In one week, New York’s premier documentary festival, DOC NYC, kicks off its third edition. Running Thursday, November 8 through Thursday, November 15, the festival, run by Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers, boasts an expanded line-up of over 100 events, plus the addition of two new members to the programming team, Mystelle Brabee on features, and myself on shorts and panels. I’m planning on running brief posts on the latter beginning later today and running through the festival. While I of course encourage everyone to see as much of DOC NYC’s offerings as possible, below I’m shining the spotlight on a selection from each section of the festival. Continue reading
Category Archives: Film
DOC NYC 2012 Overview
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Special Screening: OUR HOUSE
Coming to NYC’s Maysles Cinema as part of its Doc Watchers series next Monday, November 5: OUR HOUSE
Greg King and David Teague’s portrait of an anarchist Christian-run homeless squat premiered at Hot Docs in 2010. It went on to screen in Brooklyn, Thin Line, Duck City, and deadCENTER, claiming the grand jury prize at the latter.
Released from Rikers Island with nowhere to go, Dan, a former post office worker who turned to crime to support his drug habit, meets Derek, himself a former addict. Like Dan, who found God behind bars, Derek and his partner JP are both Christians, but, in contrast to the stereotype of close-minded, Christian conservatives, they are both radically progressive, and former drug addicts themselves. Recognizing the failure of the traditional shelter system, they have converted an abandoned Brooklyn warehouse into a squat to help homeless people. They liken themselves to social workers, who just happen to live communally with their charges – JP is actually simultaneously studying to become a social worker. The film details life in their unorthodox community until their Christian landlord, who has essentially agreed to their set-up, faces the realities of the neighborhood’s gentrification and informs Derek and JP that the building is being torn down and redeveloped. With their eviction looming, Dan and the other residents scramble to find a new place to call home. King and Teague’s film has a rough-hewn look, matching its subjects and location, and captures this makeshift family with a quiet authenticity.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
On VOD: WE ARE LEGION
Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, October 30: WE ARE LEGION: THE STORY OF THE HACKTAVISTS
Brian Knappenberger’s look at Anonymous made its premiere at Slamdance earlier this year. Its festival circuit has included SXSW, Hot Docs, Sheffield, Traverse City, Silverdocs, and Seattle, among others. FilmBuff brings the doc to VOD via iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, YouTube Movies, and XBox.
I wrote about the film out of SXSW here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On DVD: THE BALLAD OF GENESIS AND LADY JAYE
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday October 30: THE BALLAD OF GENESIS AND LADY JAYE
Marie Losier’s portrait of a unique artistic partnership premiered at Berlin in 2011, winning a Teddy Award. It had an extensive festival run, including SXSW, Tribeca, Hot Docs, San Francisco, FIDM, and CPH:DOX, among others, as well as a limited theatrical engagement.
I wrote about the film out of SXSW here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
CPH:DOX 2012 Overview
CPH:DOX, the better-known name for the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival, begins next week and celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The festival is the largest doc-specific event in Scandinavia, and has developed a reputation for its broad conception of non-fiction, often including more experimental, art cinema, and hybrid (or even genre-free) work in its impressive line-up. To this point, the festival (in)famously awarded Harmony Korine’s TRASH HUMPERS its grand jury prize back in 2009.
By my count, there are approximately 150 feature-length docs being presented this year, beginning with the controversial THE ACT OF KILLING, by Joshua Oppenheimer, Christine Cynn, and Anonymous, which made quite an impression out of both Telluride and Toronto, and opens the festival a couple of days early, on Tuesday, October 30. The closing film, Daniel Dencik’s Greenland adventure voyage, THE EXPEDITION TO THE END OF THE WORLD (pictured), screens on Friday, November 9 (though the festival continues for two more days, til Sunday, November 11). Though I’ve always been curious about the event, I’ve never made it out to the festival; if I were attending, the following titles would be on my list: Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews
On DVD: FIRST POSITION
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, October 30: FIRST POSITION
Bess Kargman’s engaging ballet profile premiered last year in Toronto, taking first runner up in the Audience Award. Since then it’s had an extensive festival and theatrical release, both in the US and internationally, including the Hamptons, Doc NYC, Portland, and SF Doc, picking up awards at the latter three.
I included the film in my Hamptons roundup here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On Cable: THE BIG PICTURE: RETHINKING DYSLEXIA
Coming to HBO next Monday, October 29: THE BIG PICTURE: RETHINKING DYSLEXIA
James Redford’s positive look at dyslexia had its world premiere this year at Sundance, under its earlier title THE D WORD. It’s gone on to screen at Nashville, Tallgrass, Heartland, and Newport Beach, among others.
My pre-Sundance profile of the film may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
On TV: LOVE FREE OR DIE
Coming to PBS’ Independent Lens) next Monday, October 29: LOVE FREE OR DIE
Macky Alston’s profile of gay bishop Gene Robinson made its world premiere at Sundance this year, where it claimed a special jury prize. Its festival circuit has included Cleveland, Ashland, Full Frame, London LGBT, Seattle, Seattle, New Orleans, Frameline, Outfest, and NewFest, among others.
I profiled the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
In Theatres: THE REVISIONARIES
Coming to theatres this Friday, October 26: THE REVISIONARIES
Scott Thurman’s eye-opening look at textbooks and the culture wars premiered at Tribeca earlier this year, where it was recognized with a special jury prize. It also screened at Hot Docs, Silverdocs, Nashville, and Hot Springs, among other festivals.
I included the film in my Tribeca roundup here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
On TV: NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT
Coming to POV this Thursday, October 25: NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT
Patricio Guzmán’s meditation on time and Chile’s Atacama Desert made its debut at Cannes in 2010. It screened extensively on the fest circuit, with stops at Toronto, Melbourne, Hong Kong, Full Frame, San Francisco, Miami, and Thessaloniki Doc, among many others. The film also picked up awards from the IDA and the European Film Awards.
Atacama, one of the driest environments on the planet at 10,000 feet above sea level, serves as a nexus uniting the stars above and the ground below in Guzmán’s masterfully conceived and shot film essay. While astronomers are drawn to the site to take advantage of the atmospheric conditions enabling them to witness the secrets of the cosmos, others are busy studying the earth beneath their feet. The arid climate serves to protect archaeological treasures from pre-Columbian times, and, most affectingly, more recent deposits – the remains of loved ones – dissidents who were “disappeared” during Pinochet’s brutal regime. As scientists and still grieving families gather in the same space, each on different, but related, quests – to turn back the hands of time – Guzmán crafts a stunning and singular evocation of place and memory.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
