highlights below draw from the former: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to theatres and to VOD this Friday, June 5: THE NIGHTMARE
Rodney Ascher’s disturbing investigation into sleep paralysis debuted at Sundance earlier this year. It has since screened at Hot Docs, SXSW, Seattle, and the Stanley Film Festival. In addition to theatrical engagements across the US and in Toronto, Gravitas also releases the film on all major VOD platforms.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Wednesday, June 3: EVERY LAST CHILD
Tom Roberts’ look at the response to a public health emergency made its bow at DOC NYC last year. Other fest berths have included last month’s Hot Docs.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
While polio has been all but eliminated since the development of vaccines in the 1950s, the debilitating disease has shown a resurgence in Pakistan. After the Taliban bans polio vaccinations and spreads misinformation about sinister conspiracies to frighten the masses, the country suffers devastating outbreaks of the disease, prompting strategic problem-solving from the World Health Organization. Featuring beautiful lensing and nuanced reporting under difficult circumstances, Tom Roberts’s observational film conveys an uncommon sense of the urgency befitting the stakes raised by the public health crisis.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, June 2: GORE VIDAL: THE UNITED STATES OF AMNESIA
Nicholas Wrathall’s reflection on the acclaimed, controversial author debuted at Tribeca in 2013. Other fests included IFF Boston, Frameline, Outfest, Melbourne, Vancouver, London, Rio, Traverse City, New Zealand, Big Sky, and Palm Springs, among others
I previously wrote about the doc out of Tribeca here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD and VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2: SMILING THROUGH THE APOCALYPSE – ESQUIRE IN THE ’60S
Tom Hayes’ profile of his editor father had its world premiere at Palm Springs in 2013. Other fest play included Riverrun, Newport Beach, and Palm Beach.
Between 1963 and 1973, Harold Hayes put an indelible mark on Esquire magazine, most notably by championing the style that became known as New Journalism, wooing notable writers – as well as promising new talents – and giving them the creative freedom to incorporate fictional techniques into their non-fiction writing. His son’s film attempts to function both as a portrait of the editor that finally gives him his due and as a personal reflection of a father. Unfortunately, while he offers a steady stream of anecdotes from an impressive assemblage of interview subjects – from Tom Wolfe and Gay Talese to Nora Ephron and Gore Vidal – that speak to the elder Hayes’ savvy and innovative risk taking, the director fails to make any headway with the personal or familial, making the viewer wonder why he even bothered to include what little is here. This ill-fitting aspect, in addition to weak narration, weaker still enacted voice-over, and an irksome score, detracts from what’s otherwise a loose, diverting, but at times intriguing survey of the best the magazine had to offer under Hayes’ tenure.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction series tomorrow, Tuesday, June 2 and to Rooftop Films this Saturday, June 6: THE WOLFPACK
Crystal Moselle’s portrait of a family’s unusual upbringing made its debut at Sundance earlier this year, where it claimed the US Documentary Grand Jury Prize. Its fest circuit has included Cleveland, Full Frame, Sarasota, Tribeca, Riverrun, IFF Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, and the upcoming Nantucket Film Festival.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
