Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens tonight, Monday, April 22 and to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, April 23:
CHARM CITY
Director:
Marilyn Ness
Premiere:
Tribeca 2018
Select Festivals:
AFI Docs, Human Rights Watch, Maryland, Nashville, Mill Valley, GlobeDocs
Notable Recognition:
The doc was shortlisted for the Academy Awards.
About:
A multifaceted exploration of the crisis of violence in Baltimore.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to PBS’s Doc World this Sunday, April 21:
ELEPHANT PATH/NJAIA NJOKU
Director:
Todd McGrain
Premiere:
San Francisco DocFest 2018
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Sebastopol Doc, Washington DC Environmental, Congo, Sedona, Portland, Oaxaca, Zimbabwe, Wisconsin, Princeton Environmental
About:
The elephants of the Central African Republic – and those who protect and study them – are threatened by both civil war and poaching.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
In the forests of the Central African Republic, one of the last wild herds of elephants struggles for survival. While scientists study these magnificent, vital creatures, conservationists and eco-guards work to save them from poachers emboldened by political unrest and economic instability. Set against the luminous natural beauty of an ancient forest and paired with a hauntingly beautiful score, Todd McGrain’s film explores the complexity of stemming violence against people and animals alike in war-torn nations.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, April 19:
INSTANT DREAMS
Director:
Willem Baptist
Premiere:
IDFA 2017
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Thessaloniki Doc, Sofia, Docs Against Gravity, Jihlava, Slamdance, SF DocFest, Visions du Reel, IndieStreet
About:
Fans of Polaroid are determined not to let its magic vanish.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
A casualty of the digital revolution, Polaroid instant film and cameras were meant to fade quietly into oblivion when the company stopped production in 2008. Following three enthusiasts bent on keeping the instant dream alive, director Willem Baptist takes viewers on a hallucinatory quest to discover the secret chemical formula for Polaroid film. His documentary develops like prints pulled out of instant cameras, magically coming into focus as something wonderful appears before your eyes.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to DVD this week:
LATE LIFE: THE CHIEN-MING WANG STORY
Director:
Frank W Chen
Premiere:
Los Angeles Asian Pacific 2018
Select Festivals:
NY Asian American International, San Francisco CAAMFest
About:
A former NY Yankee and Taiwanese hero attempts a comeback.
Celebrated as the first Taiwanese NY Yankee, earning him national praise in his homeland as “the Pride of Taiwan,” Chien-Ming Wang had a successful, if short, stint with that team before injuries derailed his path. Though he bounced between other teams after the Yankees, Wang’s injuries largely kept him from major league play, forced instead into instructional or minor leagues. Chen’s portrait picks up as he struggles to return to the majors, facing the challenges of competing against younger players, separation from his family, and the disappointment and fear of being a hasbeen. While sympathetic to its subject, the doc unfortunately is overlong and never digs particularly deeply into Wang’s motivation in the face of little reward and seemingly little chance of success, but should still resonate with diehard baseball fans.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Photograph by Judy Teller | Courtesy of Greenwich Entertainment
Director:
Sasha Waters Freyer
Premiere:
SXSW 2018
Select Festivals:
San Francisco, New Zealand, Thin Line, Vancouver, Haifa
About:
A history and appreciation of acclaimed street photographer.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to DVD this week:
JOSEPH PULITZER: VOICE OF THE PEOPLE
Director:
Oren Rudavsky
Premiere:
Mill Valley 2018
Select Festivals:
Cleveland, Hot Springs Doc, Thin Line, Sedona, Sebastopol Doc, Atlanta Jewish, New York Jewish
About:
The rags-to-riches story of the Hungarian immigrant turned American media giant.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Festival:
The 6th Art of the Real
Dates:
April 18-28
About:
The Film Society of Lincoln Center includes 20 new features in this annual showcase of innovative nonfiction and hybrid filmmaking. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
