Category Archives: Documentary

Tomorrow, Friday, April 4, sees the start of the 16th annual Sarasota Film Festival, the popular Florida film festival that runs through Sunday, April 13. Featuring approximately 200 films, Sarasota’s lineup typically includes a robust selection of nonfiction, with 50 feature docs included this year. Among these are two Sundance titles in key gala slots, Rory Kennedy’s opening night film, LAST DAYS IN VIETNAM and Andrew Rossi’s centerpiece, IVORY TOWER. While several more Sundance and SXSW titles figure in Sarasota’s selections, the following overview focuses on other nonfiction picks that perhaps haven’t already benefited from that kind of festival spotlight:

Women-centric films shine in the Through Women’s Eyes sidebar, including: Rebecca Barry’s profile of six diverse female experiences, I AM A GIRL (pictured); Mary Dore’s women’s liberation chronicle, SHE’S BEAUTIFUL WHEN SHE’S ANGRY; Yasmin Kidwai’s story of female self-empowerment, NO PROBLEM! (SIX MONTHS WITH THE BAREFOOT GRANDMAMAS); and Jared Brock and Michelle Brock sex trafficking exposé, RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT.

The fest’s Acts of Valor section pays tribute to the American soldier and their post-combat experiences. Among the documentaries here are: Christine Anthony and Owen Masterson’s TERRA FIRMA, about female combat vets’ struggles with PTSD; and Mike Attie and Meghan O’Hara’s IN COUNTRY (pictured), exploring what drives veterans or enlisted men to re-enact the Vietnam War as a weekend hobby.

The local filmmakers section, Florida on Film, includes: Durand Adams, Charles Clapsaddle, and Charles Williams’ meditation on memory, THE ENDURING BEAUTY OF MEMORY (pictured); and Daniel Espeut’s circus family portrait, GREASEPAINT.

The eighth Dallas International Film Festival begins tomorrow, Thursday, April 3, and runs through Sunday, April 13. A well-regarded larger regional event, the festival annually showcases nearly 200 films, panels, and other special events, and is led by well-liked fest circuit regulars Artistic Director James Faust and Senior Programmer Sarah Harris. Their nonfiction programming includes a number of recent hits from Sundance, SXSW, and elsewhere, while also showcasing several new and local films, such as the following highlights:

Among the less familiar entires in the eight-title Documentary Feature Competition are Sean Gallagher’s BROTHERS OF THE BLACK LIST (pictured), recounting a disturbing case of racial profiling on the campus of SUNY Oneonta in 1992; and Matt Livadary’s QUEENS & COWBOYS: A STRAIGHT YEAR ON THE GAY RODEO, following LGBT participants on the rodeo circuit. Also in the running for an award is Whitney Graham Carter, Anthony Jackson, and Jenna Jackson’s charming Texas Competition contender, TOMATO REPUBLIC, profiling the quirky candidates for mayor in a small East Texan town.

Several other new docs are screening out of competition, including the music docs of the Deep Ellum Sounds section, Teddy Cool’s WE FROM DALLAS, a chronicle of hip hop from the area; and Michael Cain and Miles Hargrove’s THE STARCK CLUB (pictured), a celebration of the legendary 1980s Dallas nightclub. Other new nonfiction programming includes Gabriela Obregón’s lucha libre focused THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK, from the fest’s Latino Showcase; and Alastair Fothergill and Keith Scholey’s nature film, BEARS, from the Family Friendly sidebar.

This Thursday, April 3 sees the São Paulo launch of Brazil’s premier non-fiction event, It’s All True for its 19th edition, with Rio hosting its own opening event the following evening. The festival runs concurrently in both cities through Sunday, April 13, with touring programming reaching other cities later in the month and in July. In total, more than 74 films will screen, representing 26 countries. The following briefly highlights both competitions, and a few selections from the non-competitive programming strand:

Among the seven feature docs in the Brazilian Competition are Carlos Nader’s ORDINARY MAN (pictured), a portrait of a truck driver and his family made over two decades; Jorge Furtado’s THE STAPLES OF NEWS, an examination of the media and its political function; and Leonardo Dourado’s FOR A HANDFUL OF DOLLARS – THE NEW EMIGRANTS, a profile of three families directly affected by economic migration.

A dozen films are included in the International Competition, including Robert Kirchhoff’s NORMALIZATION (pictured), an investigation into a 1976 murder of a Slovakian student; Li Youjie’s ALAO’S VILLAGE, following the educated director back to his native peasant village; and Eva Knopf’s MAJUB’S JOURNEY, an exploration of the story of an African WWI colonial soldier who appeared in 1930s German cinema.

Finally, nine features are presented in the out of competition Special Programs section, including: Gonzalo Arijón’s BATTLE FOR RIO pictured), about the controversial and gentrifying police crackdowns taking place in Rio’s favelas; Pamela Yates’ DISRUPTION, following coordinated efforts to bring sustainable economic development to poor women in Colombia, Brazil, and Peru; and David Teboul’s BARDOT, THE MISUNDERSTOOD, an authorized biography on the legendary French actress, on the condition that she is not interviewed.

Durham NC’s Full Frame Documentary Film Festival opens its 17th edition this Thursday, April 3, and runs through Sunday, April 6, presenting nearly a hundred films and special events. Among the special programs this year are a tribute to Steve James, including screenings of six of his past films and a conversation about the 20th anniversary of HOOP DREAMS; and “Approaches to Character,” a subject-focused program curated by filmmaker Lucy Walker. Beyond this retrospective programming, the festival’s line-up includes several strong films from Sundance, SXSW, and IDFA, as well as several titles making significant premieres in Durham, spotlighted below:

Eight feature docs enjoy their world premiere at Full Frame, including: Doug Block’s meditation on marriage, 112 WEDDINGS, which opens the fest; Lucia Small and Ed Pincus’ personal confrontation with mortality and grief, ONE CUT, ONE LIFE; Joanna Lipper’s chronicle of Nigeria’s most influential political families, THE SUPREME PRICE; Abby Ginzberg’s portrait of a celebrated anti-Apartheid leader, SOFT VENGEANCE: ALBIE SACHS AND THE NEW SOUTH AFRICA; Stephanie Wang-Breal’s exploration of the bureaucracy of child protective services, TOUGH LOVE; Rachel Lears and Robin Blotnick’s look at union organizing by NYC restaurant workers, THE HAND THAT FEEDS; Kenneth Price’s profile of a music producer turned Harvard scholar, THE HIP-HOP FELLOW, and Mike Attie and Meghan O’Hara’s exploration of Vietnam War re-enactors, IN COUNTRY.

Making its US premiere is Heilika Pikkov’s FLOWERS FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, following an octogenarian Russian Orthodox nun. Among the North American premieres are: Chai-Min Ahn’s WHERE IS MY SON? (pictured), in which a son returns to care for his elderly mother; Paul-Anders Simma’s OLGA – TO MY FRIENDS, about the sole woman on a Lapland reindeer brigade; Corinne van Egeraat and Petr Lom’s ANA ANA, in which four Egyptian women document their lives in Cairo; and Yotam Feldman’s THE LAB, an exploration of Israeli’s lucrative defense industry.