Category Archives: Releases

Coming to PBS’s American Masters tomorrow, Friday, September 7:
WYETH

Director:
Glenn Holsten

Premiere:
Provincetown 2018

About:
An exploration of the popular American painter Andrew Wyeth.

In this well-researched and composed portrait, Glenn Holsten pays tribute to Wyeth, who, despite – or perhaps because – being acknowledged as one of the 20th Century’s most popular artists, found his work sharply criticized or outright dismissed by the larger art establishment of his day, which favored the rise of abstract expressionism rather than his seemingly old-fashion figurative work. The film takes issue with this perspective, arguing for the depth of feeling and masterful technique displayed in Wyeth’s work, demonstrated by an exhaustive review of his paintings. In addition to recounting the biographical detail about the artist’s family and upbringing that is de rigueur for the PBS strand, Holsten spends productive time exploring the importance of several muses, including his neighbor Christina Olsen, who features in his celebrated and haunting piece, Christina’s World, and Helga Testorf, who inspired 15 years of secret paintings, the 1986 revelation of which resulted in controversy.

Coming to Netflix tomorrow, Friday, September 7:
CITY OF JOY

Director:
Madeleine Gavin

Premiere:
DOC NYC 2016

Select Festivals:
Cleveland, Raindance, Ashland, Tallgrass, Mill Valley, Newport Beach, Woods Hole, Athena, Dallas, Workers Unite

About:
A profile of a Congolese community that helps train sexual assault survivors to help others back in their communities.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
The City of Joy is a community for women survivors of violence in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Opened in 2011, the project was founded by Eve Ensler, Dr. Denis Mukwege, Christine Schuler Deschryver, and supported by V-Day. The film chronicles the institution’s first class of resilient women as they process their trauma and create a revolutionary community. We see survivors transformed into leaders and sorrow turned into hope. Each day at City of Joy is a lesson.

New to VOD this week:
ANATOMY OF A MALE BALLET DANCER

Directors:
David Barba and James Pellerito

Premiere:
Dance on Camera 2017

Select Festivals:
Full Frame, AFI Docs, Provincetown, DocUtah, Rio, GlobeDocs, Raindance, Hot Springs Doc, Key West, SF Dance, Austin LGBT

About:
A portrait of longtime American Ballet Theater principal dancer Marcelo Gomes.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

New to VOD this week:
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRÉ

Director:
Kate Novack

Premiere:
Toronto 2017

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Tribeca, Palm Springs, CPH:DOX, RiverRun, Montclair, IFF Boston, Seattle, Melbourne Queer,

About:
A portrait of influential fashion editor André Leon Talley.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to PBS tomorrow, Tuesday, September 4:
EX LIBRIS: THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

Director:
Frederick Wiseman

Premiere:
Venice 2017

Select Festivals:
Toronto, IDFA, CPH:DOX, London, Busan, Zurich, Hamburg, Rio, Vienna, Camerimage

About:
An immersive look at the titular institution.

Wiseman, the master of institutional portraits, here introduces the viewer to the various roles and functions of the New York Public Library. Far from being only a storehouse for books, the NYPL – as represented by several of its 92 branches citywide – instead underscores its essential role in serving the citizenry. Less about the literature it offers and more about the people who make use of it, Wiseman’s film drops the audience into a seemingly endless buzz of activity, from job recruitment fairs to book club meetings, children’s literacy programs and conversations with the likes of Patti Smith and Ta-Nehisi Coates, music concerts and accessibility programs for the blind and deaf. As in several of his other works, the director also offers intriguing behind the scenes moments, revealing library staff addressing how they are staying current and relevant to the needs of their users, such as offering expanded Internet access and a greater selection of eBooks. While its arguable that Wiseman could have accomplished as vibrant a profile in less than the film’s 3 hour plus run time, it remains an illuminating project.