what (not) to doc

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, November 23:
HILLBILLY

Directors:
Sally Rubin and Ashley York

Premiere:
Nashville 2018

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Los Angeles, Traverse City, SF DocFest, Hot Springs Doc, Heartland, Southern Circuit

About:
A personal exploration of the representation of rural America.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
America’s mountain and rural populace has long been an easy target for ridicule. Stereotyped in the media as lazy and ignorant, and dismissed by politicians as backwards, they’re considered the lowest rung of American society. Directors Rubin and York return to York’s hometown in the Appalachian hills to give voice to the thoughts of this complex community, revealing a racially, politically, and sexually diverse population who stand strong and proud of who they are.

Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, November 23:
FAMILY IN TRANSITION

Director:
Ofir Trainin

Premiere:
Docaviv 2018

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC

About:
A husband and father’s transition from male to female changes the dynamics of the family in unanticipated way.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Amit, a father of four living in a small town in Israel, tells his wife, Galit, that he is a woman and wants to transition. Galit pledges her support, ready to overcome surgery, social stigma and bureaucracy to maintain her marriage. But, as Amit transforms into the woman she was meant to be, tensions arise while everyone in the family readjusts to understand themselves and each other anew. In the process, Galit must redefine her own identity and what it means to be a parent, a spouse, and a lover.

New to DVD and VOD this week:
MAKING THE GRADE

Director:
Ken Wardrop

Premiere:
SXSW 2018

Select Festivals:
Hamptons, Seattle, Newport Beach

About:
On piano teachers and their students in Ireland.

In Ireland, approximately 30,000 students of various ages take different levels of piano exams each year. Demonstrating his signature humanism and warmth, director Ken Wardrop offers a peek into the lessons of a cross-section of these Mozart hopefuls, from the beginning grades through to the most proficient. Though neither the exam nor its results are revealed here, it’s clear that not everyone in the film will pass, as, in many ways, that’s besides the point. The film never dives deep into any individual stories, but the result is an affectionate mosaic of the relationship between piano teacher and student, while at the same time a love letter to music education and appreciation.

Coming to DVD/VOD today, Tuesday, November 20:
LIFE IN THE DOGHOUSE

Director:
Ron Davis

Premiere:
Provincetown 2018

Select Festivals:
Frameline, Newport, Sedona

About:
A gay couple turns their home into a dog rescue.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to the JCC Manhattan tonight, Monday, November 19 and to theatres this Wednesday, November 21:
THE WORLD BEFORE YOUR FEET

Director:
Jeremy Workman

Premiere:
SXSW 2018

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Denver, IFF Boston, Nashville, RiverRun, Newport Beach, deadCENTER, Heartland, Bergen, Woodstock, Hot Springs Doc

About:
A man explores NYC by walking every single one of its streets.

The doc screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
Executive produced by Jesse Eisenberg and directed by DOC NYC alumnus Jeremy Workman (MAGICAL UNIVERSE), this film is at once a love letter to NYC and a reminder of the joy and wonder of discovery, as experienced by a man on a personal, if inexplicable, mission. For more than six years, Matt Green has been methodically walking the streets of the city with the goal of eventually covering every single block, more than 8,000 miles. He has happily given up virtually everything to enable this personal quest—including his engineering job, apartment and possessions. As revealed in this charming portrait, the discoveries the easygoing urban explorer makes along the way prove the best reward.