New to DVD this week:
THE MUSIC OF STRANGERS: YO YO MA & THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE
Director:
Morgan Neville
Premiere:
Toronto 2015
Select Festivals:
Berlin, True/False, San Francisco, Montclair, DocAviv, Los Angeles, Sydney, Provincetown, Biografilm
About:
A profile of the acclaimed cellist and the collective of international musicians he founded to explore crosscultural creativity.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
New to DVD this week:
GERMANS & JEWS
Directors:
Tal Recanati and Janina Quint
Premiere:
Greenwich 2016
Select Festivals:
Mannheim-Heidelberg, St Louis, Jewish fests in San Francisco, Manchester, Rutgers, Boston, Warsaw, Ann Arbor, DC, Palm Beach, Atlanta, Copenhagen, Seattle
About:
An exploration of relations between the eponymous groups.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 12:
THE REAGAN SHOW
Directors:
Pacho Velez and Sierra Pettengill
Premiere:
Tribeca 2017
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Montclair, Seattle, AFI Docs
About:
In 1918, Hollywood actor Ronald Reagan took on the role of a lifetime: the 40th President of the United States.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 12:
BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB: ADIOS
Director:
Lucy Walker
Premiere:
May 2017
About:
The Grammy Award-winning musicians who engendered worldwide interest in Cuban music take a final tour.
I previously profiled the doc when it was originally scheduled to debut at Sundance this past January here. It was unexpectedly withdrawn from the festival before its premiere, reportedly due to post-production delays.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, September 12:
CITIZEN JANE: BATTLE FOR THE CITY
Director:
Matt Tyrnauer
Premiere:
Toronto 2016
Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Miami, CPH:DOX, Sarasota, Hong Kong
About:
In the 1960s, writer and activist Jane Jacobs faces off against NYC’s ruthless urban planner, Robert Moses.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to PBS’s America ReFramed tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12:
NIGHT SCHOOL
Director:
Andrew Cohn
Premiere:
Tribeca 2016
Select Festivals:
Nantucket, Heartland, SXSWedu, St Louis, BendFilm
About:
A profile of three adults seeking to better their lives through education.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to PBS’s Frontline and to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, September 12:
ABACUS: SMALL ENOUGH TO JAIL
Director:
Steve James
Premiere:
Toronto 2016
Select Festivals::
New York, Chicago, IDFA, Palm Springs, True/False, Cleveland, Full Frame, Dallas, Hong Kong, Montclair
About:
A small Chinatown bank becomes the only institution to face criminal charges as a result of the 2008 financial crisis.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to PBS’s POV this coming Monday, September 11:
MY LOVE, DON’T CROSS THAT RIVER
Director:
Jin Mo-young
Premiere:
DMZ Docs 2014
Select Festivals:
Hot Docs, Los Angeles, Tempo Doc, Visions du Reel, DocAviv, Sydney, BFI London, RIDM, DOK Leipzig, Moscow, Hamptons, New York Asian American
About:
A tender portrait of an aging couple who have been together for 76 years.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres today, Friday, September 8:
THE CHALLENGE
Director:
Yuri Ancarani
Premiere:
Locarno 2016
Select Festivals:
IDFA, Hot Docs, Edinburgh, SXSW, Dubai, New Directors/New Films, True/False, Thessaloniki Doc, Göteborg, Encounters, Taipei, Traverse City, Melbourne, Docs Against Gravity, Docaviv, San Francisco
About:
A privileged look at the lives of ultra-rich Qatari amateur falconers.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, September 8:
COMPANY TOWN
Directors:
Natalie Kottke-Masocco and Erica Sardarian
Premiere:
Los Angeles 2016
Select Festivals:
Sheffield, Mill Valley, Hot Springs Doc, Wild & Scenic
About:
Residents of a small Arkansas town fight back against the dangers of a nearby industrial plant.
Crossett AR, population 5500, is the site of Georgia-Pacific, one of the largest paper-products manufacturers in the country, and a subsidiary of Koch Industries. While many of Crossett’s residents are dependent on the company for their livelihood, it’s very presence may be costing them their lives. Cancer clusters and serious medical conditions abound, with allegations of toxic chemical dumping blamed, and a cover-up that shields Georgia-Pacific from accountability. The filmmakers delve into this small town public health emergency, profiling a local pastor and former plant employee, David Bouie, who himself suffers from health concerns, as he tries to bring attention to Crossett’s plight, aided by testimony from other afflicted citizens and a former Georgia-Pacific contractor turned whistleblower. Kottke-Masocco and Sardarian lay out the evidence against the company in a clear manner, but in the absence of a clear resolution for Crossett’s situation, their film is less a fully satisfying story and more of a small-scale call to action.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
what (not) to doc 