The Island President
For the tiny island country of Maldives and its President Mohamed Nasheed, global warming isn’t an abstract concept but a matter of life and death. The Indian Ocean nation peaks at an elevation of 2.5 meters above sea level, and with 80 percent of its land at less than one meter, a rise of three meters in sea level would submerge its 1,200 islands enough to make them uninhabitable—a fate some scientists believe is possible as early as this century. After leading a 20-year pro-democracy movement to wrest control of Maldives from brutal dictator Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, during which time... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsNew Rolling Stones Documentary Gets Fall Release
Even though the Rolling Stones recently canceled their 50th anniversary tour for this year, the canonized British rock group will still celebrate this astounding achievement in the forms of other media releases. Following Thames & Hudson’s official, authorized photo book entitled _The Rolling Stones: 50_ on July 12, this September, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release a new documentary tracing the Rolling Stones’ constant evolution since 1963. read more
Found in: Music, NewsThis Is Not a Film
In December 2010, renowned Iranian director Jafar Panahi (Offside) was sentenced to six years in prison and banned from making films for 20 years. His crime? Supporting the opposition party during Iran’s highly charged 2009 election. Three months later on the eve of the Iranian New Year, while his wife and children are away delivering gifts, Panahi is home alone in his apartment. He turns on a camera.... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsThe Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye
On Valentine’s Day, 2003 Genesis and Lady Jaye took their love, marriage, and artistic collaboration to another level as they underwent surgery for breast implants. Genesis was born male and Lady Jaye female, but this is a mere footnote in their story. They woke up from surgery holding hands. Genesis looked at Lady Jaye, then down at their newly reconstructed parts and exclaimed, “Oh look… our angelic bodies!” In an attempt to deconstruct any physical differences between them, the two would undergo other surgeries, the augmentation being one of the first. They hoped to become one, and indeed, might have... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsNo Room for Rockstars
Director Parris Patton documents the rock ’n’ roll life, profiling musicians taking part in the 2010 Vans Warped Tour in No Room for Rockstars. While the documentary doesn’t offer any novel or deep revelations about the price of chasing stardom, Patton’s film captures lives at critical crossroads: The musicians portrayed all find themselves negotiating the tightrope between commercial compromise and staying true to oneself, between self-belief and crushing despair. Those themes of struggle are nothing new in studies of artists (especially those in the music business), yet the humanist elements inherent in Patton’s film make its consistently compelling, even profound.... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsPatriocracy
While there is no hard and fast rule that says documentaries must be as objective as, say, mainstream journalism, it is refreshing to find one that tries so hard to repel bias, particularly when covering the nasty realm of politics.... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsBully Documentary Loses Rating Appeal
The MPAA has refused to lower the Weinstein Company’s Bully documentary from an R rating to PG-13, ensuring the audience who should see the doc won’t get the chance. The film, which is about the widespread epidemic of bullying in school, originally received an R rating due to “some language.” read more
Found in: Movies, NewsCrazy Horse (Désir)
Crazy Horse (Désir), directed by Frederick Wiseman, goes behind the scenes of the Crazy Horse cabaret, one of Paris’s most famous topless revues. This is the third film in Wiseman’s trilogy of documentaries about Parisian artistic establishments. (The other two focused on La Comédie-Française and the Paris Opera Ballet.)... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsUndefeated
Undefeated is such a well-meaning, heart-on-its-sleeve documentary that one feels morally obligated to write words in praise of it. In fact, anyone admitting to a dislike of the film runs the risk of being called a heartless crank. Having scored a 2012 Academy Award nomination in the Best Documentary category, it’s safe to say that Oscar voters are not in the camp of doubters and naysayers.... read more
Found in: Movies, ReviewsMarley
It’s not entirely clear why director Kevin Macdonald decided to make a documentary about the musician Bob Marley, a cultural icon whose life has been recounted countless times through a variety of mediums. Macdonald claims it’s because he wants to understand why Marley continues to speak to legions of fans around the world. Whatever his reasons, he’s clearly up to the task. Marley offers an expansive and at times fascinating perspective on the man through interviews with his fellow former Wailers, family, and childhood friends. The film is fairly detailed concerning Marley’s songwriting and musicianship from his early ska days... read more
Found in: Movies, Reviews
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