Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens this coming Monday, October 21: THE WAITING ROOM
Peter Nicks’ intimate look at America’s health care system debuted at Full Frame last year, where it won an award. It has also screened at True/False, Hot Docs, Silverdocs, Ashland, and San Francisco, among others, and enjoyed a limited theatrical release.
I included the film in my Hot Docs coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
DOC NYC, NYC’s premier non-fiction event, has just announced the lineup for this year’s festival. The fourth edition of the festival is the largest yet, including 131 total films and panels over the eight days of the festival, which runs from Thursday, November 14 until Thursday, November 21, and includes a special evening of events as a preview the night before the fest’s official launch. Altogether, 72 new feature-length docs, 39 new shorts, and 20 panels will be presented, nearly all accompanied by Q&As with attending filmmakers.
As DOC NYC’s Senior Programmer, I’m excited to share this year’s selections with audiences. I’ll be profiling each section of the festival here in the weeks prior to our opening. For the time being, check out the links below for more information and to purchase tickets, which go on sale today. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
The 11th edition of Mexico’s Morelia International Film Festival / Festival Internacional de Cine de Morelia begins tomorrow, Friday, October 18. The event is notable in its exclusive focus on Mexican film, including an annual section devoted to local Michoacán work. Nearly two dozen features and 66 shorts will screen before the event comes to a close on Sunday, October 27, of which ten are documentary features, noted below.
Several docs reveal fascinating lives, including: Santiago Esteinou’s THE YEARS OF FIERRO (LOS AÑOS DE FIERRO), on a Mexican man who’s been on death row in the US for over three decades; Edson Jair Caballero Trujillo’s ATEMPA, DREAMS ALONG THE RIVER (ATEMPA, SUEÑOS A ORILLAS DEL RÍO) (pictured), a portrait of a young queer Zapotec, or muxe; Gabriela Obregón’s THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK (EL HOMBRE DETRÁS DE LA MÁSCARA), a look at the legendary El Santo as his son takes to the wrestling ring for the first time; Pablo Tamez Sierra’s REMOTENESS (LEJANÍA), about family secrets in the wake of a tragedy; Roberto Fiesco’s QUEBRANTO, a profile of a trans former child performer and her relationship with her actor mother; Shula Erenberg’s ROSARY (ROSARIO), about a human rights activist whose son was disappeared nearly forty years ago; and Misael Alva Alva’s TOCHI/CONEJO, on a small family from the Sierra Negra and their fears for the future.
Finally, a number of the films are concerned with places as much as people, including: Nuria Ibáñez’s THE BARE ROOM (EL CUARTO DESNUDO), an intimate exploration of a pediatrician’s office in a Mexico City hospital; Adrián Ortiz Maciel’s ELEVATOR (ELEVADOR) (pictured), life as reflected in the microcosm of a residential building; and Alejandro Cárdenas’ OASIS, a portrait of a sanctuary for HIV+ indigenous people in the Yucatán.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to HBO for their Fall documentary series this Monday, October 21: LIFE ACCORDING TO SAM
Sean Fine and Andrea Nix Fine’s portrait of the effects of a rare disease on a family debuted at Sundance this year. The film has gone on to win awards at Nantucket, Mountainfilm, Woods Hole, Rhode Island, and Heartland, with additional screenings at Martha’s Vineyard, AFI Docs, and Boulder, among others.
I previously profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres this Friday, October 18: BLOOD BROTHER
Steve Hoover’s profile of his best friend, a caretaker of Indian orphans with HIV, debuted earlier this year at Sundance, where it claimed both jury and audience awards for best US documentary film. It went on to screen at Thessaloniki Doc, Heartland, Milwaukee, Nantucket, Big Sky, Little Rock, and New Zealand, among others.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres this Friday, October 18: THE HUMAN SCALE
Andreas M Dalsgaard’s meditation on modern city planning debuted at CPH:DOX last year. Its festival circuit has included DocPoint, Planete+ Doc, Hot Docs, Sydney, Seattle, Al Jazeera, DOXA, Revelation, Dokufest, and Traverse City, among others.
I included the doc in my Hot Docs coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
The country’s longest-running non-fiction event, the Margaret Mead Film Festival, opens its 37th edition tomorrow, Thursday, October 17, under the theme “See for Yourself.” The festival, known for its ethnographic focus, will present more than two dozen new feature docs, as well as shorts and special events, at its home base, NYC’s American Museum of Natural History, through this Sunday, October 20. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, October 15: NO LIMITS
Alison Ellwood’s recounting of danger in the depths of competitive free-diving made its world premiere at Tribeca. After screening as part of ESPN’s new Nine for IX this Summer, it is being released in a boxed set with the remainder of the films in the female athlete focused series.
I previously included the doc in my Tribeca coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, October 15: THE GREAT HIP HOP HOAX
Jeanie Finlay’s engrossing chronicle of how two Scottish lads transformed themselves into would-be Californian hip hop stars debuted at SXSW. It went on to screen at Hot Docs, Sheffield, Edinburgh, and DOXA, picking up an award at the latter. The doc is released exclusively on iTunes in North America today, and expands to other VOD platforms next week.
I included the film in my Hot Docs coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD and VOD today, Tuesday, October 15: STRONGMAN
Zachary Levy’s portrait of the “Strongest Man in the World*” (*at bending steel and metal) debuted at Slamdance in 2009, winning the best documentary award. It went on to screen at SXSW, Hot Docs, Maryland, Milwaukee, and the Coney Island Film Festival. In addition to its DVD release, The Orchard now makes the doc available on iTunes, Amazon, and VUDU.
Stanley Pleskun, better known (in his own mind at least) as Stanless Steel, is really good at bending steel. While he hasn’t figured out a way to turn this unusual skill into either a financially self-sustaining enterprise or widespread celebrity, he keeps at it, performing various stunts at small parties, elementary schools, or in parking lot exhibitions, with a rare novelty television appearance thrown in for good measure. At his side is Barbara, his astonishingly supportive girlfriend, who even allows herself to be roped into serving as his half-hearted announcer, despite clearly having no affinity for the role. Filming over multiple years, Levy is able to establish something of an invisible, fly-on-the-wall presence, capturing Stanley in verité moments of relative triumph – proudly bending a penny – and tribulation – an uncomfortable drunken fight with his brother over a stunt. While it never feels exploitative – Levy’s camera seems to show real affection for these eccentric characters – there’s something still very sad about the proceedings. It feels like Stanley needs a reality check, rather than be indulged in his seemingly hopeless efforts, especially for the too-long running time allotted here. Still, like the similarly-themed, more recent BENDING STEEL, critics and audiences have found much to celebrate in this underdog story, and there is something eminently watchable about Stanley and Barbara, even if it’s sometimes uncomfortable to do so.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
what (not) to doc 