what (not) to doc

Already on VOD and coming to the IFC Center as part of New York Super Week this Friday, October 10 and Saturday, October 11: HARMONTOWN

Neil Berkeley’s portrait of an unlikely celebrity writer/showrunner debuted at SXSW earlier this year. It went on to screen at Los Angeles, deadCENTER, Hot Docs, and Napa Valley, as well as at numerous special screenings this Fall. The film came to iTunes, Amazon Video, Google Play, Xbox/Playstation, and other VOD platforms last Friday.

Dan Harmon has attracted a cult following as the creator and showrunner of NBC’s COMMUNITY, a quirky and creative comedy with critical acclaim and a rabid fanbase that responded to the show’s focus on outsiders. A self-proclaimed nerd with self-destructive tendencies, Harmon found himself regularly embroiled in spats with executives and the show’s cast, leading to him famously being fired. Berkeley’s film follows the self-deprecating writer, reeling from this development, as he takes his popular (to those in the know) podcast/talk show on a tour across America. While the show itself is only occasionally amusing, what’s far more intriguing is the self-awareness that Harmon demonstrates about his uncomfortable relationship to celebrity and fan adulation, and his candidness about being, at times, a truly unlikeable person – most notably in a scene in which he and his girlfriend hash out an argument during the course of the show. His realization that, despite being an unabashed exercise in self-promotion, the tour, and this film as a result, is instead revealing him not as a hero, but as a villain, feels organic and refreshing, with Harmon and Berkeley offering quiet fan-turned-tour member Spencer, the D&D dungeonmaster, as a sweet, alternate protagonist in a film that speaks affectingly to the need for (self) acceptance and community within fandom.

Coming to VOD today, Tuesday, October 7: BRONX OBAMA

Ryan Murdock’s look at the life of the president’s double debuted at True/False this year. It went on to AFI Docs, Montclair, Traverse City, Hot Docs, Ambulante CA, Calgary, and Bergen. The doc now comes to iTunes, Vimeo, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, PlayStation, VUDU, and Xbox.

I previously wrote about the film here.

Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, October 7: KEHINDE WILEY: AN ECONOMY OF GRACE

Jeff Dupre’s look at a noted artist’s shift in focus premiered in a shorter version at the Reel Artists Film Festival in Toronto. It went on to screen at SXSW, Nantucket, deadCENTER, Provincetown, and the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, while the feature version was broadcast on PBS last month.

Painter Kehinde Wiley has won acclaim for recasting historic portraiture with African-American men as his subjects, subverting expectations of both who should be framed in heroic or classical modes, and how African-American men should be depicted. For his eponymous 2012 show, Wiley challenged himself to turn his attention to female subjects for the first time. Dupre follows the artist as he scouts for models on the streets of Brooklyn – some skeptical of his intent – and then crafts his new portraits. Addressing questions of race, representation, visibility, and class, his work is provocative and knowing, and its impact on his models is particularly well captured here.

Already in theatres and coming to VOD tomorrow, Tuesday, October 7: ADVANCED STYLE

Lina Plioplyte’s exploration of aging in style debuted at Hot Docs this Spring. It went on to screen at Montclair, Melbourne, Milwaukee, Calgary, Vancouver, and Atlantic, among others. The film opened in NYC theatres last month, and has expanded since. It now comes to iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, Vudu, and other VOD platforms.

Adapted from Ari Seth Cohen’s eponymous blog, Plioplyte’s infectious film is a celebration of fashion-conscious NYC women of a certain age. Focusing on seven stylish older ladies whose elaborate wardrobe assuredly does not consist of the simple housedresses one typically associates with grandmothers, Plioplyte’s portrait is simple but effective, and very pleasurable. As evidenced by their usual garb, these seniors aren’t afraid to be the center of attention, offering a refreshing instance of putting older women in the spotlight – not to be pitied for their lost looks, but to serve instead as an inspiration that life – and beauty – doesn’t end at middle age. As is often the case with films tackling a large number of subjects, there’s a certain slightness to the approach – the audience only gets a surface exposure to the ladies – but they’ll have fun with it.