Posts with the tag 'documentary'
THE FIRST GRADER- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Based on a true story, this inspirational drama profiles the amazing determination of 84-year-old Kenyan Kimani N’gan’ga Maruge (Oliver Litondo), a Mau Mau freedom fighter who wants to take advantage of a new universal education decree by learning how to read. Although he faces governmental bureaucracy and tribal racism, Maruge’s cause is eventually championed by teacher Jane Obinchu (Naomie Harris), who is set on erasing illiteracy in Kenya.” Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival. A few reviews and they are mainly negative saying that the movie did not do justice to the importance of the subject. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
January 17th, 2011
I AM- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “Hollywood comedy director Tom Shadyac (Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) gets contemplative in this documentary, which finds him conversing with prominent philosophers and spiritual leaders about what ails our world and how we can improve it. Traveling the globe to conduct his in-depth interviews, Shadyac finds insights and inspiration from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, historian Howard Zinn, philosopher Noam Chomsky and other luminaries.” Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival. OK review in NY Times on 3/18/11.
Tags: documentary
January 17th, 2011
KINSHASHA SYMPHONY- 2009. Premise by Netflix. “In the war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo, a group of mostly self-taught musicians assembles in the capital city of Kinshasa to play in Central Africa’s only orchestra, founded and conducted by pilot Armand Diangienda. Filmmakers Martin Baer and Claus Wischmann follow the Kinshasa Symphony as it rehearses for an Independence Day celebration the musicians hope will inspire their countrymen to share in their creative and collaborative spirit.” Winner at 2011 Palm Springs Film Festival.
Tags: documentary
January 17th, 2011
LIVING FOR 32- 2010. Premise by Rotten Tomatoes. ” Living for 32 is the inspirational story of Colin Goddard, a survivor of the tragic gun shooting massacre which occurred on the Virginia Tech campus,… Living for 32 is the inspirational story of Colin Goddard, a survivor of the tragic gun shooting massacre which occurred on the Virginia Tech campus, April 16th, 2007. The winning combination of Colin’s passion, charisma and optimism has commanded the attention of the American public and media since the devastating incident which left 32 dead and 17 injured. In Living for 32, Colin shares an intimate account of terror he and his classmates endured and the courageous journey of renewal and hope he chose to pursue.” No reviews as yet.
Tags: documentary
January 16th, 2011
MARWENCOL- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “After a terrible beating left Mark Hogancamp brain damaged, he began creating models of a fictional town, Marwencol, to process the trauma. Jeff Malmberg’s documentary explains how Hogancamp uses the elaborate dioramas as stand-ins for real life. When Hogancamp’s work attracts the attention of a prestigious New York art gallery, however, he’s forced to leave the safety of his make-believe world and reconnect with the real one.” Great reviews.
4/11- Despite the uniformly rave reviews I had trouble getting into this film and although I found the idea clever and finally turned the movie off. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
January 5th, 2011
BEIJING TAXI- Premise by Netflix. “Engulfed in the frantic mass effort to prepare Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics, three taxi drivers witness and comment on the rapid transformation of the city, and their own fates, in China’s dizzying rush toward the future. The lyrical, intimate narrative of this documentary portrays the drivers as a key part of Beijing’s nervous system, charged with taking care of and introducing their city to the legions of foreigners attending the games.” Just OK review in NY Times on 12/9/10.
Tags: documentary
December 10th, 2010
WASTE LAND- 2010. Directed by Lucy Walker. Premise by Netflix. “World-renowned artist Vik Muniz embarks on one of the most inspired collaborations of his career, joining creative forces with Brazilian catadores — garbage pickers who mine treasure from the towering trash heaps of Rio’s Jardim Gramacho landfill. In this Sundance award-winning documentary, the catadores prove to be unique and surprising individuals in their own right, waxing philosophic as they impart a valuable lesson about what society discards. Great reviews.
3/11- A very well done documentary that I enjoyed very much both for the topic and the technique. TRDB. Netflix Streaming.
Tags: documentary
December 2nd, 2010
LA DANSE– LE BALLET DE L’OPERA DE PARIS- Synopsis by Netflix. “Captured by renowned documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, the lives of the men and women that comprise world-famous Opéra national de Paris reveal an unending devotion to their craft and a passion for the dance that is unequaled. Wiseman provides an intimate behind-the-scenes view of rehearsals, performances and ephemeral moments of the dancers, choreographers and others that make up the creative troupe inside the Palais Garnier.”
Good reviews.
9/16/14- I enjoyed this documentary that included plenty of dancing as well as a good look at the individuals that make this company run from the inside. TRDB.
Tags: documentary
November 20th, 2010
FAMILY AFFAIR- 2020. Premise by Netflix. “At the age of 9, Chico Colvard accidentally shot his sister with one of the firearms his African-American military father kept around the house, an incident which led to shocking and disturbing revelations about the father he adored. In this astonishing personal document, Colvard turns his camera on his own family to uncover the history of his sisters’ sexual abuse at the hands of their father, and the curious capacity for familial forgiveness. Good review in NY Times 11/19/10.
Tags: documentary
November 20th, 2010
COOL IT- 2010. Premise by Netflix. “A provocative voice vilified by pundits on both ends of the political spectrum, Bjørn Lomborg (author of The Skeptical Environmentalist) challenges prevailing ideas on climate change and explores scientific and technological advances that may help avert a global warming crisis. Directed by Ondi Timoner, the film gives Lomborg a platform to scrutinize a number of claims made by Al Gore in An Inconvenient Truth.” OK review in NY Times on 11/12/10.
4/11- Really an indictment not of the prospect of global warming with which he agrees but the manner in which we use scare tactics and deceptions in an attempt to get the job done. I enjoyed the movie for about 45min. and then I think it deteriorated and I lost interest. TRDB. Netflix.
Tags: documentary
November 12th, 2010
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