Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, July 7:
SWIM TEAM

Director:
Lara Stolman

Premiere:
Hot Springs Doc 2016

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Napa Valley, Oxford, Glasgow, Big Sky Doc, Boulder, Reel Abilities, SXSWedu, San Diego Latino, Sarasota, RiverRun, Nashville, Montclair, Berkshire, Greenwich, SF Docfest

About:
A portrait of three teenage swimmers, all on the autism spectrum.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
Demonstrating the power of inclusion to transcend disability, Lara Stolman’s triumphant film profiles members of the Jersey Hammerheads, a competitive swim team made up of a diverse group of teens on the autism spectrum, based in the state with the highest rate of autism in the country. Through training and competition, star athletes Mikey, Robbie and Kelvin gain self-confidence and social skills that serve them both in and out of the pool.

Coming to theatres this Friday, July 7:
SANTOALLA

Directors:
Andrew Becker and Daniel Mehrer

Premiere:
Edinburgh 2016

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hamptons, IDFA, Cleveland, BAFICI, Austin, Thessaloniki Doc, Big Sky Doc, Krakow,

About:
Neighbors in a remote idyllic community face off with dire consequences.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
Seeking a quieter life without rules, Martin and Margo leave the bustle of Amsterdam to set up a farm in Santoalla, located in remote Spanish Galicia. Like many rural communities, the crumbling village has seen its population dwindle. When the Dutch couple arrives, the only other residents are their neighbors, the Rodríguez family. Initial friendliness soon gives way to disagreements and then a full-fledged feud that lasts a decade… until Martin’s mysterious disappearance. Becker and Mehrer expertly craft a whodunnit with a limited number of suspects in this surprising, atmospheric true crime tale.

Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, July 3:
THE WAR SHOW

Directors:
Obaidah Zytoon and Andreas Dalsgaard

Premiere:
Venice 2016

Select Festivals:
Toronto, IDFA, Bergen, Reykjavik, London, Dubai, Goteborg

About:
A group of friends capture the de-evolution of Syria’s revolution into civil war.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to theatres today, Friday, June 30:
THE B-SIDE: ELSA DORFMAN’S PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

Director:
Errol Morris

Premiere:
Telluride 2016

Select Festivals:
Toronto, New York, Chicago, IDFA, Hong Kong, Provincetown, Moscow, IFF Boston,

About:
A large-scale Polaroid photographer reflects on her work on the eve of her retirement.

Laying aside his Interrotron for the moment, master documentarian Morris goes for a warmer, more personal interaction with his latest subject, visiting Elsa Dorfman in her Cambridge MA photography studio which doubles as a cramped archive. The photographer discovered her medium in the early 1980s when she encountered a 20×24 Polaroid camera, and has been taking large-print portraits ever since. Morris’ film’s title derives from her practice of shooting two portraits with the same client, keeping the rejected one – the “b-side” – for herself. As a result of Polaroid’s bankruptcy and its discontinuation of 20×24 instant film, Dorfman faces impending retirement, prompting a sometimes wistful look back at her career and the strikingly optimistic work she has produced. What emerges is a subtle contemplation of time, mortality, and legacy.

Coming to theatres this Friday, June 30, and to VOD next Tuesday, July 4:
THE REAGAN SHOW

Directors:
Pacho Velez and Sierra Pettengill

Premiere:
Tribeca 2017

Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Montclair, Seattle, AFI Docs

About:
In 1918, Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan took on the role of a lifetime: the 40th President of the United States.

I previously wrote about the doc for Nantucket’s program, saying:
Trading on his celebrity to curry favor with voters, Ronald Reagan transitioned from Hollywood actor to politician, ultimately attaining the highest office in the land. Composed entirely of 1980s news footage and behind-the-scenes videos produced by his own administration, this insightful, entertaining, and strangely prescient film details how Reagan used public relations savvy to become the first made-for-TV president – one uniquely suited to face off against a charismatic Russian rival.