what (not) to doc

Photo courtesy Library of Congress

Director:
Randall MacLowry

World Premiere:
American Experience (September 2019)

About:
An in-depth look at the legendary conflict between the Hatfields and the McCoys.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

New to DVD this week:
COLLEGE BEHIND BARS

Director:
Lynn Novick

World Premiere:
New York Film Festival 2019

Select Festivals:
Harlem Doc Fest

About:
A four-part chronicle of incarcerated individuals seeking higher eduction degrees while serving time.

I previously wrote about the docuseries here.

Coming to OVID.tv today, Tuesday, December 10:
UNDER THE SUN

Director:
Vitaly Mansky

World Premiere:
DOK.Leipzig

Select Festivals:
Nantucket, IDFA, Hot Docs, Tallinn Black Nights, Jihlava, DocPoint, SXSW, DOXA, San Francisco, Seattle

About:
An authorized portrait of a typical North Korean family becomes a subversive look at life in North Korea.

I previously wrote about the film here.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, December 10:
WORLDS OF URSULA K LE GUIN

Director:
Arwen Curry

World Premiere:
Sheffield 2018

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Ashland, Mill Valley, BendFilm, Austin, Boston Sci-Fi, Berlin Sci-Fi, Sebastopol Doc, Belfast, Newport Beach

About:
An intimate portrait of the pioneering author.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to theatres today, Friday, December 6:
A GERMAN YOUTH

Director:
Jean-Gabriel Périot

Premiere:
Berlin 2015

Select Festivals:
IDFA, Art of the Real, Cinéma du Réel, Visions du Réel, BAFICI, San Francisco, IndieLisboa, Docaviv, Moscow, Transilvania, Melbourne, Sarajevo, Bergen, Hamptons, New Horizons

About:
A rich portrait of key members of the Red Army Faction, composed entirely through found footage.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to theatres today, Friday, December 6:
WHEN LAMBS BECOME LIONS

Director:
Jon Kasbe

World Premiere:
Tribeca 2018

Select Festivals:
Sheffield, New Orleans, Mountainfilm, Denver, Zurich, Planet in Focus, San Diego, Movies That Matter, Docs Against Gravity, Budapest Docs, Wild & Scenic, Washington DC Enviro, Philadelphia Enviro, Indie Grits

About:
A complex exploration of ivory hunting, from the perspectives of ranger and poacher.

Set in Kenya, director Jon Kasbe’s well-constructed film offers a remarkably insider look at the ivory trade, focused on an ivory dealer called X and his cousin, Asan, a former poacher turned ranger tasked with preventing poaching. Embedding with both men, the filmmaker demonstrates the unforgiving economic reality that sustains the illegal killing of elephants. While X is an unlikable figure, disingenuously attempting to elide his role in the slaughter of animals by noting that his colleague, Lukas, is the one who shoots them while he only supervises, it’s made evident that X seems to have few options. He was born into this detestable profession and there are few ways to support his family – a situation facing Asan, who has worked unpaid for months, and faces the moral dilemma of helping his cousin with his illegal activities. Kasbe’s observational approach provides no easy answers or judgement, which will rankle some viewers, but it makes for an impressive and distinct portrait of a well-covered topic.