Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to theatres this Friday, October 21: FIRE AT SEA

Gianfranco Rosi’s meditation on the European refugee crisis made its debut at Berlin, where it became the first documentary ever to win the Golden Bear. Its extensive festival circuit has also included Toronto, Telluride, New York, DocAviv, Sydney, Melbourne, It’s All True, Moscow, Karlovy Vary, New Zealand, Reykjavik, and the upcoming DOC NYC, where it appears on the Short List.

Set on the Italian island of Lampedusa, already the subject of other films about refugees given its proximal location to North Africa, Rosi’s observational project captures the activities of residents and newcomers alike, though focuses his camera primarily on Samuele, a twelve-year-old Italian boy who spends his days exploring, constructing a slingshot, and playing with a friend. In contrast to his seemingly idyllic existence, there are reminders of the unfolding humanitarian tragedy all around, with footage of search and rescue operations, radio reports of refugee arrivals, and the warnings of the local doctor who tends to the most urgent health emergencies. Somehow able to convey an urgency through a build up of mostly quiet images, Rosi’s film demonstrates the indelible mark the crisis is leaving in this microcosm, even if Lampedusa is only a temporary stop on the refugees’ way to larger Sicily.

Coming to PBS’s Doc World this Sunday, October 16: AMONG THE BELIEVERS

Hemal Trivedi and Mohammed Ali Naqvi’s behind-the-scenes look at jihadist indoctrination premiered at Tribeca last year. The doc went on to screen at IDFA, CPH:DOX, Sydney, AFI Docs, DMZ Docs, Vancouver, Stockholm, Rio, Human Rights Watch London, and St Louis, among other events.

I previously wrote about the film here.

Coming to DVD today, Friday, October 14: BAYOU MAHARAJAH

Lily Keber’s portrait of an unsung piano genius debuted at SXSW in 2013. Screenings followed at New Orleans, Melbourne, Krakow, Hawaii, Little Rock, and the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Sound + Vision, among other events.

Self-described as the “Black Liberace,” gay, black, one-eyed New Orleans piano player James Booker sold himself short by comparing himself to anyone, as Keber’s affectionate profile reveals. Described as a true genius by influential musician Allen Toussaint, Booker had his own unique musical style, and started playing professionally while still a teenager, working with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Little Richard, and Fats Domino. He also struggled with alcohol and drug addiction and had mental health issues, resulting in a wild personality and a tendency towards self-destruction that undercut his talent and chances for larger success. While somewhat holding back on fully fleshing out her subject, Keber wisely incorporates a great deal of performance footage to let Booker’s music speak for him.

Coming to theatres today, Friday, October 14: SHADOW WORLD

Johan Grimonprez’s look at the influence of the global arms trade made its debut at Tribeca this Spring. Its fest circuit has also included Edinburgh, San Francisco, Encounters, Durban, Guanajuato, New Zealand, Dokufest Kosovo, and Vancouver.

Taking a big picture view of global politics, Grimonprez makes the audacious claim that politics is all about war, with the world’s superpowers financially invested in keeping us in perpetual conflict, regardless of the consequences. Adapted from the 2011 book of the same name by Andrew Feinstein, the film is grist for the conspiracy theory mill, but, despite some messiness and early missteps, not without chillingly convincing arguments. The starting point for this clarion call to constant war comes in the 1980s with – of course – hawkish Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher and the rise of Saudi Arabia’s influence on geopolitical affairs, but continues down the line through George W Bush’s Halliburton-benefitting war on terror and Obama’s embrace of drone strikes. It’s a dense and challenging project, and though overstating its case at times, Grimonprez’s film remains thought-provoking throughout.

Coming to Investigation Discovery this Saturday, October 15: SOUTHWEST OF SALEM: THE STORY OF THE SAN ANTONIO FOUR

Deborah S Esquenazi’s investigation into a miscarriage of justice premiered at Tribeca this Spring. It went on to screen at Hot Docs, Sheffield, DocuWest, AFI Docs, Frameline, Outfest, and Inside Out, among other events.

I previously wrote about the doc here.