‘Finding Yingying’ Raises the Bar on True Crime Films
First-time director Jiayan "Jenny" Shi highlights the reverberating effects of trauma with breathtaking tact in Finding Yingying.
documentary
Judy Irving’s Nuclear Weapons Documentary ‘Dark Circle’ Remains Timeless
When America developed the hydrogen and atom bombs in WWII, the Atomic Age's eyes opened upon our species. They have yet to blink. Judy Irving's Dark Circle is now available for on-line viewing from First Run Features.
‘Some Kind of Heaven’ and the Ageless Pursuit of Fulfillment
Lance Oppenheim's documentary about a pre-fab retirement community in Florida, Some Kind of Heaven, is told with a compassion that I wish American society afforded all its elderly.
The Past Sings in Questlove’s ‘Summer of Soul’
Questlove’s Harlem Cultural Festival documentary, Summer of Soul, is a propulsive reminder of the ways art and society speak to each other.
‘Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President’ Portrays an Over-Simplified Man
The nostalgic, feel-good documentary, ‘Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President’, explores Carter’s connections to the music world but misses a lot about this not-so-simple man.
Pretend It’s a City Proves Once Again, You Can’t Argue with Fran Lebowitz
Fran Lebowitz’s ubiquitous little smirk is still going as strong as ever because she never feels bad about herself.
Frank Zappa Documentary Unveils the Man Behind the Mythos
He may be known for going on some excellent adventures as one half of Bill & Ted, but Alex Winter is now several documentaries into his career. After years of sorting through rare archive footage, he's telling a story of Frank Zappa few thought possible.
The Mystery of History in Jia Zhangke’s ‘I Wish I Knew’
In Jia Zhangke’s documentary I Wish I Knew, many discuss the pivotal year of 1949, when the Chinese Communist Party officially took over China, reaching Shanghai. It was also the year my mother, putting a finger in the wind, left China with my sister.
‘The Edge of Democracy’ and Parallels of Political Crises
Academy Award-nominated documentary The Edge of Democracy, now streaming on Netflix, lays bare the political parallels of the rise of Bolsonaro's Brazil with Trump's America.
Filmmaker Marlon Riggs Knew That Silence = Death
In turning the camera on himself, even in his most vulnerable moments as a sick and dying man, filmmaker and activist Marlon Riggs demonstrated the futility of divorcing the personal from the political. These films are available now on OVID TV.
NYFF: ‘Notturno’ Looks Passively at the Chaos in the Middle East
Gianfranco Rosi's expansive documentary, Notturno, is far too remote for its burningly immediate subject matter.
NYFF: ‘American Utopia’ Sets a Glorious Tone for Our Difficult Times
Spike Lee's crisp concert film of David Byrne's Broadway show, American Utopia, embraces the hopes and anxieties of the present moment.