Category Archives: Documentary

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 23: THE LAST OF THE UNJUST

Claude Lanzmann’s revisitation of the Holocaust through a singular perspective debuted at Cannes last year. It went on to screen at Toronto, New York, London, CPH:DOX, Torino, Seattle, and Thessaloniki Doc fest, among several others.

In making his 1985 nine-hour opus about the Holocaust Lanzmann found himself unable to reconcile a problematic interview he conducted and filmed in 1975 with Rabbi Benjamin Murmelstein, the last surviving Jewish elder, appointed by the Nazis to administer the propagandistic “model camp” Theresienstadt, heralded as a “gift” to the Jews but in fact a notorious concentration camp. Labeled a collaborator, Murmelstein spent his remaining years in Rome, feeling unwelcome in Israel, despite being acquitted of all charges. Although Lanzmann decided not to include Murmelstein in his film, he confesses here that their interview haunted him, so much so that nearly forty years later, the director has focused his latest project solely on the controversial figure. Though new footage has been incorporated featuring Lanzmann’s travels to key locations noted by the elder, the weight of the film comes from the interview. Presented out of chronological order, this exchange captures a complex man who has answers and justifications for every question posed, always insisting, not unconvincingly, that his actions stemmed from a pragmatism that at least kept some alive – not least of which, Murmelstein himself. This is an encounter full of ambiguities, and its easy to see why the director was affected – there are no easy conclusions to be drawn in assessing the character of man in many ways forced to take on an ultimately thankless role. It makes for a challenging, yet riveting, viewing experience.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 22: SLAYING THE BADGER

John Dower’s look at a major pre-Armstrong cycling controversy debuted at Tribeca this Spring. It went on to screen at Sheffield and AFI Docs before its ESPN broadcast this Summer.

Skillfully interweaving race footage and contemporary interviews, Dower explores the history of Greg LeMond, the first American to win the Tour de France. Following the disqualifications of Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis for doping, LeMond is now the only official American winner – but, as the film reveals, this victory was hard-fought, pitting the naive young rider against his charismatic and self-driven older mentor Bernard Hinault. Like the best sports docs, Dower’s film is able to extend beyond the specificity of its cycling milieu to draw in viewers who don’t have the slightest interest in the Tour de France. While he provides ample background and explanations about the rules of the competition, these simply offer context to allow a general audience to follow the drama as it affects the subjects, rather than function as slavish details that would only serve superfans of the sport. The result is an often gripping, immediate retelling of a rivalry between two strong personalities who were supposed to be teammates.

Coming to VOD today, Monday, September 22: WEB

Michael Kleiman’s look at the impact of digital connectivity on remote Peruvian villages had its world premiere last year at DOC NYC, where it picked up the audience award. Screenings followed at Ashland, Atlanta, Miami, IFF Boston, and Little Rock, among others. In conjunction with screenings around the world as part of Social Media Week, The Orchard releases the doc on iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, XBOX, Amazon, and Sony.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC, saying:
Director Michael Kleiman follows Peruvian families living in remote regions as their children experience the One Laptop per Child program, gaining access to the Internet for the first time. WEB considers both the benefits and complications that arise from digital connections. Alongside the poignant and sometimes humorous local stories, Kleiman interviews leading thinkers on the Internet including author Clay Shirky, Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales, and One Laptop founder Nicholas Negroponte for an insightful look at our times.

Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, September 22: KOCH

Neil Barsky’s portrait of the controversial NYC mayor debuted at the Hamptons in 2012. Screenings followed at Palm Springs and the Jewish fest circuit, including Boston, New York, Toronto, and Atlanta, among others.

I previously wrote about the film here.

Coming to theatres today, Friday, September 19: ART AND CRAFT

Directors Sam Cullman and Jennifer Grausman and co-director Mark Becker’s portrait of a notorious art counterfeiter bowed at Tribeca this year. It’s gone on to screen at Nantucket, Hot Docs, Montclair, Maryland, and San Francisco, among others.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to NYC’s Anthology Film Archives and to Cable VOD tomorrow, Friday, September 19: A LIFE IN DIRTY MOVIES

Wiktor Ericsson’s tribute to a legendary sexploitation director made its debut at Gothenburg last year. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, London, and the San Francisco Jewish film festivals, among others.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
In the 1960s and ‘70s, Joe Sarno was a master of softcore porn, known as the Ingmar Bergman of 42nd Street for his striking B&W photography and focus on women’s desire in films like Sin In The Suburbs, Young Playthings, and Confessions of a Young American Housewife. While his career faded as sexploitation gave way to hardcore, in recent years, his work has been rediscovered and celebrated, prompting the octogenarian auteur to return to filmmaking, with his supportive wife Peggy at his side.