Coming to PBS’s POV tomorrow, Friday, October 2: AI WEIWEI: THE FAKE CASE
Andreas Johnsen’s chronicle of the dissident artist’s ongoing troubles with the Chinese government made its world premiere at IDFA in 2013. It went on to screen at Hot Docs, One World, Istanbul, Tempo, Tampere, and DocsBarcelona, among others.
I previously wrote about the film upon its theatrical release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Wednesday, September 29: THE CREEPING GARDEN
Tim Grabham and Jasper Sharp’s exploration of the strange world of slime mold debuted at Fantasia last year. Other screenings have included Hot Docs, Fantastic Fest, Imagine Science, CPH:DOX, Leeds, Cleveland, New Horizons, Revelation, and DOXA.
Grabham and Sharp go on a wide-ranging cinematic forage for slime mold, the bizarre, mobile organisms that used to be considered fungi, behave a bit like a plant and a bit like an animal, and come in a range of types, most resembling something out of a science fiction film. Rather than taking a straightforward TV nature doc approach, the film refreshingly adopts a distinctly quirky tone, down to its unearthly score, as the directors profile several individuals who work with slime mold in intriguing ways. Beyond scientists or amateur foragers who study the strange lifeform, the film visits with a visual artist who collaborates with slime mold, a computer scientist who has demonstrated their ability to create some rather uncanny mapping of pathways, and a composer who incorporates them into his won creative work. Beyond this, the filmmakers even revisit a fun 1931 film starring slime molds, Percy Smith’s MAGIC MIXIES, and its pioneering use of time-lapse photography. The overall result is a clever, fascinating work of science-nonfiction.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 29: THE HUMAN EXPERIMENT
Dana Nachman and Don Hardy’s warning of the dangers of everyday chemicals had its premiere at Mill Valley in 2013. Other fests have included IDFA, Big Sky, One World, Boulder, Cleveland, Nashville, Planete + Doc, and Washington DC’s Environmental fests, among others.
I previously wrote about the doc upon its initial release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, September 29: CARTEL LAND
Matthew Heineman’s immersive exploration into the response to Mexico’s cartel violence debuted at Sundance this year, winning two awards. Other fests have includes Nantucket, True/False, Martha’s Vineyard, Full Frame, Dallas, Sarasota, Tribeca, IFF Boston, Documenta, Docville, Seattle, Sydney, Human Rights Watch, AFI Docs, and Sheffield, among others.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29: ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: THE WILD, UNTOLD STORY OF CANNON FILMS
Mark Hartley’s love letter to the Golan-Globus producing team had its world premiere at Melbourne last year. Other fests included Toronto, London, Haifa, Sitges, Mar del Plata, Rotterdam, San Francisco, Glasgow, Dublin, New Horizons, and Fantastic Fest, among others.
I previously wrote about the doc upon its theatrical release here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD today, Monday, September 28: SUNSHINE SUPERMAN
Marah Strauch’s look at the life of an adventure seeker made its world premiere at Toronto last year. It went on to the New York Film Festival, Martha’s Vineyard, Sarasota, Montclair, Cleveland, Vancouver, and Florida, among other events. Magnolia now makes the film available for VOD and digital download.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29: SOUL BOYS OF THE WESTERN WORLD
George Hencken’s history of Spandau Ballet had its world premiere at SXSW last year. Other fest slots included DOC NYC, Rome, Sheffield, CPH:DOX, BAFICI, and In-Edit.
I previously wrote about the film here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, June 29: A MURDER IN THE PARK
Shawn Rech and Brandon Kimber’s exposé of the truth behind a controversial murder case had its world premiere at DOC NYC last year. It went on to screen at Cleveland and to enjoy a limited theatrical release.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, September 25: SLEEPLESS IN NEW YORK
Christian Frei’s look at heartbreak debuted at Visions du Réel last year. Other fests included Hot Docs, DOK.fest Munich, Planete+ Doc, Docville, EDOC, Locarno, Dokufest, DocPoint, BAFICI, and ZagrebDox.
Wishing to explore the phenomenon of lovesickness, Frei solicits the recently lovelorn via street flyers, finding three people more than happy to share their obsession on camera: Alley, rejected just days ago by her boyfriend of several years; Michael, whose longtime live-in girlfriend dumped him two weeks ago; and Rosey, who’s finally realizing the one-night fling at the Mermaid Parade she had with an out-of-town lothario isn’t going to lead to anything. While the hopelessly hipster Rosey is perhaps the most insufferable of the three, all of them are awash in such rampant self-absorption that it’s difficult to watch. Certainly, we’ve all been there before, but few of us have broadcast it to the world quite so pointedly. Luckily, Frei mitigates this cringeworthiness to some extent by incorporating the views of the often insightful Professor Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist who has studied the impact of love – and its loss – on the brain, and who refers to it at one point as a “horrible addiction.”
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, September 25: BECOMING BULLETPROOF
Michael Barnett’s behind-the-scenes look at the making of a unique film made its debut at Vancouver last year. Its fest circuit has also included Heartland, Cleveland, Newport Beach, Martha’s Vineyard, and Vail, among others.
Once a year, the adult summer camp collective called Zeno Mountain Farm, which unites the disabled and non-disabled, creates a short film. Barnett’s inviting doc chronicles the production of their stab at a western, titled BULLETPROOF, which integrates actors with disabilities without being an explicitly cause-focused film. Similarly, while Barnett follows subjects like AJ, a man with cerebral palsy, on and off set, demonstrating at times the everyday challenges his condition presents, the film’s chief aim is to document organically Zeno’s process and its impact on its participants. Certainly the takeaway is that inclusive experiences like this are all-too-rare, and that they benefit all involved, transcending a sense of pity or awkward discomfort to open up genuine, creative, and social connections between disparate individuals.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
