what (not) to doc

September 21, 2020 · 1:31 PM

On VOD: STUNTWOMEN: THE UNTOLD HOLLYWOOD STORY

Coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 22:
STUNTWOMEN: THE UNTOLD HOLLYWOOD STORY

Director:
April Wright

World Premiere:
Bentonville 2019

Select Festivals:
Artemis, San Antonio

About:
An exploration of the lives and careers of Hollywood stuntwomen.

Based on the eponymously titled 2015 book by Mollie Gregory, filmmaker April Wright’s documentary looks at the women behind some of film and television’s most dangerous scenes. The idea of exploring the work of stuntwomen is an intriguing one – while the topic was covered in Amanda Micheli’s compelling 2003 doc DOUBLE DARE, much time has passed, and Wright’s benefits from a present-day cultural moment of reckoning with issues of sexism that have definitely not escaped the field of stunt work. Unfortunately, the film’s explicit survey approach, eliciting a string of anecdotes from a number of stuntwomen about their experiences, combined with old-fashioned, heavily narrated storytelling, and a shaky structure, results in a surprisingly underwhelming project.

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September 21, 2020 · 12:01 PM

On TV: IN MY BLOOD IT RUNS

Coming to PBS’s POV tonight, Monday, September 21:
IN MY BLOOD IT RUNS

Director:
Maya Newell

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Sydney, AFI Docs, Durban, New Zealand, Melbourne, Brisbane, DocsMX, Warsaw

About:
A portrait of a young Aboriginal Australian boy.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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September 18, 2020 · 1:31 PM

In Virtual Release: SOFTIE

Coming to virtual cinemas today, Friday, September 18:
SOFTIE

Director:
Sam Soko

Premiere:
Sundance 2020

Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, CPH:DOX, BlackStar, Durban, Encounters, Salem, Galway, DOXA, Thin Line

About:
A chronicle of the personal and professional challenges facing an idealistic Kenyan political activist as he decides to run for office.

My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.

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Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance

September 18, 2020 · 12:01 PM

On VOD: LET THE FIRE BURN

Coming to OVID.tv today, Friday, September 18:
LET THE FIRE BURN

Director:
Jason Osder

Premiere:
Tribeca 2013

Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Vancouver, London, San Francisco, Philadelphia, AFI Docs

About:
A reckoning with the 1985 stand-off between the black liberation group MOVE and the Philadelphia Police Department.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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September 17, 2020 · 1:31 PM

On VOD: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU

Coming to OVID.tv tomorrow, Friday, September 18:
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU

Director:
Andrei Ujica

Premiere:
Cannes 2010

Select Festivals:
Toronto, San Sebastian, Transilvania, New York Film Festival

About:
A masterful film essay on Romania’s despotic leader.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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September 17, 2020 · 12:01 PM

On VOD: HISSEIN HABRÉ, A CHADIAN TRAGEDY

Coming to OVID.tv today, Thursday, September 17:
HISSEIN HABRE, A CHADIAN TRAGEDY

Director:
Mahamat-Saleh Haroun

Premiere:
Cannes 2016

Select Festivals:
Toronto, IDFA, New York, London, Dubai, CPH:DOX, Hong Kong

About:
Victims of the African dictator relate the personal impact of his crimes against the people of Chad.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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September 16, 2020 · 1:31 PM

On DVD: EARTH

New to DVD this week:
EARTH

Director:
Nikolaus Geyrhalter

World Premiere:
Berlin 2019

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Sheffield, Docaviv, Docs Against Gravity, Dokufest, BAFICI, Guanajuato, Camden, Hamptons, Diagonale, Moscow, San Francisco Green

About:
An exploration of terrestrial locations impacted by humanity in the Anthropocene.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

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September 16, 2020 · 12:01 PM

New York Film Festival 2020: Documentary Overview

Festival:
The 58th New York Film Festival

Dates:
September 17-October 11

About:
This beloved program of Film at Lincoln Center presents approximately 45 new features in a hybrid online and in-person format, among them 18 works of nonfiction. Continue reading →

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September 15, 2020 · 12:01 PM

On VOD: HOPE FROZEN

Coming to Netflix today, Tuesday, September 15:
HOPE FROZEN

Director:
Pailin Wedel

World Premiere:
Hot Docs 2019

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Transilvania, Bergen, San Diego Asian, Cucalorus, Zurich, Oxford, Hawaii, Hot Springs, Guangzhou, Cleveland

About:
A family seeks a potential second chance at life for their toddler.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
After their two-year-old daughter succumbs to cancer, a Thai couple decides to make her the youngest person to undergo the cryopreservation process, with the hope that she will have another chance at life in the future. When their story becomes national news, the family faces criticism from religious and spiritual groups. Consumed with grief, the family addresses the implications of their choice, sending their teenage son on a journey around the world to discover the scientific possibilities of cryogenic revival.