Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, July 9: THE GATEKEEPERS
Dror Moreh’s candid look at Israel’s internal security agency debuted at Jerusalem last year. Its festival circuit most notably included Telluride, Toronto, and Sundance. The doc was one of the five nominees for this year’s Best Documentary Oscar.
My pre-Sundance profile of the film may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Coming to PBS’s POV and to DVD this coming Monday, July 8: HERMAN’S HOUSE
Angad Singh Bhalla’s story of a friendship forged to combat life behind bars had its world premiere at True/False last year. Its festival circuit included Full Frame, Hot Docs, Camden, Hamptons, Antenna, New Orleans, RIDM, SF Doc, and United Nations Association, among others, as well as a limited theatrical run and community screenings.
I previously wrote about the doc out of Hot Docs here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films next Monday, July 8: BENDING STEEL
David Carroll’s look at a would-be strongman had its world premiere at Tribeca this Spring. It went on to screen at Hot Docs, and will appear at the upcoming Free Range and Lighthouse fests.
I previously wrote about the doc out of Tribeca here.
Filed under Documentary, Film
Running tomorrow, July 4 through Saturday, July 13, the Jerusalem Film Festival celebrates its 30th anniversary. Long established as one of the region’s key film events, the festival annually showcases a broad range of both international and new Israeli productions. More than 40 documentary features and hybrids are included in this year’s lineup, appearing in a standalone competition as well as in various other sections of the festival. The following spotlights a few select titles:
Among the ten local titles vying for the main documentary awards are: Ilan Moskovich and Dan Bronfeld’s APOLLONIAN STORY, about a father and son, and the elaborate cave in which they live; Nurit Kedar and Yaron Shani’s LIFE SENTENCES, on the different paths taken by the children of a Jewish woman and an Arab father discovered to be a terrorist; Nissim Mossek’s WILD WEST HEBRON, which finds the tables turned on a German convert to Judaism turned militant settler; Itamar Alcalay’s FOUR YEARS OF NIGHT (pictured), following a photographer as he revisits the French neo-Nazi gang he documented thirty years ago; and Shosh Shlam and Hilla Medalia’s ELECTRONIC HEROIN, an up-close look at the treatment for China’s Internet “addicts.”
Other Israeli titles screening include: Irit Gal’s THE FADING VALLEY, an exposé of the embattled Palestinian farmers in the Jordan Valley; Nurith Aviv’s ANNONCES, in which women offer their own interpretations of holy scripture; and Helen Yanovsky’s JERUSALEM BOXING CLUB (pictured), presented as a work-in-progress, about a bomb shelter turned gym that unites and inspires youth. Finally, from outside Israel in the fest’s Jewish Experience strand is Diana Groo’s REGINA, recounting the life of the first modern female rabbi, who perished at Auschwitz in 1944.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Overviews, Recommendations
Coming to VOD today, Wednesday, July 3 and to theatres this Friday, July 5: A GIRL AND A GUN
Cathryne Czubek’s look at the complicated relationship between women and firearms had its debut at DOC NYC last year. It went on to screen at Sarasota and Montclair, among other festivals.
I included the film in my DOC NYC coverage here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
Now on VOD: OXYANA
Sean Dunne’s portrait of a community besieged by addiction had its world premiere at Tribeca, where it picked up two awards. It went on to screen at DOXA and IFF Boston. The doc is available via digital rental and download directly from its website.
I previously wrote about the film out of Tribeca here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Releases
Coming to NYC’s Rooftop Films tomorrow, Wednesday, July 3: OUR NIXON
Penny Lane’s all-archival exploration of Tricky Dick’s White House made its debut at Rotterdam. It went on to screen at SXSW, New Directors/New Films, and AFI Docs, among others.
I included the doc in my SXSW roundup here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations
Coming to DVD today, Tuesday, July 2: THE HOUSE I LIVE IN
Eugene Jarecki’s exploration of the damages wrought by the war on drugs had its world premiere at Sundance last year, where it picked up a grand jury prize. Other festival screenings included Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Melbourne, among others.
My pre-Sundance profile of the doc may be found here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, Recommendations, Releases, Sundance
Last week, I posted a pointer to my Indiewire articles on AFI Docs, which covered the event as a whole, as well as five titles in the fest’s initial Washington DC lineup. This post wraps up my coverage with brief views on eight additional films. Continue reading
Filed under Documentary, Film, Film Festivals, In Brief, Recommendations
Coming to DVD tomorrow, Tuesday, July 2: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF NICOLAE CEAUSESCU
Andrei Ujica’s hypnotic archival portrait of the Romanian dictator debuted at Cannes in 2010. Other festival stops included Toronto, San Sebastian, Transilvania, and the New York Film Festival, before a limited theatrical release.
I previously wrote about the doc here.
Filed under Documentary, Film, Recommendations, Releases
