Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, March 19:
HILLBILLY
Directors:
Sally Rubin and Ashley York
Premiere:
Nashville 2018
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Los Angeles, Traverse City, SF DocFest, Hot Springs Doc, Heartland, Southern Circuit
About:
A personal exploration of the representation of rural America.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
CRADLE OF CHAMPIONS
Director:
Bartle Bull
Premiere:
Santa Barbara 2017
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, St Louis, Big Sky Doc, Southern Circuit, Manchester
About:
A portrait of three boxers vying for the Golden Gloves.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC, saying:
Since the 1920s, New York City’s amateur boxers have competed for glory in the Golden Gloves. The legendary annual boxing tournament now lasts three months and attracts 500 fighters, among them Titus Williams, James Wilkins, and Nisa Rodriguez. Director Bartle Bull and his collaborators, including acclaimed cinematographers Tom Hurwitz and Kirsten Johnson, follow these scrappy young athletes as they fight for their Golden Gloves dreams and the life-changing opportunities that may follow victory.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
photo by Drew Kelly
Director:
Alex Gibney
Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
SXSW
About:
An investigation into the high-profile rise and fall of discredited health tech company Theranos.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, March 18:
306 HOLLYWOOD
Directors:
Elan Bogarín and Jonathan Bogarín
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Hot Docs, Full Frame, Cleveland, Sarasota, Montclair, Aspen Ideas, Atlanta, Berkshire, Woods Hole, San Francisco Jewish
About:
A magical realist archaeological exploration of the filmmakers’ late grandmother’s home and possessions.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, March 15:
COMBAT OBSCURA
Director:
Miles Lagoze
Premiere:
True/False 2018
Select Festivals:
AFI Docs, Jihlava, Dallas, FID Marseille, Virginia, DocuWest, Brisbane
About:
A candid, insider look at the lives of US Marines.
Miles Lagoze became a filmmaker as a Marine. Deployed to Afghanistan, he served as a combat photographer, shooting mission footage for recruitment and news coverage purposes. He kept his camera running beyond this practical concern, capturing with stark veracity the experiences of his fellow soldiers. Shaky handheld footage thrusts the viewer right in the midst of the chaos of combat on one hand, and the monotony of routine on the other. Composed of episodic verité rather than following any particular narrative development, the project might wear out its welcome for some viewers, but nevertheless offers a compelling, ground-level perspective on the futility of the seemingly endless war in Afghanistan.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to theatres this Friday, March 15:
THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES
Director:
Mark Cousins
Premiere:
Cannes 2018
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Karlovy Vary, Antenna Doc, Haifa, Taipei Golden Horse, Morelia, Dokufest, Melbourne, Biografilm
About:
A new perspective on the creativity of iconic filmmaker Orson Welles.
The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Esteemed film historian Mark Cousins (THE STORY OF FILM) takes a novel approach to Orson Welles by studying the legendary filmmaker’s paintings, drawings, and doodles. Granted exclusive access to Welles’ private artwork, Cousins presents an unorthodox portrait, and one informed by the documentarian’s signature personal essayistic approach. Critic Todd McCarthy writes, “Freshly conceived, mordantly whimsical, light on its feet and fleet of mind, THE EYES OF ORSON WELLES rightly makes no extensive claims for Welles’ drawing and painting skills, but positions them honestly as one heretofore overlooked aspect of the man’s polymorphously abundant talent.”
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD this Friday, March 15:
TRUST MACHINE: THE STORY OF BLOCKCHAIN
Director:
Alex Winter
Premiere:
NYC theatrical (October 2018)
Select Festivals:
Tallinn Black Nights
About:
An exploration of the technology behind not only cryptocurrency, but decentralization of information as a whole.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, March 12:
DIVIDE AND CONQUER: THE STORY OF ROGER AILES
Director:
Alexis Bloom
Premiere:
Toronto 2018
Select Festivals:
New York, Hamptons, AFI Fest, Philadelphia, Indie Memphis, Virginia
About:
The rise and fall of the master manipulator behind Fox News.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, March 12:
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 tomorrow, Tuesday, March 12:
CHEF FLYNN
Director:
Cameron Yates
Premiere:
Sundance 2018
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Berlin, Hot Docs, CPH:DOX, SXSW, San Francisco, Cleveland, BAFICI, Docaviv, Sydney, Nashville, Traverse City, DMZ Docs, Film Columbia
About:
A compelling coming of age portrait of a talented young chef.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
what (not) to doc 