Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens tonight, Monday, February 21:
APART
Director:
Jennifer Redfearn
World Premiere:
Full Frame 2020 (unscreened)
Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Human Rights Watch, Cleveland, Mountainfilm
About:
In the Midwest, plagued with opioid abuse and rising incarceration rates for women, three unforgettable mothers return home from prison to rebuild their lives after years of separation from their children.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to TV via ABC this Sunday, February 20:
SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
Director:
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Hot Docs, True/False, AFI Docs, Provincetown, DocLands, Minneapolis/St Paul, San Francisco Doc
Notable Recognition:
The doc has been nominated for the Academy Awards.
About:
A joyous and thoughtful revisitation of a long overlooked part of Black music history.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
New to streaming this week:
BELLY OF THE BEAST
Director:
Erika Cohn
World Premiere:
Human Rights Watch NYC 2020
Select Festivals:
Mill Valley, Heartland, Double Exposure, Cucalorus, Rocky Mountain Women’s
About:
A woman sterilized without her consent while in prison teams with a dedicated attorney to stop the process.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to MUBI this Sunday, February 20:
MR BACHMANN AND HIS CLASS
Director:
Maria Speth
World Premiere:
Berlin 2021
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, IDFA, Karlovy Vary, BFI London, Hong Kong, Moscow, Fajr, Dokufest, Melbourne, Beijing, Docs Against Gravity, Jerusalem, Zurich, Vienna
About:
An immersive, intimate look inside the classroom of an inspiring teacher at a German primary school for immigrant students.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to Netflix and to select theatres tomorrow, Friday, February 18:
DOWNFALL: THE CASE AGAINST BOEING
Director:
Rory Kennedy
World Premiere:
Sundance 2022
About:
An investigation of the two Boeing 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people, exploring both the root causes and the human cost, serves at once as a chilling portrait of a crumbling corporate culture and a fierce indictment of Wall Street’s corrupting influence.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, February 18:
THE AUTOMAT
Director:
Lisa Hurwitz
World Premiere:
Telluride 2021
Select Festivals:
Philadelphia, Austin, Hamptons Doc, Miami Jewish
About:
The history of the titular vending machine, weaving together interviews with engineers, collectors, admirers, former employees, and an eclectic cast of its utmost enthusiasts.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
New to DVD this week:
RONNIE’S
Director:
Oliver Murray
World Premiere:
UK theatrical release (October 2020)
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, RiverRun
About:
The story of the legendary London night club and the musician for whom it was named.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD this Friday, February 18:
PRESIDENT
Director:
Camilla Nielsson
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, AFI Docs, Docaviv, Thessaloniki Doc, Dokufest, Encounters, DMZ Docs, Melbourne, Docville, Zurich, Montclair, Philadelphia
Notable Recognition:
The doc has been shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
About:
The leader of Zimbabwe’s opposition party seeks a free and fair election.
I previously wrote about the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
New to DVD this week:
JULIA
Director:
Julie Cohen, Betsy West
World Premiere:
Telluride 2021
Select Festivals:
Toronto, DOC NYC, Hamptons, Chicago, AFI Fest, Mill Valley, Philadelphia, Woodstock, Heartland
Notable Recognition:
The doc has been shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
About:
A portrait of the trailblazing, exuberant chef who filled TV screens for decades.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to Netflix over three weeks, beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, February 16:
JEEN-YUHS: A KANYE TRILOGY
Director:
Clarence “Coodie” Simmons, Chike Ozah
World Premiere:
Sundance 2022
About:
Kanye West in three acts. The story beyond the iconic music, and an intimate and empathetic chronicle featuring never-before-seen footage from 21 years in the life of a captivating figure.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
