SURVIVING PROGRESS- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This bracing documentary considers whether human “progress” stemming from the Industrial Age could be paving the way for civilization’s collapse. The film asks a range of thinkers whether the modern world might be headed for a “progress trap.”
Very good reviews with a few distinct negatives as well. TRDB.
Add comment April 26th, 2012
INVENTING OUR LIFE: THE KIBBUTZ EXPERIMENT- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Set against the backdrop of its glorious 100-year history, Inventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment reveals the heartbreak and hope of Israel’s modern kibbutz movement as a new generation struggles to ensure its survival. Can a radically socialist institution survive a new capitalist reality? How will painful reforms affect those who still believe in the kibbutz experiment, and continue to call it home?”
Just a few reviews and they are not good. TRDB.
Add comment April 23rd, 2012
FOLLOW ME: THE YONI NETANYAHU STORY- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “Two story arcs that will tragically and heroically connect. The first is the dramatic Entebbe hijack and rescue, 8 days when a nation held its breath and executed a military miracle that redefined the Jewish Nation’s call “Never Again!” The second is the remarkable life story of Jonathan Netanyahu, a young soldier who struggled to find the balance between the people and the Nation he loved. This film is about Jonathan’s life, and what led these two dramatic story arcs to intersect on that fateful day.”
4/21/12- An excellent documentary that dealt with a complex man living in a complex time. I liked it very much. At the 2012 Westchester Jewish Film Festival at Jacob Burns Film Center.
5/18/12- Today’s NY Times thought that the movie made him look too saintlike. TRDB.
Add comment April 22nd, 2012
LAST CALL AT THE OASIS- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This compelling documentary explores the global water crisis, examining deficiencies in the supply system and communities affected by water shortages. Scientists, activists and social entrepreneurs shed light on this shocking and pervasive problem.”
Poor early reviews. TRDB.
5/4/12- An OK review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment April 21st, 2012
FIRST POSITION- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “This fascinating documentary follows dancers training for the Youth America Grand Prix, one of the world’s most prestigious ballet competitions. The stakes are high: Their performances will determine the success or failure of the young girls’ dreams.”
Very few reviews and they are OK. TRDB.
5/4/12- A good review in today’s NY Times that brought up a bit of controversy in the making of this documentary. TRDB.
5/22/12- A well done and interesting documentary about what it takes to make it in this field and what it’s like to be a child competitor. The controversy with this movie was related to the fact that the competition organizers had a hand in the making of the movie. In particular they helped select the subjects to be followed and were involved in other aspects as well. TRDB. Comcast On-Demand.
Add comment April 21st, 2012
5 BROKEN CAMERAS- 2012. Synopsis by Netflix. “In this moving documentary, a Palestinian farmer chronicles his village’s nonviolent resistance to the presence of encroaching Israeli settlers and military. As camera after camera gets shot or otherwise destroyed, the farmer continues filming.”
A few excellent reviews and mostly good ones. TRDB.
1/28/13- A well done home spun documentary about the Palestinian resistance presented in a one-sided manner. It’s also about the filmmaker’s need to film and what it means to him. TRDB.
Add comment April 21st, 2012
MURDER CAPITAL OF THE WORLD- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In 2011, the biggest story in Juarez is that the murder rate is down about 33 percent from 2010. While many might consider this a victory, it is not. About 2,000 more murders occurred in 2011, most of them going unsolved. Murder Capital of the World recaps the biggest events in 2011 from this poor, industrial city. The “old” mayor is the “new” mayor. A controversial new police chief takes the city by storm, a pot-smuggling operation becomes more prominent, a shoot-out at the municipal prison and many efforts to repair the cities violent image are all anaylzed. The upcoming 2012 presidential election in Mexico is reviewed as well.”
4/20/12- Good review in today’s NY Times. TRDB.
Add comment April 20th, 2012
STANDING SILENT- 2010. Synopsis from the Jacob Burns Film Center web site. “Sexual abuse in the Catholic Church has been in the news for years, but it’s taken longer for similar revelations to emerge from the Orthodox Jewish world. Journalist Phil Jacobs was one of the first to take it on. Bravely focusing on his own community in Baltimore, he encountered denial, hostility, and—most painfully—ostracism along the way. His very personal story is the subject of this powerful, important documentary.”
Very few reviews but they’re all good. TRDB.
Add comment April 19th, 2012
BOOKER’S PLACE- 2012. Synopsis by Rotten Tomatoes. “In 1965, documentary filmmaker Frank DeFelitta traveled to Mississippi to shoot a film on the subject of racism in the American South. As he went about observing life in Mississippi and interviewing the locals, Frank was introduced to an African-American waiter named Booker Wright. With utter candor and a brazen lack of concern for his own well-being, Booker appeared on tape in the documentary and spoke openly and honestly about the realities of living in a racist society. This brief interview forever changed the lives of Booker and his family, and more than 40 years later, Frank’s son Raymond DeFelitta returns to the site of his father’s film to examine the repercussions of this fateful interview.”
4/27/12- Very good review in todays’ NY Times and elsewhere. TRDB.
Add comment April 16th, 2012
UNRAVELED- 2011. Synopsis by Netflix. “Reflecting on his fortune and downfall while awaiting sentencing and under house arrest, attorney and white-collar criminal Marc Dreier reveals the series of events that led him to hatch a Ponzi scheme which lost $750 million.”
4/13/12- Weak review in today’s NY Times and poor audience reaction so far. TRDB.
Add comment April 13th, 2012