Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, September 23: GENERATION STARTUP

Cynthia Wade and Cheryl Miller Houser’s look at young entrepreneurs in Detroit debuted at Traverse City earlier this year. In addition to its limited theatrical release, the film will screen at the upcoming Milwaukee Film Festival and at other special events.

With American entrepreneurship at its nadir, and industry still seeking cheaper labor overseas, the prospects for a lasting economic upswing are uncertain. While Wade and Houser’s film celebrates some of the forward-thinking risk-takers who are trying to launch businesses, it refreshingly doesn’t sugarcoat the obstacles they face. Working in the particularly economically-depressed city of Detroit, the six subjects exploit the advantages of their location while trying to be part of the community that helps to build it back up, but acknowledge that they have an uphill battle to climb. Notably, they also address issues of diversity and the barriers traditionally faced by women and people of color, who often find themselves woefully under-represented relative to white men in startup enterprises. Nevertheless, the film’s cautious optimism gives hope, and potential inspiration, to other would-be innovators.

New to DVD this week: THEY WILL HAVE TO KILL US FIRST

Johanna Schwartz’s profile of musicians exiled over religion debuted at SXSW last year. Screenings followed at London, Göteborg, the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Sound + Vision, Hot Docs, Singapore, RIDM, and Durban, among other events.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to Discovery Impact tomorrow, Thursday, September 22: HUNTWATCH

Brant Backlund’s look at a crusade against seal hunting debuted at DOC NYC last year. Other screenings have included Santa Barbara, Sedona, Boulder, and Newport Beach.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
In Canada, seal hunting was historically considered to be a respectable job until people witnessed the graphic images of the practice for themselves on television. Angry and committed to save the seals, Brian Davies, a charismatic young activist, sets out on a crusade that becomes his life’s mission. Using the power of cinematography, celebrity, and science, Davies exposes the cruelty of the hunt while making audiences fall in love with these graceful, vulnerable creatures, as explored in Brant Backlund’s rousing film.

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 20: THE WITNESS

James Solomon’s exploration of the story of Kitty Genovese murder premiered at the New York Film Festival last year. Its fest circuit also included Palm Springs, Big Sky, Boulder, Hong Kong, Sarasota, and Atlanta, among others.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens for an encore screening on the World Channel tomorrow, Tuesday, September 20: EAST OF SALINAS

Laura Pacheco and Jackie Mow’s look at the life of a child of migrant farmworkers debuted on Independent Lens late last year. The film went on to screen at IFF Boston, and at Latino fests in San Diego and Boston.

Pacheco and Mow’s film focuses on eight-year-old José Anzaldo, who was brought from his native Mexico to Salinas, an agricultural center in northern California, where they are farmworkers. José’s potential has been noted by his third grade teacher, Oscar Ramos, because the latter shares a similar background. Oscar was able to change his future through education, and hopes for the same for his young student, but he knows the harsh reality facing José and others like him, as they face fears of deportation, unstable living situations, and the lack of documentation to allow them to obtain higher education. While José’s is just one of two million stories, as noted in the film’s ending, and can’t hope to capture the complexity of the undocumented issue, it certainly helps to humanize those caught up in its debate.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 20: UNDER THE SUN

Vitaly Mansky’s revealing look at North Korea had its premiere at DOK.Leipzig last year. It went on to screen at Nantucket, IDFA, Hot Docs, Tallinn Black Nights, Jihlava, DocPoint, SXSW, DOXA, San Francisco, and Seattle, among others.

I previously wrote about the film here.