New to DVD today, Tuesday, September 11:
WYETH
Director:
Glenn Holsten
Premiere:
Provincetown 2018
About:
An exploration of the popular American painter Andrew Wyeth.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Category Archives: Film
On DVD: WYETH
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On VOD: SUSANNE BARTSCH: ON TOP
Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 11:
SUSANNE BARTSCH: ON TOP
Directors:
Anthony&Alex
Premiere:
Hot Docs 2017
Select Festivals:
Docaviv, Seattle, NewFest, Provincetown, Athena, If Istanbul, Melbourne Queer
About:
A profile of the legendary New York City nightlife promoter.
Though born and raised in Switzerland, Susanne Bartsch long ago become synonymous with NYC nightlife. Anthony&Alex pay tribute to the woman whose job is to make sure everyone else has an amazing time, following her from her home in the Chelsea Hotel – where else – to various events, always in eye-catching, creative outfits. At the same time, the occasion of a retrospective of her trendsetting work at the Fashion Institute of Technology provides the context for an even more fascinating consideration of her influence over the decades, including pivotal early work in AIDS awareness, given how tied she is to the gay community.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: WESTWOOD: PUNK, ICON, ACTIVIST
photo by Pierre Verdy
WESTWOOD: PUNK, ICON, ACTIVIST
Director:
Lorna Tucker
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
True/False, CPH:DOX, BAFICI, Docs Against Gravity, Provincetown, Cleveland
About:
A candid profile of the uncompromising British designer.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
On TV: ASK THE SEXPERT
Coming to PBS’s Doc World tonight, Monday, September 10:
ASK THE SEXPERT
Director:
Vaishali Sinha
Premiere:
Hot Docs 2017
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, New Orleans, IDFA, Sheffield, Melbourne, Bergen, Mumbai, Warsaw, St Louis, Cork, WatchDocs, Ambulante, DocPoint, Big Sky Doc, Movies That Matter, One World, Cleveland, Florida
About:
A portrait of a controversial Indian sex advice columnist.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
Dr Mahinder Watsa, a 93-year-old retired gynecologist, is India’s foremost “sexpert.” His daily newspaper column in the Mumbai Mirror dispenses practical, often humorous advice in response to some common and sometimes decidedly unusual questions about sex. Despite his popularity, Dr Watsa is not without critics, who accuse him of contributing to the decline of Indian morality. Sinha’s film is a lighthearted look at India’s answer to Dan Savage. Is he a hero of progress or an enemy of traditional values?
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On TV: SKY AND GROUND
Coming to PBS’s Doc World this Sunday, September 9:
SKY AND GROUND
Directors:
Talya Tibbon and Joshua Bennett
Premiere:
DOC NYC 2017
Select Festivals:
Full Frame, Santa Barbara, Vancouver, Ashland
About:
A family of refugees attempt to make it from Aleppo to Berlin.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
A compelling, ground-level immersion into the greatest humanitarian crisis of our time, Talya Tibbon and Joshua Bennett’s film accompanies the Nabi clan, a large, extended Syrian-Kurdish family, as they painstakingly make their way from their home in Aleppo, bombed out by the war, to the Idomeni refugee camp on the border of Greece and Macedonia. Their goal is Berlin, where they will reunite with family members and seek asylum – but first they must make the arduous and dangerous journey through Serbia, Hungary, and Austria.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On VOD: RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA
Coming to MUBI today, Friday, September 7:
RYUICHI SAKAMOTO: CODA
Director:
Stephen Nomura Schible
Premiere:
Venice 2017
Select Festivals:
IDFA, CPH:DOX, Tokyo, Tribeca, Belgrade, Singapore, Stockholm, Seattle, Dallas, Nashville, IFF Boston, Berkshire
About:
An intimate portrait of the Oscar-winning composer.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
In Theatres: KUSAMA: INFINITY
photo by Harrie Verstappen
KUSAMA: INFINITY
Director:
Heather Lenz
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
Cleveland, DOXA, Newport Beach, Maryland, Melbourne, New Zealand, San Diego Asian,
About:
A thoughtful look at the life and art of the celebrated queen of polka dots, Yayoi Kusama.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
On TV: EVERYBODY KNOWS… ELIZABETH MURRAY
Coming to PBS’s American Masters tomorrow, Friday, September 7:
EVERYBODY KNOWS… ELIZABETH MURRAY
Director:
Kristi Zea
Premiere:
Tribeca 2016
Select Festivals:
Berkshire, FilmColumbia, Vermont, Santa Fe
About:
An appreciation of the late American artist.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
In Theatres: HAL
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, September 7:
HAL
Director:
Amy Scott
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
Telluride, AFI Docs, Full Frame, San Francisco, Seattle, Traverse City, Edinburgh, Jerusalem, Lunenberg, Revelation, deadCenter, Nashville, Cleveland, Montclair
About:
A celebration of maverick director Hal Ashby.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
On TV: WYETH
Coming to PBS’s American Masters tomorrow, Friday, September 7:
WYETH
Director:
Glenn Holsten
Premiere:
Provincetown 2018
About:
An exploration of the popular American painter Andrew Wyeth.
In this well-researched and composed portrait, Glenn Holsten pays tribute to Wyeth, who, despite – or perhaps because – being acknowledged as one of the 20th Century’s most popular artists, found his work sharply criticized or outright dismissed by the larger art establishment of his day, which favored the rise of abstract expressionism rather than his seemingly old-fashion figurative work. The film takes issue with this perspective, arguing for the depth of feeling and masterful technique displayed in Wyeth’s work, demonstrated by an exhaustive review of his paintings. In addition to recounting the biographical detail about the artist’s family and upbringing that is de rigueur for the PBS strand, Holsten spends productive time exploring the importance of several muses, including his neighbor Christina Olsen, who features in his celebrated and haunting piece, Christina’s World, and Helga Testorf, who inspired 15 years of secret paintings, the 1986 revelation of which resulted in controversy.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
