photo by Berry Berenson Perkins
Director:
Frédéric Tcheng
Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Tribeca, Seattle, Montclair, Sarasota
About:
An exploration of the life and legacy of America’s first celebrity designer.
My pre-Sundance doc profile may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
photo by Guy Le Querrec
Director:
Stanley Nelson
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
Sydney, Miami, Cleveland, Atlanta, RiverRun, Montclair, Krakow, Seattle, Munich, Indielisboa, Tallgrass, Milwaukee,
About:
An expansive portrait of the life and work of the jazz pioneer.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, August 23:
FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES
Director:
Max Lewkowicz
World Premiere:
Toronto Jewish Film Festival 2019
Select Festivals:
Jewish fests in San Francisco, Minneapolis, St Paul, Miami, Atlanta, and Denver
About:
A wide-ranging look at the origins and enduring legacy of the musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.
Since its debut in 1964, the Broadway musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF became first a sensation and then a classic, notably, if the end of director Max Lewkowicz’s tribute to the show can be trusted as not mere hyperbole, having been performed somewhere around the world each day since then. This doc gathers creators, cast and crew from the original run as well as subsequent stagings, in addition to individuals connected to the 1971 film adaptation, and cultural critics for good measure, creating an expansive close reading of the show, detailing its inspirations, parsing each song, and relating the whole to sociohistorical developments including feminism and civil rights, as well as, of course, the Jewish experience. While musical theatre fans and Jewish audiences are the natural audiences for Lewkowicz’s fim, this broader contextualization helps make the argument for a wider and more diverse viewership, and informs the show’s perennial appeal. The latter is demonstrated through brief looks at stagings in places like Thailand and Japan, as well as the story of a controversial 1970 African-American and Latinx high school version. Although the doc’s survey approach makes it feel on the longer side, the film should still connect with an appreciative audience.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to theatres and to Hulu tomorrow, Friday, August 23:
JAWLINE
Director:
Liza Mandelup
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, CPH:DOX, San Francisco, Sheffield, Thin Line Doc, BAMcinemaFest, Munich, New Zealand
About:
A portrait of a hopeful young online personality and the machine that drives success in this strange new world.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films tomorrow, Thursday, August 22:
ANBESSA
Director:
Mo Scarpelli
World Premiere:
Berlin 2019
Select Festival:
Hot Docs, Maryland, Mountainfilm Telluride, Woods Hole, Human Rights Watch, Berkshire
About:
A portrait of a rural Ethiopian boy as he contends with modern development.
10-year-old Asalif lives on the outskirts of Addis Ababa with his mother in a small structure with intermittent electricity. Sprouting up around them but financially out of reach for his family is a new complex of condominiums, whose inhabitants frequently throw out treasure that the creative Asalif scavenges to repurpose into lights and toys. At night, he hears hyenas in the distance, and during the day, he occasionally listens to tall tales from the older men at the local bar. In her likeable but too understated portrait, director Mo Scarpelli observes Asalif’s childlike wonder as he explores his rapidly changing environment, plays – and fights with – local boys, and, less successfully, injects a dose of magical realism by reimagining Asalif as a would-be lion – the film’s title in Amharic – on the prowl, defending his limited domain.
Filed under Documentary, Film
New to DVD this week:
BE NATURAL: THE UNTOLD STORY OF ALICE GUY-BLACHÉ
Director:
Pamela B Green
Premiere:
Cannes 2018
Select Festivals:
Telluride, New York, London, Deauville, Rio, Göteborg
About:
Unearthing the largely forgotten story of the world’s first female film director.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, August 20:
DONKEYOTE
Director:
Chico Pereira
World Premiere:
Rotterdam 2017
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hot Docs, True/False, Full Frame, San Francisco, Edinburgh, AFI Docs, Munich, DocsMX, DocumentaMadrid
About:
A Spaniard sets off an a seemingly impossible journey with his animals by his side.
I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
Director Chico Pereira’s 73-year-old Uncle Manolo dreams of walking the Trail of Tears with his beloved donkey Gorrión and his faithful dog Zafrana at his side. Transporting an aquaphobic donkey to America from Spain presents just one of a series of challenges, but Manolo won’t let that stop him from his quixotic quest. Donkeyote captures the distinct personalities of Manolo and his loyal companions in this charming portrait of unlikely adventure.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres and to Netflix tomorrow, Wednesday, August 21:
AMERICAN FACTORY
Directors:
Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert
World Premiere:
Sundance 2019
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Hot Docs, CPH:DOX, Tribeca, Sheffield, Full Frame, San Francisco, Cleveland, Sarasota, RiverRun, Ashland, Seattle, Documentary Edge, Biografilm, AFI Docs, Sydney, Traverse City
About:
An observational portrait of the culture clash that results when an Ohio factory is opened by a Chinese company.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films tomorrrow, Tuesday, August 20:
THE HOTTEST AUGUST
Director:
Brett Story
World Premiere:
True/False 2019
Select Festivals:
SXSW, Hot Docs, CPH:DOX, BAMcinemaFest, Sheffield, DOXA, Montclair, DokuFest, Open City Doc, Sarasota, Maryland
About:
An exploration of climate change and late-stage capitalism.
Filmed two Summers ago throughout New York City, director Brett Story’s film is a panoramic study of working-class anxieties. While semi-poetic narration occasionally is employed, the bulk of the film consists of everyday New Yorkers discussing things on their mind, touching on the economy, the environment, and other issues of the day, revealing a depressing amount of casual racism, cynicism, and ignorance that is meant to stand in microcosm for Trump-era America. While some of the unidentified subjects and their commentary – and the subtle links Story draws between them in the film’s edit – are compelling in their own way, their overall impact is muted by their episodic nature. As a result, the film succeeds in creating a sense of uneasiness, but not feeling particularly satisfying in the end.
Filed under Documentary, Film
Coming to DVD and VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, August 20:
THE BIGGEST LITTLE FARM
Director:
John Chester
Premiere:
Telluride 2018
Select Festivals:
Sundance, DOC NYC, Toronto, Berlin, Miami, Hamptons, Napa Valley, AFI Fest, Palm Springs, Thessaloniki Doc, CPH:DOX, Sarasota, Sun Valley, Newport Beach, Montclair
About:
For over eight years, John and Molly Chester find ways to work with nature to establish a biodynamic farm.
I profiled the doc before Sundance here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
what (not) to doc 