Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to POV tonight Monday, June 29, and tomorrow, Tuesday, June 30:
AND SHE COULD BE NEXT

Directors:
Grace Lee and Marjan Safinia

World Premiere:
AFI Docs 2020

About:
A behind-the-scenes look at the campaigns of six women of color political candidates in 2018.

The most recent midterm election season saw an unprecedented number of women of color seeking political office. Some faced political opposition from the other side, while others fought to claim a place at the table, competing against entrenchment in their own party. Over the course of two episodes, filmmakers Grace Lee and Marjan Safinia weave together the stories of six of these progressive candidates as they seek to enact change and bring true inclusion into the political process. Ranging from the high-profile campaigns of Stacey Abrams in Georgia to become the first black female governor and Rashida Tlaib’s run for the House of Representatives, representing Michigan, to more local level races such as Bushra Amiwala’s attempt to win a seat on a County Board of Commissioners in Chicago, the series chronicles the on-the-ground organizing needed to realize meaningful change. Beyond seeking office, these candidates empower historically disenfranchised and under-represented communities of race and/or faith – Black, Latinx, Asian, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Muslim – to become involved in the political process, register to vote, and claim their own voices. On the flip side, despite the optimism on display, this engaging doc also makes clear the resistance that exists to realizing an inclusive, representative democracy in the US, highlighting insidious racism, sexism, and xenophobia, as well as the concerted rise of reactionary voting restriction efforts.

New to VOD this week:
THE GHOST OF PETER SELLERS

Director:
Peter Medak

World Premiere:
Venice 2018

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Telluride, Raindance, Oldenburg, Gent, Sao Paulo

About:
A revisitation of the director’s experience making an ill-fated 1970s Peter Sellers comedy.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

New to DVD this week:
DIANA KENNEDY: NOTHING FANCY

Director:
Elizabeth Carroll

World Premiere:
SXSW 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hot Docs, San Francisco, Hawaii, Vermont, Tallinn Black Nights, Sedona

About:
A portrait of the nonagenarian British author, an expert in regional Mexican cuisine.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, June 23:
DESOLATION CENTER

Director:
Stuart Swezey

World Premiere:
CPH:DOX 2018

Select Festivals:
Sheffield, DokuFest, Big Sky Doc, Slamdance, DOXA, Indielisboa, Chicago Underground, Revelation, Sydney Underground, In-Edit Spain, Cork, Freep, Florida

About:
A look back at underground happenings stemming from the 1980s LA punk and industrial scene.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to VOD today, Friday, June 19:
DIANA KENNEDY: NOTHING FANCY

Director:
Elizabeth Carroll

World Premiere:
SXSW 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hot Docs, San Francisco, Hawaii, Vermont, Tallinn Black Nights, Sedona

About:
A portrait of the nonagenarian British author, an expert in regional Mexican cuisine.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to virtual theatrical today, Friday, June 19:
CREATING A CHARACTER: THE MONI YAKIM LEGACY

Director:
Rauzar Alexander

World Premiere:
DOC NYC 2019

About:
A legendary Juilliard acting teacher gets his time in the spotlight.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
What do Jessica Chastain, Viola Davis, Patti LuPone, and Alex Sharp have in common? They are but a few of the extraordinary actors who have studied under Moni Yakim at Juilliard, America’s greatest performing arts school. With interviews with Laura Linney, Anthony Mackie, and Kevin Kline, this compelling portrait of the master teacher – the sole remaining founder of the school’s legendary Drama Division – takes us inside the drama classes where Moni and his wife Mina pour their love and passion into preparing the next generation of actors for the spotlight.

Coming to Apple TV+ tomorrow, Friday, June 19:
DADS

Director:
Bryce Dallas Howard

World Premiere:
Toronto 2019

About:
An exploration and celebration of fatherhood.

There are relatively few documentaries focused exclusively on fathers. While actress Bryce Dallas Howard’s feature directorial debut takes a decidedly lighter and heartwarming approach, by design, it’s far from being the celebrity vanity project that some cynical viewers might too quickly dismiss. While she certainly gets a lot of traction by featuring famous fathers – among them, her own dad, Ron Howard, as well the likes of Jimmy Fallon, Ken Jeong, Neil Patrick Harris, Will Smith, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien, and Kenan Thompson, among others – offering heartfelt reflections on fatherhood, her charming film shines when it spotlights several ordinary dads as they contend with the mundane realities of raising kids without the privilege and wealth afforded to their famed counterparts. While not a groundbreaking not particularly deep project, it remains a perfectly likeable one.