Recommended Documentaries

I loved http://www.kinshasa-symphony.com/index.php?id=8&L=0
for cinematography and characters.

I was just about to post about The Arbor in Doc Films. It's playing at SF Int'l later this month. Can't wait to see it.

And thanks for the recommend on Kinshasa Symphony as it's playing close by next weekend and I wasn't planning to see it.

I recently saw Brian Winston speak in support of a (very expensive) documentary on Robert Flaherty, ‘A Boatload of Wild Irishmen,’ for which he wrote the script. There is a little interview with Leacock in the film where he talks about working as Flaherty's cameraman on "Louisiana Story." Leacock's career was a truly expansive one.

Here's a link to Leacock's recollection of this experience of working with Flaherty from his website:

http://www.richardleacock.com/21188/On-Working-With-Robert-and-Frances-Flaherty

RIP

Hi Poppy. Glad to see you here.

In reply to Alessandro Gallo's post on Thu 31 Mar 2011 : Thanks for letting me know about the Kinshasa Film. I lived in the Congo for 2 yrs (85-87) and have just now put my name on the waiting list for the DVD. It looks incredible.

Brett Morgan did one of the ESPN 30 On 30 pieces about the historic day in sports in which OJ was chased through LA, the NBA Finals were taking place and Arnold Palmer was playing his last round of golf. Good storytelling and he only used available footage. Also, just watched 'Weather Underground' – couldn't believe how well-paced it was. A few holes, but it moves so well.

In reply to Suree Towfighnia's post on Mon 28 Mar 2011 :

One of my favorite music doc for sure!

In reply to Nadia Awad's post on Wed 30 Mar 2011 :
The Arbor is incredible. I saw it at MOMA, very intimate.It will open at Film Forum in NY 4/27
http://www.filmforum.org/films/arbor.html

I finally saw Inside Job this evening. Very worthy film – does a good job of laying out the financial crisis and its roots. I hope everyone sees it. However, style-wise I felt the same kind of sinking feeling I get in so many issue docs these days – a kind of Inconvenient Truth slideshow malaise, where all cinematic feeling is lost. Honestly, though, I am at a loss to imagine how else he might have made this particular doc-as-indictment film, so I probably shouldn't complain too loudly. It's another one of those movies I hope other people watch, even though I feel it continues the trend of documentary-as-lecture that has been degrading the genre from the point of view of cinematic experience over the last decade or so. It was a film you could have playing in the living room while you make dinner in the kitchen without missing much.

In reply to Ellen Brodsky's post on Sun 3 Apr 2011 :
Happy to hear this, i am pretty sure you gonna love this film.

In reply to James Longley's post on Sun 10 Apr 2011 :

By contrast, Armadillo was great. A very strong work of documentary cinema about foreign troops in Afghanistan, at last. I hope it gets a wide release.

In reply to James Longley's post on Mon 11 Apr 2011 :
I absolutely agree with you, i saw it and i was quite impressed.

I've rsvp'd for a preview screening of Armadillo this Wed night. Very eager to see it.

Death by plastic? This powerful short film was recently produced and shot by D-Worder Riley Morton.

Thanks for making that Riley. Thanks for sharing it, John.

Thoroughly enamored by the Bill Cunningham New York film. Best doc I have seen in a very long time.

Been eager to see it. Where is it playing? I missed it at the Film Forum.

It's now at IFC and City Cinemas East Village.. and a couple of other places. Really worth seeing in my book.

In reply to James Longley's post on Sun 10 Apr 2011 :

i just watched INSIDE JOB, and i must say... yawwwwwnnnnn! i was really looking forward to it, but it was just so uncinematic and uninspiring. i suppose if one had their head in the sand for the past few years – or stuck in Pakistan/Iran – and had no knowledge of the financial crisis already, then it could have been educational. but having listened to This American Life's radio series on the crisis, and having read a whole bunch of newspaper articles on the same, it just did not add anything new.

i really think it is regrettable that an unimaginative doc like INSIDE JOB gets nominated for an oscar, but films like LAST TRAIN HOME and THE OATH get left behind.

Heh. You know, even when in Pakistan I still listen to TAL and Planet Money podcasts every week. I also went through several books on the subject, including the highly recommended The Big Short as well as The Black Swan and 13 Bankers and also The Quants just for fun. But still, even though I thought Inside Job was cinematically standard and even dullish, it was still a film I'm happy got made – and I know people who only really got their heads around the financial crisis after watching it. Not everybody is a public radio policy wonk. That said, I also wish that The Oath had been nominated.

The Oath is brilliant. Laura Poitras is fearless. So bummed she was not nominated.

Here is what will probably be Tim Hertherington's last film (he just died while shooting a project in Libya). Harrowing and poignant.

Docalliance has a wide range of docs online (legally, unlike many portals), some to download at small cost or even free, others streamed:

From April 18 to May 2, you can watch five unique, multiply awarded documentary films by Polish director Marcel Łoziński for free. Enjoy the best of the past twenty years of a filmmaker who is “trying to influence the reality around him while following the outcome with openness”.

I don't know if any of you have seen Catfish, but it was really interesting. I watched it the other day and found it to be mildly creepy and I certainly did not expect the ending.

I saw several great docs at SF Int'l this year, but the one I was moved enough to come here to post about it was BUCK, Audience winner at Sundance. I think it's getting a release soon. Don't miss it.