what (not) to doc

Coming to CNN tonight, Monday, September 4:
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.

Coming to PBS’s America ReFramed this coming Tuesday, September 5:
CARE

Director:
Deirdre Fishel

Premiere:
Sheffield 2016

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, AFI Docs, SF LaborFest, Virginia

About:
A look at the challenges facing elder caregiving in America.

I previously wrote about the film for DOC NYC’s program, saying:
As our population ages, the need for health care also rises. For those who wish to remain in their homes, the kind of in-depth, personal connection provided by compassionate caregivers is essential. Fishel’s empathetic film follows three of these workers, uncovering the failures of the US eldercare system, which finds caregivers earning poverty wages and their clients struggling to afford essential services.

New to VOD this week:
FOOD EVOLUTION

Director:
Scott Hamilton Kennedy

Premiere:
DOC NYC 2016

Select Festivals:
CPH:DOX, Cleveland, Seattle

About:
An exploration of the polarized debate surrounding GMOs.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to PBS’s POV this coming Monday, September 4:
THE GROWN-UPS

Director:
Maite Alberdi

Premiere:
IDFA 2016

Select Festivals:
True/False, Hot Docs, Docaviv, Visions du Reel, Thessaloniki Doc, Tempo Doc, DocsBarcelona, Full Frame, Docs Against Gravity, Miami, Cartagena, Seattle, Sydney, Human Rights Watch, Cleveland, Encounters, AFI Docs, Guadalajara, ZagrebDox, It’s All True

About:
Middle-aged students with Down syndrome face obstacles to their independence.

Set in a Chilean school for people with Down, Alberdi’s appealing film profiles several women and men who, in some cases, have been attending for four decades, and, as is quickly apparent, have grown frustrated with going through the same paces in their vocational program for catering. Demonstrating a range of intellectual and emotional maturity, from the high-functioning Anita to the more challenged Rita, these individuals have not been children for years, yet find themselves being infantilized by existing laws that limit their ability to make decisions for themselves. Anita and her boyfriend Andres would like to marry, but they are not legally permitted. Ricardo, while holding a part-time job as a caregiver, is paid such criminally low wages that he’ll never be able to support himself. Although demonstrating these inequities, Alberdi generally uses a deft hand, revealing complex, fully-rounded subjects rather than simple mouthpieces for social issues – the only notably sour note here is the the too playful score, which at times undercuts the film’s more nuanced approach.

Coming to DVD and VOD today, Tuesday, August 29:
THE INCOMPARABLE ROSE HARTMAN

Director:
Otis Mass

Premiere:
SXSW 2016

Select Festivals:
DOC NYC, Hot Docs, Bentonville, San Diego, Portland

About:
A portrait of the renowned pop culture photographer.

I previously wrote about the doc here.