what (not) to doc

Coming to theatres today, Wednesday, October 12: TOWER

Keith Maitland’s chronicle of America’s first mass school shooting debuted at SXSW this year, where it won both the documentary jury and audience awards. Its fest circuit also included Hot Docs, Seattle, Karlovy Vary, Jerusalem, Melbourne, Fantasia, the Hamptons, BFI London, Sitges, and Mill Valley, among other events.

Fifty years ago, on August 1, 1966, at the University of Texas at Austin, a man ascended to the top of the school’s clock tower and began shooting at those below, ultimately killing 14 and wounding 32 others before he was himself shot by police. Using rotoscopic animation to reconstruct the scene, Maitland immediately plunges the audience into the harrowing event, offering the perspectives of a number of eyewitnesses, including the first victim, who was pregnant and with her boyfriend when she was shot; a boy shot while on his newspaper delivery route; a civilian who helped police enter the tower; and two of the officers who took the sniper down. While re-enactments in documentary can often sink a project, here they are surprisingly effective, the unusual look of the rotoscope animation putting a slightly off-kilter lens on what might fall flat if the footage was simply unfiltered scenes of actors recreating the tragedy. The effect is so successful in its immersive ability, in fact, that when the film breaks from the animation for its final third to instead employ a more traditional talking heads approach with the actual survivors, it feels like an unfortunate disruption.

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, October 11: BREAKING A MONSTER

Luke Meyer’s inside look at the promotion of a new band premiered at SXSW last year. Screenings followed at Hot Docs, Sheffield, BAMcinemaFest, Sydney, Traverse City, Melbourne, Camden, Mill Valley, CPH:DOX, RIDM, Big Sky Doc, IndieLisboa, and Durban.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, October 11: HUSTLERS CONVENTION

Mike Todd’s look at the roots of hip-hop premiered at Sheffield last year. Its circuit included DOC NYC, Harlem, and the San Francisco Black fest.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, October 11: SHERPA

Jennifer Peedom’s chronicle of the aftermath of a mountaineering accident debuted at Sydney last year. Screenings followed at Telluride, Toronto, Melbourne, Aspen, Palm Springs, Washington DC’s Environmental, New Zealand, Dubai, and London, among other events.

I previously wrote about the doc here.

Coming to Pivot as part of International Day of the Girl tomorrow, Tuesday, October 11: DRIVING WITH SELVI

Elisa Paloschi’s portrait of an Indian woman’s dreams of independence made its debut at Raindance last year. Screenings followed at IDFA, Hot Springs Doc, United Nations Association, Mumbai, Margaret Mead, Thessaloniki Doc, Movies That Matter, Documentary Edge, and Bentonville, among other events.

Selvi was essentially sold by her brother into marriage as a child and suffered abuse at the hands of her older husband, who forced her into prostitution. She eventually escaped, finding her way to a group home where she learned how to drive. Eventually, she parlays this skill into a career, becoming the first female taxi driver in southern India. Paloschi follows the appealing Selvi for the better part of a decade, as she turns her life around, supports herself, and finds happiness. While there’s some roughness technically, given the longitudinal approach taken, the film successfully captures a sense of unexpected but genuine hopefulness in the face of grim reality and a traumatic past.