Category Archives: Recommendations

New to VOD this week: DON’T THINK I’VE FORGOTTEN: CAMBODIA’S LOST ROCK AND ROLL

John Pirozzi’s exhumation of Cambodia’s forgotten pop music debuted in Phnom Penh last year. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, Big Sky, Rotterdam, Reel Asian, CAMFest, DOXA, and Seattle, among others. The doc was released on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Instant, VUDU, Vimeo, and CinemaNow earlier this week.

I previously wrote about the film here.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, August 7: HOMME LESS

Thomas Wirthensohn’s portrait of unexpected homelessness debuted at last year’s Film Festival Kitzbuehel, where it won the best doc award. It has gone on to screen at DOC NYC (where it won the Metropolis competition), DocAviv, Sarasota, and Hof.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
From all outside appearances, Mark seems to have the glamorous New York City life that many would envy. Handsome and always impeccably dressed, the charismatic former male model works as a fashion photographer, appears in movies, and attends the best parties. When he leaves those events, however, he heads to the East Village – not to an overpriced loft, but to a hidden corner of a rooftop to sleep each night. Thomas Wirthensohn exposes the dark underbelly of the American Dream in an often-merciless city.

Coming to HBO tomorrow, Tuesday, August 4: BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS

Cheryl Furjanic’s portrait of the Olympic diving champion made its bow at AFI Docs last year. Its fest circuit also included DOC NYC, New Orleans, Hamptons, Palm Springs, Big Sky, Cleveland, Hot Springs Doc, Ashland, Frameline, Outfest, and other fests on the LGBT circuit, including Portland, Seattle, Miami, Denver, Honolulu, and Boston.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
This strikingly candid profile explores the triumphs and tragedies of Greg Louganis, considered by many the greatest diver of all time. A four-time Olympian, Louganis became a household name and an inspiration to countless athletes, but after he publicly revealed his sexuality and HIV status, the backlash cost him dearly. BACK ON BOARD follows Louganis as he simultaneously faces the loss of his home and the possibility of redemption, returning to the diving board to mentor the 2012 US Olympic diving team.

Coming to HBO tonight, Monday, August 3: TOE TAG PAROLE: TO LIVE AND DIE ON YARD A

Alan Raymond and Susan Raymond’s exploration of life in prison without the hope of parole makes its world premiere on the acclaimed cable network.

Set in the maximum-security California State Prison in the Mojave Desert, the film focuses on its Progressive Programming Facility, also referred to as Yard A or the Honor Yard, a program specifically geared to inmates sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. For this population of 600, Yard A provides a refuge from the culture of violence that plagues most prisons: Beyond offering opportunities to focus on spirituality, art, and music, a pre-requisite of participating in the program is the eschewal of longstanding prison mores like drugs, gang activity, and self-imposed racial segregation. The filmmakers profile several of the inmates, identifying their crimes, and showcasing the programs they’re engaged in, from painting murals to anger management. While some interviewees cling to their claims of innocence, others own up to their crimes, reconciled to the reality that, barring a legislative change, they will die in prison, since, as one inmate notes, life without parole is essentially just another kind of death sentence. Coming at a time when prison reform has entered the national dialogue, the Raymonds’ candid film also draw attention to the nation’s often excessive sentencing laws, which finds nonviolent and violent offenders alike caught in the prison-industrial complex, including juvenile offenders deprived of any hope of release no matter whether they are rehabilitated or not.