Tribeca 2018: ‘Netizens’ and ‘Every Act of Life’
These important documentaries about online abuse and the works of Terrence McNally attempt to illuminate empathy and social awareness at a time when it is being woefully ignored.
Argun Ulgen
Argun Ulgen is a public interest attorney, and a freelance essayist covering film and culture. In addition to contributing to PopMatters, Argun has also been published at The Rumpus and Salon magazine. Argun resides in New York City and he can be contacted on Twitter @BrookylnCycles, or on his Facebook page Film4Freedom.
Tribeca 2018: ‘Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story’ and ‘Call Her Ganda’
These two entries consider the hate crime murders of Trayvon Martin and Jennifer Laude, reinterpret their deaths within historic frameworks, and explore why their stories fade without meaningful changes in US civil rights laws.
Tribeca 2018: ‘The Miseducation of Cameron Post’ and ‘Tully’
The Miseducation of Cameron Post explores a teenager's struggles at a gay conversion therapy camp, and Tully a suburban wife's depression after having a third child. Both aim at empathy.
‘The Final Year’ Wistfully Recalls The Obama Administration’s Final Months in Office
As The Final Year quietly argues, if the United States' electorate fails to elevate itself to a higher level of political vernacular than coarse tweets and reality TV-style colloquies, then 2016 may be the best year the US will have had for a long time to come.
‘Glory’ Is a Searing Indictment of Social Media Optics Fixation
Anchored by an unflinching cinéma vérité style and a powerful lead performance by Margita Gosheva, Glory (Slava) thrives as a grave parable on the social media economy's corrupting influences against ethics and morality.
‘The Force’ Explores The Complexities of Law Enforcement Reform
The Force, which details the Oakland Police Department's recent reform efforts, is best viewed as a complementary work to prior Black Lives Matter documentaries, such 2017's Whose Streets? and The Blood Is at the Doorstep.
In ‘Quest’, Inner-City American Life Is Given the Treatment It Deserves
Director Jonathan Olshefski has made a stirring call for the placement of low-income, inner-city families into our collective consciousness.
‘Planes, Trains and Automobiles’ Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary at a Time We Need It Most
The nostalgic beauty of Planes, Trains and Automobiles — aside from a delicious '80s synth score — is its fleshy, alive representation of different economic classes having to deal with one another absent easy technological escapes.
In ‘Certain Women’, Class-Based Identities Are Contended with Under Montana’s Vast Icy Skies
A minor masterpiece, Certain Women is a profound meditation on the ways people temporarily buoy themselves from life's banalities, injustices, and disappointments.
‘The Departure’ Casts a Loving Gaze Upon an Unconventional Buddhist Priest
The Departure is a searching study of a universally relatable character who has seen a great deal of sorrow in this world.
In ‘Bobbi Jene’, a Dancer’s Artistic Vision Is Rooted in Personal Sacrifice
While Bobbi Jene often veers too closely to melodrama, seeing an emboldened woman artistically express her sexuality and earn effusive praise for it is inspirational.
The Realpolitik of Wildlife Conservation is Explored in Documentary, ‘Trophy’
Trophy pits emotionally unsettling images against a sophisticated blend of practical justifications which compel a more mature outlook on the correlation between big game hunting and wildlife conservationism.