Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, March 31: LITTLE WHITE LIE
Lacey Schwartz’s personal exploration of the impact of family secrets bowed at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival last year. It went on to screen at DOC NYC, New Orleans, Sidewalk, Black Harvest, BlackStar, Martha’s Vineyard African American, and Philadelphia Jewish fests, among others. It now comes to iTunes.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, March 31: HOOP DREAMS
Steve James’ classic exploration of the athletic aspirations of two young men debuted at Sundance in 1994, taking home the Audience Award for Best Documentary. It went on to screen at Toronto and the New York Film Festival. Though it was not recognized by the Academy, it won critical and audience acclaim and remains one of the seminal works of nonfiction of the past 25 years. Recently restored for its 20th anniversary, it now is re-released on home video formats.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to HBO this Sunday, March 29: GOING CLEAR: SCIENTOLOGY AND THE PRISON OF BELIEF
Alex Gibney’s unearthing of the secrets of the contentious organization had its world premiere at Sundance this year. It has also screened at True/False, Big Sky, and Martha’s Vineyard, and has been released theatrically.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Maysles Cinema for a week run beginning today, Thursday, March 26: FREEWAY: CRACK IN THE SYSTEM
Marc Levin’s chronicle of one man’s pivotal role in the crack epidemic made its premiere at Los Angeles’ Pan African Film Festival. It also screened as part of NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction series and on Al Jazeera America.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to Showtime tomorrow, Friday, March 27: DREAMCATCHER
Kim Longinotto’s candid look at a woman’s mission to help others out of exploitation had its world premiere at Sundance this year, winning the World Cinema Documentary Directing Award. It has gone on to screen at Rotterdam, Glasgow, ZagrebDox, Thessaloniki, and One World.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Now available on DVD and Blu-Ray in a new edition: GATES OF HEAVEN
Errol Morris’ poignant meditation on pet cemeteries screened in the New York Film Festival in 1978. The film went on to a successful theatrical release, despite Werner Herzog’s playful chiding, as documented in the late Les Blank’s WERNER HERZOG EATS HIS SHOE. Criterion now re-releases the film in a “director-approved” box set edition with special features, including Blank’s short, together with the Morris’ 1981 VERNON, FLORIDA.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Now available on DVD and Blu-Ray in a new edition: THE THIN BLUE LINE
Errol Morris’ pioneering murder investigation study debuted in 1988. Its theatrical run via Miramax made it a success with critics and audiences, and helped result in a re-examination of the case. Criterion now re-releases the film in a “director-approved” edition with special features.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to NYC’s Stranger Than Fiction series tonight, Tuesday, March 24: THE MUSES OF ISAAC BASHEVIS SINGER
Asaf Galay and Shaul Betser’s profile of the Nobel Prize winner debuted at Haifa last year. It has gone on to screen at Miami, and at Jewish fests in New York, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Toronto, among others.
Singer, best known by mainstream audiences as the author of YENTL and ENEMIES, A LOVE STORY through the film adaptations, was long celebrated among Jewish American audiences since he began publishing his Yiddish stories in the 1930s. As signaled by the film’s title, Galay and Betser cleverly approach the writer from the perspectives of the various translators with whom he worked, always women, and, most surprisingly given their role, typically unable to read or speak Yiddish. This “harem,” as Singer referred to them, offer candid insight into his personal and professional life, and, most intriguingly, on the prickly social, cultural, and political questions that accompany the role of translation in literature. While targeting existing fans of his work, this sprightly biography still succeeds in introducing the man and his work to the unconverted in an unusual and engaging manner.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, March 23: OPEN SECRET
Steve Lickteig’s search for his roots had its world premiere at Hot Docs in 2011. Other fest berths included Thessaloniki Doc, Indie Grits, and Kansas, among others. It now comes to VOD platforms including iTunes, Amazon, Xbox and Google Play.
I previously wrote about the film out of Hot Docs here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, March 24: ACTRESS
Robert Greene’s portrait of a woman looking for her comeback had its world premiere at True/False last year. It went on to screen at Nantucket, Hot Docs, AFI Docs, Art of the Real, DMZ Docs, Camden, CPH:DOX, RIDM, and IDFA, among several others.
I previously wrote about the doc upon its theatrical release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
