Coming to theatres this Friday, April 11: DANCING IN JAFFA
Hilla Medalia’s look at the Israeli/Palestinian conflict through pre-teen ballroom dance made its debut at Tribeca last year. It went on to screen at DocAviv, Sydney, Munich, and Jewish fests in Miami, Boston, London, Palm Beach, Calgary, San Francisco, DC, and elsewhere.
I previously included the doc in my Tribeca coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD and VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, April 8: BAYOU BLUE
Alix Lambert and David McMahon’s serial killer investigation debuted at IDFA in 2011. It went on to screen at New Orleans, BFI London, and Poland’s American film fest, among others.
Between 1997 and 2006, Ronald Dominique raped and murdered more than twenty men in Louisiana. Most of his victims were African American, gay, and poor, marginalized men who rarely commanded the attention of either law enforcement or the media – unless they themselves were breaking the law – enabling Dominique to continue his killing spree. Exacerbating this bias was the chaos that ensued due to Hurricane Katrina, straining already overtaxed resources in the state. Lambert and McMahon return with local police to the scenes of Dominique’s crimes to reconstruct the case, interview family members about the victims, and question how and why issues of race, regionalism, homophobia, and class prevented what seems to have had the sensationalistic potential to captivate a national audience – possibly enabling Dominique’s apprehension far earlier – from being more than a small, local concern.
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Coming to DVD this coming Tuesday, April 8: I AM DIVINE
Jeffrey Schwarz’s love letter to the infamous star of John Waters’ trash cinema had its world premiere at SXSW last year. Its fest circuit also included New Orleans’ Film-O-Rama, Cleveland, Nashville, Sheffield, Sydney, and Provincetown, Inside Out, Frameline, and Outfest.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, April 4: THE GALAPAGOS AFFAIR: SATAN CAME TO EDEN
Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller’s mesmerizing stranger-than-fiction island murder mystery made its debut last year at Telluride. It went on to screen at the Hamptons, Berlin, New Orleans filmOrama, Palm Springs, Vail, and Bermuda, among others.
Goldfine and Geller recount the strange story of Floreana, an uninhabited island of the Galapagos – until a pair of Germans – Dr Friedrich Ritter, and his patient and partner, Dore Strauch – showed up in 1929, seeking an escape from civilization. Viewed as curiosities, reports of their life on the island spread by visiting seaman to newspapers internationally, eventually drawing fellow Germans Heinz and Margret Wittmer in 1931. Though the first couple had viewed Floreana as theirs exclusively, they begrudgingly helped the Wittmers when pregnant Margaret gave birth to their son, but largely kept to their own side of the island. The uneasy equilibrium the Germans tried to maintain was completely upset, however, when Eloise Wehrborn de Wagner-Bosquet arrived, an Austrian who claimed to be a Baroness. With two lovers in tow, the grandstanding Baroness announced her plans to build a hotel and turn Floreana into a tourist destination – anathema to the rest of the island’s inhabitants. These competing philosophies set up a powderkeg on the island, and what follows is contested, but serves as the crux of Goldfine and Geller’s intriguing history, which is further peppered with the unique experiences of modern-day Galapagos residents.
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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.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens this coming Monday, April 7: BROTHERS HYPNOTIC
Reuben Atlas’ look at the band formed by the sons of a legendary jazz musician had its world premiere at SXSW last year. It went on to screen at Hot Docs, Montclair, Los Angeles, Urbanworld, Antenna, Sound Unseen, RIDM, Pan African, Big Sky, and Noise Pop, among others.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
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.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, April 1: AN UNREAL DREAM: THE MICHAEL MORTON STORY
Al Reinert’s chronicle of a wrongful criminal conviction debuted at SXSW last year, where it picked up an audience award. It also screened at Human Rights Watch, Dallas Videofest, Amnesty International Human Rights fest, and the Houston Cinema Arts Festival, and was broadcast on CNN last December.
In 1987, Austin resident Michael Morton found himself sentenced to life for the murder of his wife, Chris, which took place the day after his birthday, allegedly, prosecutors argued, because she denied him sex. Despite his unwavering claims of innocence and the lack of a murder weapon, some dodgy and since-discredited science made him the sole suspect, with the lead investigator’s files never released to his defense attorney. The case haunted the latter for years, who turned to the Innocence Project, an organization dedicated to using DNA testing to help exonerate wrongfully convicted prisoners. They, together with a respected Houston attorney, faced stonewalling from the prosecution and police, but ultimately proved victorious, gaining access to exculpatory evidence that saw Morton freed. Reinert’s restrained but effective telling of this increasingly enraging tale of injustice hinges on the participation of Morton himself, a remarkably peaceful presence, who recounts his ordeal from the very courthouse in which he was sentenced, aided by interviews from prison friends, and, most affectingly, the son who grew up believing his father had killed his mother – and whose suppressed eyewitness report of the murder at the age of 3 unexpectedly proves to be a significant lead to his father’s eventual exoneration.
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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.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to theatres this Friday, April 4: THE UNKNOWN KNOWN
Errol Morris’ reckoning with Donald Rumsfeld’s attempted shaping of history made its debut at Telluride last year. It went on to screen at Toronto, Venice, DOC NYC, Chicago, Dubai, CPH:DOX, and IDFA, among others.
I included the film in my Toronto coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
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