Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, May 3: BIKES VS CARS
Fredrik Gertten’s consideration of personal transportation choices debuted at Tempo Documentary Festival last year. The film went on to screen at SXSW, Docs Against Gravity, Sydney, Melbourne, Transilvania, Big Sky, Sedona, SF Green, and DC’s Environmental fest.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to Logo tomorrow, Tuesday, May 3: MIND/GAME: THE UNQUIET JOURNEY OF CHAMIQUE HOLDSCLAW
Rick Goldsmith’s portrait of a basketball star’s struggle with mental illness made its debut at Nashville last year, where it won an audience award. The film went on to screen at Frameline, Atlanta’s Out on Film, San Francisco Jewish, and Queens World, among other events.
Chamique Holdsclaw emerged from a championship career in college basketball to be a number one draft pick in the WNBA, nicknamed the “female Michael Jordan” and deemed by some sports writers as good enough to compete against any pro, female or male. Despite her potential, her professional career didn’t go as planned, as chronicled in Goldsmith’s featurette. Instead, the athlete found herself struggling with clinical depression, unsure how to even seek out help. Over time, she thankfully got the help she needed, and became an advocate for mental health awareness. While the film has some serious issues – chiefly very awkward narration, and, to a more limited extent, a strange semi-avoidance of Holdsclaw’s sexuality – it does offer some interesting insight into the challenges of addressing mental health within African American communities and among athletes.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to PBS’s American Masters tomorrow, Tuesday, May 3 and to DVD and VOD this Friday, May 6: JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE
Amy Berg’s profile of Janis Joplin debuted at Venice last year. Other festival berths included Toronto, DOC NYC, Deauville, Rio, London, Warsaw, and Poland’s American Film Festival, followed by a theatrical release.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, April 29: TRANSFIXED
Alon Kol’s chronicle of an unconventional couple had its world premiere at Thessaloniki Doc last year. Screenings followed at Montreal’s Nouveau Cinema, Cinequest, and Inside Out, among other events.
Martine and John met in a support group for Asperger’s Syndrome in Toronto and began dating in 2003. They’re a happy couple, but in John’s view, one major thing has kept them from being as close as they’d like: Martine is transgender, but has not yet had bottom surgery. He refuses to marry her – or have intercourse – until she addresses that issue. Complicating matters, just as Martine is about to have gender reassignment surgery, the Ontario government decides to stop including such costly procedures under health care coverage. Middle aged and working class, Martine feels she has no choice but to become an activist, and sues the government on the grounds of discrimination, ultimately winning her case. Despite the victory, Martine’s weight and corresponding health issues create significant delays to gaining medical approval to proceed with the surgery. Kol follows her as she seeks a solution, through the surgery, and into her recovery, in the process exploring Martine’s relationship with John. The couple’s Asperger’s, and John’s additional Tourette Syndrome, at times make it difficult to connect with the viewer – John in particular often comes off as brusque – and Kol’s filmmaking is decidedly on the rougher side, but theirs is ultimately an appealing underdog story.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to PBS’s Independent Lens this coming Monday, May 2: MY NAZI LEGACY
David Evans’ look at the generational impact of two high-ranking Nazis premiered at Tribeca last year. Other screenings included Jerusalem, Vancouver, Hamburg, London, Stockholm, and San Francisco Jewish film fests.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to HBO this coming Monday, May 2: CLAUDE LANZMANN: SPECTRES OF THE SHOAH
Adam Benzine’s portrait of the celebrated filmmaker debuted at Hot Docs last year. Its extensive festival run also included DOC NYC, Sheffield, San Francisco Jewish, Camden, Hot Springs Doc, Viennale, IDFA, Hamptons, and Dokufest. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Short Documentary.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
In 1973, French journalist Claude Lanzmann set out to make a documentary about the Holocaust. After twelve long years, he finally released the nearly ten-hour-long SHOAH to critical acclaim. For the first time, the 89-year-old auteur reflects on the challenges he faced to realize his vision. Adam Benzine combines fascinating unused footage from the film with candid thoughts from Lanzmann to reveal the impact of this seminal project on his life.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD this Sunday, May 1: GAYBY BABY
Maya Newell’s profile of several children of same-sex parents had its world premiere at Hot Docs last year. Other festival appearances have included DOC NYC, London, Melbourne, Sydney, Documentary Edge, Warsaw, and DOK Leipzig. Its VOD release is timed to coincide with International Family Equality Day.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Wednesday, April 27: EVA HESSE
Marcie Begleiter’s look back at the postminimalist pioneer had its world premiere at the Whitney Museum of American Art last May. The film has also screened at Denver’s Women + Film series, the Washington Jewish Film Festival, and the Wexner Center for the Arts.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD and VOD today, Tuesday, April 26: PACKED IN A TRUNK: THE LOST ART OF EDITH LAKE WILKINSON
Michelle Boyaner’s rediscovery of a lost artist debuted at Palm Springs last year. it went on to screen at Provincetown, Frameline, and LGBT fests in Halifax, Kansas City, and Portland, before being broadcast on HBO last Summer.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to PBS’s America ReFramed tonight, Tuesday, April 26: IN AN IDEAL WORLD
Noel Schwerin’s look at racial divisions in prison debuted at the Washington DC Independent Film Festival last year. Additional screenings included San Luis Obispo, Ojai, Harlem, Hoboken, Breckenridge, San Francisco Black, and Chicago’s Social Change fests.
Filmed over seven years, Schwerin’s project looks at institutionalized racial segregation through the experiences of three men in northern California’s Soledad Prison: Warden Ben Curry and two prisoners – Sam Lewis, who is black, and John Piccirillo, who is white. While segregation has been encouraged as a means to maintain order in an often dangerous environment, separating African American, Latino, and white prisoners into self-policing subgroups with their own codes of conduct, it has also encouraged the spread of white supremacist ideology and racially motivated violence and tension. Facing federal pressure to reform prison segregation policies, Warden Curry begins an anti-violence program that affords inmates like Lewis and Piccirillo the opportunity to cross racial lines and share their experiences in the prison system, and hopes for its change. While presenting a sobering message on the systemic challenges facing America’s correctional institutions, Schwerin’s film ultimately offers a redemptive perspective.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
what (not) to doc 