Category Archives: Recommendations

Coming to Disney+ today, Friday, March 12:
OWN THE ROOM

Director:
Cristina Costantini, Darren Foster

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2020 (unscreened)

About:
Five students bring their big ideas to the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards.

Organized by a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship around the world, the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards is a series of competitions open to students (between high school and graduate school) who have already demonstrated their ability to turn a profit with their own businesses. Filmmakers Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster follow five hopefuls who have qualified to pitch their projects at the finals in Macau. Hailing from Nepal, Puerto Rico, Kenya, Greece, and the US by way of Venezuela, this diverse range of entrants have come up with equally varied ideas, some more creative and compelling than others. Hewing somewhat closely to competition doc conventions, the film generates true drama as one competitor risks missing his time slot to pitch after being detained by authorities – tellingly, the only African in the competition. Ultimately, however, the doc proves winning because of its hopefulness and the charisma of its subjects.

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, March 9:
CROCK OF GOLD: A FEW ROUNDS WITH SHANE MACGOWAN

Director:
Julien Temple

World Premiere:
San Sebastian 2020

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Zurich, Cologne

About:
A profile of the lead singer and songwriter of The Pogues.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to Amazon Prime Video today, Monday, March 8:
UNDERPLAYED

Director:
Stacey Lee

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
Toronto, Glasgow, Dublin, Athena

About:
An exploration of gender inequality in the electronic music world.

Electronic dance music, or EDM, has long been wildly popular around the world, attracting millions of fans, particularly at concert and festivals. As demonstrated in Stacey Lee’s illuminating and well-produced film, however, it has been overwhelmingly dominated by straight white men – despite the contributions of women and people of color both historically and in the present day. Focusing primarily on gender inequality, the doc offers significant statistical and anecdotal evidence to show how women have rarely been booked at festivals or recognized on tastemakers’ lists, perpetuating a chauvinistic, self-fulfilling status quo cycle of marginalization. Lee’s project is decidedly survey in approach, which permits her to profile a broad range of female DJs, performers, and pioneers, but at the same time limits her to only providing brief sketches when some figures clamor for more development. Still, the project fulfills its mission as an informative call to action, for the already converted and the uninitiated alike.

Coming to VOD via Britbox tomorrow, Tuesday, March 9:
63 UP

Director:
Michael Apted

World Premiere:
ITV (British TV, June 2019)

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, New York, Telluride, Mill Valley, Vancouver, Heartland

About:
The latest installment of the longest-running documentary project in history.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to select theatres, virtual cinemas, and VOD today, Friday, March 5:
STRAY

Director:
Elizabeth Lo

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2020 (unscreened)

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hot Docs, London, Bergen, RIDM, Stockholm, San Diego Asian

About:
A dogs’-eye view of Istanbul.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
In Istanbul, stray dogs are an everyday part of the fabric of the community, belonging to no one and everyone at the same time. Among them are the expressive, independent Zeytin; the friendly Nazar; and the shy puppy, Kartal. But the Turkish city is home to human strays as well, as Zeytin and her friends bond with a trio of young Syrian refugees. Elizabeth Lo’s assured feature debut tracks the canines through the city’s streets, capturing their experiences and generating deep empathy without resorting to simple anthropomorphism.