Coming to DVD this coming Tuesday, March 8: WE COME AS FRIENDS
Hubert Sauper’s meditation on African neo-colonialism made its bow at Sundance in 2014, winning a special jury award. Screening berths followed at Berlin, New Directors/New Films, BAFICI, Istanbul, San Francisco, Durban, Dokufest, Rio, Busan, London, Jihlava, CPH:DOX, IDFA, and Traverse City, among many others. The film was shortlisted for the Best Documentary Oscar in 2015.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, March 4: TRAPPED
Dawn Porter’s look at the impact of abortion regulation debuted at Sundance, where it won a special jury award. The doc will also screen at the upcoming SXSW and Miami in addition to community screenings around the country. The film is timely, as the Supreme Court hears arguments in Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction series tomorrow night, Tuesday, March 1: SOUTHERN COMFORT
Kate Davis’ profile of a transgender man contending with love and mortality had its world premiere at Sundance in 2001, where it won the Documentary Grand Jury Prize. The film’s festival circuit included Berlin, Hot Docs, San Francisco, Seattle, Karlovy Vary, Yamagata Doc, Athens, and several LGBT events. STF re-presents the film – which has been adapted into a musical at the Public Theater – on the occasion of its 15th anniversary.
While transgender lives and characters are increasingly becoming more commonplace in mainstream media, that certainly hasn’t always been the case. Davis’ acclaimed film serves as a reminder that even as relatively recently as 2001, the general public was not used to seeing the stories of transgender subjects. Davis introduced mainstream audiences to Robert, a 52-year-old cowboy in the backwoods of Georgia, as he faces the end of his life due to ovarian cancer – a diagnosis that is followed by rejection after rejection from doctors unwilling to take a trans man as a patient. He draws strength through his intense, new relationship with Lola, a transgender woman, and hopes to accompany her to the Southern Comfort Conference, the country’s largest gathering of trans people. Davis constructs an intimate portrait of indelible individuals, who, already having risked everything to live their truth, face the greatest challenge of them all.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s JCC Manhattan as part of their CineMatters series tonight, Tuesday, February 23: MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED
Greg Whiteley’s appraisal of alternative education models debuted at Sundance last year. It went on to screen at Tribeca, AFI Fest, Montclair, Cleveland, Seattle, Sarasota, Dallas, and Sun Valley, among other events.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to HBO tonight, Monday, February 22: BECOMING MIKE NICHOLS
Douglas McGrath’s appreciation of the acclaimed director’s early years had its world premiere at Sundance last month.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens tonight, Monday, February 22: (T)ERROR
Lyric R Cabral and David Felix Sutcliffe’s surprising inside look at a counterterrorism informant made its bow at Sundance last year, where it won a special jury award. Screenings followed at Nantucket, True/False, Hot Docs, Tribeca, Full Frame, Nashville, and Human Rights Watch, among others.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction series tomorrow, Tuesday, February 16: TRAPPED
Dawn Porter’s exploration of embattled abortion clinics just had its world premiere at Sundance last month. The film picked up a Special Jury Award for Social Impact Filmmaking at the festival.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens and to DVD this coming Tuesday, February 16: THE BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION
Stanley Nelson’s chronicle of the Black Power organization made its debut at Sundance last year. Screenings followed at San Francisco, Sheffield, Pan African, IFF Boston, AFI Docs, Full Frame, Seattle, Encounters, Cleveland, MoMA’s Documentary Fortnight, DOXA, Sidewalk, and Black Harvest, among many other events.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, February 9: WELCOME TO LEITH
Michael Beach Nichols and Christopher K Walker’s immersive look at a town under siege made its bow at Sundance last year. The doc went on to screen at Nantucket, SXSW, Dallas, RiverRun, Sarasota, Montclair, Sydney, AFI Docs, New Zealand, Melbourne, and Sidewalk, among others.
My pre-Sundance profile of the film may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to HBO tomorrow, Saturday, February 6: JIM: THE JAMES FOLEY STORY
Brian Oakes’ personal look back at the life and death of James Foley just made its debut at Sundance last month. The doc now makes its broadcast premiere.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
what (not) to doc 