Category Archives: Releases

Coming to ESPN as part of their Nine for IX series next Tuesday, July 16: LET THEM WEAR TOWELS

Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg’s revisitation of the double standards female journalists once faced debuted at Tribeca this year. The film was commissioned by ESPN for its women-directed, women in sports doc series, an offshoot of sorts to the network’s popular 30 for 30 doc brand.

I included the doc in my Tribeca coverage here.

Coming to WORLD Channel’s Global Voices series this Sunday, July 14: INVOKING JUSTICE

Deepa Dhanraj’s look at Muslim South Indian women uniting to ensure justice under Sharia law made its debut at IDFA in 2011. Its festival run has included Hawaii, DocPoint, One World, CAAMFest, and NY’s Asian American fest, among others.

In Southern India’s Tamil Nadu, disputes involving family issues – dowries to divorces, domestic violence to murder – used to be adjudicated by local Jamaats, all-male assemblies tasked with applying Sharia law, without women present to offer testimony or defense. In 2004, this practice changed, when a Women’s Jamaat was formed to attend directly to women’s issues, a radical and controversial idea that nevertheless proved popular as women became emboldened by its equal application of the law. Dhanraj’s film focuses on the work of a Women’s Jamaat as its fierce advocates seek justice for a mother whose daughter was allegedly set aflame by her husband and in-laws in a dowry dispute, and for a battered wife who’s finally reached her limit when her husband makes inappropriate sexual advances to their daughter. Eye-opening in its raw exposé of continuing gender inequities and corruption, the film nevertheless leaves the viewer feeling that these women are making a real difference, working from within the bounds of the system to reclaim their religion from extremists who would use it to subjugate and do violence upon women.

Coming to theatres this Friday, July 12: TERMS AND CONDITIONS MAY APPLY

Cullen Hoback’s indepth investigation of privacy in the age of the Internet made its debut at Slamdance. It went on to screen at Hot Docs, Dallas, Newport Beach, Sonoma, SF DocFest, and Seattle.

I included the doc in my Hot Docs coverage here.

Coming to ESPN as part of their Nine for IX initiative tonight, Tuesday, July 9: PAT XO

Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern’s portrait of coach Pat Summitt made its bow at Tribeca this Spring. It’s the second film in ESPN’s new series, which explores women in sports, directed by women.

I included the doc in my Tribeca coverage here.

Coming to PBS and VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, July 9 and already released on DVD: AGE OF CHAMPIONS

Christopher Rufo’s portrait of senior citizen athletes had its world premiere at Silverdocs in 2011. It went on to screen at Austin, San Diego, Fargo, and Documentary Edge, among other fests, as well as several community screenings and conferences on aging. Its digital release includes iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, and more.

A diverse assemblage of athletes from around the US gather every two years to compete in the Senior Games, demonstrating the benefits of active aging. Rufo follows a number of appealing competitors, from centenarian tennis champ Roger to African American swimming brothers John and Bradford, who remember the days when there were no integrated pools in their hometown of Washington DC. These seniors take their sports seriously – witness Louisiana’s five-time women’s basketball gold medalists the Tigerettes, Southern belles with a reputation for aggressive play – making this no cutesy pandering old folk doc. While viewers might not ever completely forget that they’re watching senior citizens, Rufa’s light but enjoyable film is never reductive, presenting instead rounded, and inspiring, portraits of active individuals who thrive on sport and camaraderie with their peers.

Coming to PBS’s POV and to DVD this coming Monday, July 8: HERMAN’S HOUSE

Angad Singh Bhalla’s story of a friendship forged to combat life behind bars had its world premiere at True/False last year. Its festival circuit included Full Frame, Hot Docs, Camden, Hamptons, Antenna, New Orleans, RIDM, SF Doc, and United Nations Association, among others, as well as a limited theatrical run and community screenings.

I previously wrote about the doc out of Hot Docs here.

Coming to VOD today, Wednesday, July 3 and to theatres this Friday, July 5: A GIRL AND A GUN

Cathryne Czubek’s look at the complicated relationship between women and firearms had its debut at DOC NYC last year. It went on to screen at Sarasota and Montclair, among other festivals.

I included the film in my DOC NYC coverage here.