Posts filed under 'Documentary/History'
THERE WAS ONCE….- 2011. Synopsis by RottenTomatoes. “Mrs. Gyongyi Mago is a high school teacher in Kalocsa, Hungary. While looking for a subject for her dissertation she discovered a forgotten part of local history, the Jewish community that once thrived but is now non-existent in her city. She is not Jewish. Engaging her students in her research, she teaches tolerance and fights prejudice in her classroom. Her quest is set against a background of renewed racial tensions, growing intolerance and the recurrence of neo Nazism in Hungary today.”
9/23/11- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
September 24th, 2011
JOURNEY FROM ZANSKAR- 2011. Synopsis by RottenTomatoes. “Zanskar is the last remaining original Tibetan Buddhist society with a continuous untainted lineage dating back thousands of years. In nearby Tibet and Ladakh, in Sikkim, Bhutan, and Nepal, traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture is either dead already or dying. The horror of Chinese government design in Tibet is being matched by the destruction of global economics elsewhere. Zanskar, ringed by high Himalayan mountains in northwest India, one of the most remote places on the planet, has been safe until now. But that’s changing. In 3-5 years a road connecting Padum, the heart of Zanskar, with Leh, the heart of neighboring Ladakh, will be finished. Will the native language, culture, and religious practice be able to survive?”
9/23/11- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
September 24th, 2011
INCENDIARY: THE WILLINGHAM CASE- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This provocative exposé revisits the case of Cameron Todd Willingham — executed for the arson deaths of his family — to probe scientists’ criticism of the investigation as well as the fighting stance of Texas forensics commissioner John Bradley.” Great audience reviews. TRDB.
10/7/11- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
September 23rd, 2011
UP THE YANGTZE- 2007. Synopsis by Netflix. “When the Three Gorges Dam makes life hard for the Yu family, daughter Yu Shui must take a job aboard a cruise ship, where she enters into a dizzying microcosm of modern China. Meanwhile, her parents face the rising waters of the Yangtze. Chinese Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang’s beautifully photographed film of China’s peasant life and cultural upheaval was nominated for Best Documentary for the Independent Spirit Awards.”
9/18/11- I saw this a few years ago and again yesterday. First time I loved it. Second time I liked it a lot. Beautiful scenery and well done movie. It bothered me that they made Western tourists look simplistic. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: Documentary/History
September 19th, 2011
BERLIN 36- 2011. Synopsis by RottenTomatoes. “Based on the true story of Gretel Bergmann who unwittingly became the biggest threat to the Nazi Party in 1936. Berlin was hosting the summer Olympic Games and Gretel was one of Germany’s best gold medal contenders. She was also Jewish. Her skill and ethnicity undermined the Nazi belief that Aryans were the superior race, so the German authorities schemed to replace Gretel with another woman — but “she” had a secret that, if uncovered, could be even more embarrassing to the Nazis.”
9/16/11- Poor review in today’s NY Times but the premise, which includes some gender issues as well, did seem interesting. TRDB.
Tags: Documentary/History
September 16th, 2011
SHUT UP LITTLE MAN- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “In 1987, Eddie Lee Sausage and Mitch Deprey recorded the nightly squabbles of their over-the-top neighbors, homophobic Raymond Huffman and proudly gay Peter Haskett, and the chronicle of the pair’s bizarre existence soon took on a life of its own. This darkly funny documentary checks in with former punks Eddie and Mitch, who detail their late-’80s Lower Haight surroundings, and surveys the tapes’ influence on an array of underground artists.”
9/16/11- Very good reviews in general and in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
12/3/12- I found this movie boring with little redeeming social value and turned it off quickly. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: documentary
September 16th, 2011
THE ROAD TO FREEDOM- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “During the height of the Vietnam War, adventure-seeking photojournalists Sean (Joshua Fredric Smith) and Dana (Scott Maguire) boldly sneak into Cambodia, where they search for signs of Khmer Rouge atrocities, disappear into the hands of enemy forces and struggle to regain their freedom. Inspired by real-life events and shot on location in Cambodia, this powerful war drama co-stars Tom Proctor, Nhem Sokun and Nhem Sokunthol.” A few reviews and they’re good. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
September 15th, 2011
JANE’S JOURNEY- 2010. Synopsis by Netflix. “This inspiring biopic relates the lifelong crusade of chimp researcher Jane Goodall, moving from England to the Tanzanian jungle where her work began. Nearly half a century later, Goodall continues to visit the animals that ignited her passion.” Few reviews so far and they are average. TRDB.
9/16/11- Weak review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
2/22/12- I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary and am frankly unsure of why there was so much criticism of the screenplay as I thought it was interesting and informative. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
September 14th, 2011
CONNECTED- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Tiffany Shlain explores the visible and invisible connections linking major issues of our time — including the environment, consumption and technology — while searching for her place in the world during a transformative time in her life.” Mediocre audience reviews and no professional reviews as yet. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
September 14th, 2011
BACK DOOR CHANNELS: THE PRICE OF PEACE- 2009. “This provocative documentary draws back the curtain on the Camp David peace summit, which set the stage for the future of Middle East relations. Though each party had its own agenda, it remains a landmark confluence of modern leadership.” Sounds interesting but poor early reviews. TRDB.
9/16/11- OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Tags: Documentary/History
September 14th, 2011
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