Now available on iTunes: I’M DANGEROUS WITH LOVE
Now clean and sober, Dimitri Mugianis uses his experiences with an illegal hallucinogen to help others break their addictions in Michel Negroponte’s dark profile.
I previously posted about the project here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to NYC’s Maysles Cinema as an encore screening for the Harlem International Film Festival next Wednesday, July 6: FREEING SILVIA BARALDINI
Directors Margo Pelletier and Lisa Thomas have won a number of awards from regional festivals with their documentary debut, including the best documentary prize at the Harlem fest.
Their film tells the story of Italian-born, US-based political prisoner Silvia Baraldini, who was sentenced to over 40 years in prison for her revolutionary political activist work in the 1960s-1980s.Copious archival footage illustrate present day interviews that sketch out Baraldini’s background and dawning political consciousness, which included participation in the civil rights movement and later anti-war efforts. Seeing the value in coalition building, she supported the Black Panthers, which ultimately led to her arrest after she helped a Black Panther leader, Assata Shakur, escape from prison. Silvia is a compelling figure whose story should be better known – FREEING SILVIA BARALDINI helps bring her legacy of resisting injustice in multiple forms to new audiences.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Coming to theatres in New York and Los Angeles next Friday, July 8: BEATS, RHYMES & LIFE: THE TRAVELS OF A TRIBE CALLED QUEST
Actor Michael Rapaport’s documentary directorial debut had its world premiere at Sundance and went on to screen at Tribeca and elsewhere. Along the way, his portrait of the influential hip hop group got picked up by Sony Pictures Classics and begins its theatrical release this summer.
My pre-Sundance profile of the film can be found
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction tomorrow, Thursday, June 30: BETWEEN TWO WORLDS
Directors Alan Snitow and Deborah Kaufman premiered their film at last month’s Toronto Jewish Film Festival and will be taking it to additional fests and theatrical engagements later this summer. It’s proven such an anticipated title for STF that they’ve had to add an additional screening tomorrow night.
The starting point for Snitow and Kaufman’s documentary, which partially takes the form of a personal essay film, is the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival (incidentally an event Kaufman founded but has since moved on from) – specifically, the SFJFF’s screening of a controversial documentary, Simone Bitton’s RACHEL. The inclusion of Bitton’s film – on a young American activist who was killed by an Israeli military bulldozer razing Palestinian homes – sparked a firestorm for the fest, with critics charging that it was antisemitic, anti-Israeli propaganda. These protests led the filmmakers to consider who is permitted to speak for the Jewish community – only those who are wholly behind all of Israel’s policies? While finding a few larger touchpoints to consider, such as efforts by some to put pressure on universities to divest from Israeli or the ironic decision to build a museum of tolerance on top of one of Jerusalem’s oldest Muslim cemeteries, the directors turn to their personal histories to consider these complex questions of American Jewish identity, politics, and community. Kaufman considers her father, and his reactions to a daughter converting to Islam, while Snitow reveals the secret Communist past of his mother. These passages are among the strongest of the film, and justify the essay approach/narration moreso than do other parts. Still, as a whole, given its brief running time, the project begins an important and thoughtful conversation that addresses issues that can be extended beyond a specifically Jewish context or audience.
Note: The directors will be present for Q&As following the screenings.
Filed under Documentary, Film
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films this Saturday, July 2: WHERE SOLDIERS COME FROM
Heather Courtney premiered her film – about the impact of the war in Afghanistan on soldiers and their families back home – at SXSW this year, where she shared the Best Documentary Editing Award with Kyle Henry. It comes to Rooftop fittingly just before Independence Day.
I included the film in my wrapup of SXSW’s competition here.
Note: Director Heather Courtney will be joined by US veterans for a Q&A following the screening.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals
Coming to NYC’s IFC Center this Friday, July 1 and to Los Angeles and other cities later this summer: CRIME AFTER CRIME
Yoav Potash’s film is an indepth and emotional exploration of Deborah Peagler’s case – a battered woman who was sent to life in prison for the murder of her abuser. After its world premiere at Sundance, it’s been recognized with awards at San Francisco and Washington DC.
I covered the film in a post before its world premiere here.
Note: Filmmakers and special guests from the film are scheduled to be present for Q&As for the opening weekend at the IFC Center, and at select screenings around the country.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction tonight: THE PRUITT-IGOE MYTH: AN URBAN HISTORY
Chad Friedrichs offers an intelligent and well-constructed look at post-WWII urban renewal and its fate as the face of the modern American city changed.
Though I saw the film at True/False, I didn’t include my thoughts on it on this blog until my Silverdocs wrapup yesterday.
Note: Friedrichs will be present for a post-screening Q&A.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Silverdocs closed out its ninth edition Sunday evening after seven days of documentary screenings, panels, and workshops in Silver Spring MD. The awards ceremony took place on Saturday afternoon, while audience award winners were announced today. Best World Feature went to FAMILY INSTINCT, with POSITION AMONG THE STARS recognized with a Special Mention; Best US Feature went to OUR SCHOOL (pictured), with Special Mentions to THE BULLY PROJECT and WHEN THE DRUM IS BEATING; the WGA Documentary Screenplay Award went to THE LOVING STORY; and the Cinematic Vision Award went to LIFE IN A DAY. The Feature Audience Award went to DONOR UNKNOWN.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, In Brief
Pet owners go to what some might see as excessive lengths to keep their best friends with them, even after the deaths of the furry companions, in Amy Finkel’s FUREVER.
Brooklyn-based Finkel set out to document the odd world of pet preservation and those who seek it out in an effort to retain a physical connection with their deceased animals. Rather than bowing to the inevitable, some owners have turned to professionals who can essentially freeze-dry their pets, keeping them in a permanent, life-like, but eerie stasis – a step beyond taxidermy – and a physical condition that allows them to safely return their companions to their homes. The project looks to profile a number of owners, delving into their past relationships and histories with their pets, and perhaps suggesting some explanation for why they’ve chosen this unorthodox step.
Filed under Documentary, Film, In the Works
Coming to POV next Tuesday, June 28: MY PERESTROIKA
Robin Hessman’s portrait of the last generation of Soviet era Russians had a wildly successful festival run, beginning at Sundance in 2010, and went on to a limited theatrical release this spring.
I posted about the film before its theatrical release here.
To find out more about the POV screening on PBS, click here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Releases, Sundance
