Available on DVD beginning this week: HER MASTER’S VOICE
Nina Conti’s surprisingly moving look at her ventriloquism career premiered at SXSW this year, winning an audience award. Its festival circuit included stops at Hot Docs, Atlanta, Woods Hole, and the London doc fest, as well as Rooftop Films.
I included the film in my Hot Docs coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
My latest curated selections for Hulu’s Documentaries page looks at critiques of journalism and the mass media – potent reminders of their influence and potential biases as we head into next month’s pivotal election. Watch these now for free!
For more information about the selections, see my Indiewire article.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Indiewire @ Hulu Docs
Coming to theatres this Friday, October 19: THE FLAT
Arnon Goldfinger’s exploration of his Jewish family’s strange connection to Germany’s Nazi past premiered at the Jerusalem Film Festival last year, where it won the best documentary director prize. Since then, it has also picked up awards at Tribeca, Traverse City, Documentary Edge, and Krakow, as well as from the Israeli Film Academy, among others.
I included the film in my Tribeca coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to HBO this Thursday, October 18: ETHEL
Rory Kennedy’s profile of her mother made its world premiere at Sundance this January. It’s been warmly received on the festival circuit, screening at Full Frame, Hot Docs, San Francisco, Sarasota, Nantucket, Provincetown, Traverse City, and Ashland, among others, picking up multiple awards along the way.
I profiled the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Sundance
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, October 16: CHELY WRIGHT: WISH ME AWAY
Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf’s profile of the musician’s coming out premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival last year. Additional stops on the festival circuit included Frameline, NewFest, Nashville, Palm Springs, and Atlanta’s Out on Film, among others.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Art of the Real series tomorrow, Tuesday, October 16: WHERE HEAVEN MEETS HELL
Sasha Friedlander’s profile of Indonesian sulfur miners had its world premiere at Hong Kong this past March. Its festival circuit includes Hot Docs, DocsDF, Taiwan Doc, Hawaii, and the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival, where it won two awards.
An active volcano serves as both the stunning backdrop for Friedlander’s film, and the unusual workplace for the four men she follows in this intimate documentary. Anto, Sukarman, Purnomo, and Hadis are just four of the hundreds of men barely subsisting doing literally back-breaking work in the sulfur mines of the Kawah Ijen volcano. Lacking sufficient funds to invest in protective gear, they risk their health to support their families, hoping that their efforts to secure education for their children will provide an escape from poverty. Friedlander effectively captures her subjects’ lives, balancing interviews in the relative tranquility of their village home with verite footage of the treacherous yet breathtaking beauty of Kawah Ijen. If the film is somewhat quiet and understated, it nevertheless speaks volumes through the image of these four determined men, carrying loads of yellow rocks down a volcano as they breathe in noxious fumes – for the future of their families.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Coming to POV this Thursday, October 18: SUN KISSED
Maya Stark and Adi Lavy’s intimate look at the Navajo community’s struggle with a rare genetic disorder made its world premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival. It has also screened at Silverdocs, and will screen next month at Margaret Mead.
I included the film in my Silverdocs roundup here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Coming to DVD tomorrow, October 16: KATI WITH AN I
Robert Greene’s observational film about a high school senior had its world premiere at True/False in 2010. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, Big Sky, Decatur Docs, and Little Rock, and was also nominated for a Gotham Award.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, October 16: MARINA ABRAMOVIC THE ARTIST IS PRESENT
Matthew Akers’ look at the acclaimed performance artist’s recent MoMA show made its world premiere at Sundance this year. It won an audience award in Berlin, and also screened at Nantucket, DOXA, San Francisco, and Silverdocs, among others.
My pre-Sundance profile of the film may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to DVD next Tuesday, October 16: THE AMBASSADOR
Mads Brügger’s provocative look at high level international governmental corruption made its world premiere at IDFA last November. Its festival circuit included Sundance, Thessaloniki Doc, New Directors/New Films, and Karlovy Vary, among others, before coming to VOD and theatres.
I profiled the film before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
