Coming to VOD this Friday, July 16:
THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52
Director:
Joshua Zeman
World Premiere:
Nantucket 2021
Select Festivals:
Boulder
About:
In this fascinating story about isolation and interconnection, the filmmaker and a team of intrepid scientists set out on a wild quest to find the 52 Hertz Whale, which has spent its entire life calling out at a frequency that is different from any other whale.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, July 12:
LANDFALL
Director:
Cecilia Aldarondo
World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020 (unscreened)
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, New Orleans, BlackStar, IDFA, Florida, Boston Latino, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Philadelphia Latino, Guanajuato, Camden
About:
A poetic look at Puerto Rico as the island faces new challenges in the aftermath of Hurricane María.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
An intimate and lyrical portrait of trauma, resilience, and resistance in Puerto Rico at a time when economic, political, and ecological forces post-Hurricane María have created a breeding ground for new predatory colonial practices. Told through the experiences of a close-knit community of hopeful and politicized people and through the encounters with cryptocurrency traders, luxury real estate developers, and newcomers flooding the island, Cecilia Aldarondo’s film raises vital questions about identity, survival, and recolonization.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, July 9:
THE LONELIEST WHALE: THE SEARCH FOR 52
Director:
Joshua Zeman
World Premiere:
Nantucket 2021
Select Festivals:
Boulder
About:
In this fascinating story about isolation and interconnection, the filmmaker and a team of intrepid scientists set out on a wild quest to find the 52 Hertz Whale, which has spent its entire life calling out at a frequency that is different from any other whale.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to Rooftop Films tomorrow, Friday, July 9:
TAMING THE GARDEN
Director:
Salomé Jashi
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
Berlin, CPH:DOX, New Directors/New Films, Shanghai, Cinéma du Réel
About:
An artful look at the unusual disruption caused by the removal and transport of several massive trees from small Georgian villages.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to VOD via Film Movement+ this Friday, July 9:
OVER THE LIMIT
Director:
Marta Prus
Premiere:
IDFA 2017
Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Moscow Doc, Visions du Reél, DOK.fest Munich, DocsBarcelona, Zagreb Dox, Krakow, Docpoint, Göteborg, Thessaloniki Doc, One World, Ambulante
About:
A brutally candid look at a rhythmic gymnast’s Olympic training.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, July 6:
STREET GANG: HOW WE GOT TO SESAME STREET
Director:
Marilyn Agrelo
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Seattle, San Francisco
About:
A look back at the origins of the pioneering children’s television powerhouse.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Festival:
The 74th Cannes Film Festival
Dates:
July 6-17
About:
After postponing and then cancelling its 2020 edition, the most influential cinema event in the world returns with a robust slate of nearly 100 new features, counting two dozen docs among that number – although none in either Competition or Un Certain Regard. Its parallel sidebars, meanwhile, offer just three nonfiction works among their combined 37 slots.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Expanding to theatres nationwide and coming to Hulu today, Friday, July 2:
SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED)
Director:
Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Hot Docs, True/False, AFI Docs, Provincetown, DocLands, Minneapolis/St Paul, San Francisco Doc
About:
A joyous and thoughtful revisitation of a long overlooked part of Black music history.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to Film Forum tomorrow, Friday, July 2:
BEING A HUMAN PERSON
Director:
Fred Scott
World Premiere:
CPH:DOX 2020
Select Festivals:
Helsinki
About:
Behind the scenes of Roy Andersson’s ABOUT ENDLESSNESS, meant to be the idiosyncratic Swedish auteur’s final film.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to Topic today, Thursday, July 1:
PHILLY DA
Director:
Ted Passon, Yoni Brook, Nicole Salazar
World Premiere:
Sundance 2021
Select Festivals:
Berlin, RiverRun, Philadelphia Jewish
About:
An outspoken district attorney attempts to reform a broken criminal justice system in this docuseries.
I profiled the series before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
what (not) to doc 