what (not) to doc

Coming to America ReFramed tomorrow, Tuesday, November 13:
ISLAND SOLDIER

Director:
Nathan Fitch

Premiere:
Full Frame 2017

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hot Docs, DOK.fest Munich, Big Sky Doc, One World, Hawaii, Atlanta, San Diego Asian, Asian American fests in Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles

About:
An exploration of the sacrifices made by foreign soldiers in the US military.

The film screened as part of DOC NYC, for which our program notes read:
The beautiful, remote islands of Micronesia, a US protectorate, contribute a disproportionate number of soldiers to the American armed forces. Looking for a way out of poverty, these Pacific Islanders leave their communities in pursuit of the American Dream. unfortunately some, like Sapp Nena, pay for it with their lives. Exploring the impact of their absence on the families and communities they leave behind, Nathan Fitch’s thoughtful film questions whether the benefits of US protection are worth the substantial costs of fighting its wars.

Coming to NYC’s Maysles Cinema today, Friday, November 9:
FAIL STATE

Director:
Alexander Shebanow

Premiere:
Austin 2017

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Big Sky, SXSW EDU, Cleveland, Nashville, Brooklyn

About:
An exposé of predatory for-profit colleges.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
Executive produced by Dan Rather, this revealing film explores the dark side of higher education in America, focusing on the rise of for-profit colleges. Echoing the subprime mortgage crisis, these private institutions target lower-income and minority students, who become saddled with student loan debt and, often, worthless degrees. Director Alex Shebanow traces the historical rise, fall, and resurgence of these predatory schools, reveals their Wall Street backing, and demonstrates the co-opting of American higher education into an engine of inequality.

New to VOD this week:
EVERY ACT OF LIFE

Director:
Jeff Kaufman

Premiere:
Tribeca 2018

Select Festivals:
Seattle, Tel Aviv, Nashville, Provincetown, Inside Out, Frameline, Outfest, LGBT fests in Miami, Portland, San Diego, Hartford, Vancouver, and Austin

About:
A look at the life and work of acclaimed playwright Terrence McNally.

Drawing from intimate interviews with McNally, his husband, and a who’s who of artistic collaborators, from Angela Lansbury and Edie Falco to Nathan Lane and F Murray Abraham, as well as extensive archival footage of performances, advertisements, and interviews of McNally’s many plays, the film traces the 78-year-old playwright’s life and work over the decades. He was among the first playwrights to write strong gay roles and push culture forward in acceptance. McNally and several collaborators reflect on many of his hits, on the actors whose careers he helped launch, and how his personal life entered into his award-winning work. While Jeff Kaufman’s treatment is conventional, it’s a professional profile and both comprehensive and satisfying, and McNally makes for a fantastic subject.

New to DVD this week:
BIG SONIA

Directors:
Leah Warshawski and Todd Soliday

Premiere:
Napa Valley 2016

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Seattle, Cleveland, Sun Valley, Big Sky Doc, Milwaukee, Durban, Jewish fests in San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta, Palm beach, Charlotte, Kansas City, Southampton, and Miami

About:
An intimate and at times humorous portrait of an unstoppable Holocaust survivor.

I previously wrote about the doc here.