OSCAR NOMINEES DOCUMENTARY FEATURE – 2011

“Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz

“Gasland” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic

“Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

“Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger

“Waste Land” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

2012 DOCUMENTARY OSCAR NOMINATIONS -Best documentary feature

“Hell and Back Again” – Danfung Dennis – See Review

“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” – Marshall Curry See Review

“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” – Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky

“Pina” – Wim Wenders

“Undefeated” – Stephen Bannon

This years group of nominated documentaries seems to be and odd assortment. Hell and Back Again and If A Tree Falls feel like traditional documentaries that might get nominated.

In American Shopper an event for a new sport called “aisling,” involving supermarket shopping, is set up in Schnuck’s supermarket in Columbia, Missouri with a cash prize of $10,000 for the winner. American Shopper is a good example of a “hybrid” documentary style. In this approach an environment is created in which an event takes place. The event, the participants, and the results are documented and edited into a story. The actuality of what the subjects do may be authentic but the situation artificially created.

Anvil: The Story of Anvil begins “in the day” as they say, when Heavy Metal music emerged and bands like Scorpians, White Snake and Metalica roamed the planet along with Anvil. This well made documentary opens with scenes of Anvil performing a the Super Rock Festival in Japan in 1984 in front of thousands of head bobbing, arm waving fans. According to the opening scene these bands all went on to sell millions of Albums, all except Anvil. Even though Lars Ullrich of Metalica, “thought they were cool,” and Anthax’s Scott Ian said, “they were and inspiration.” Anvil’s, Metal On Metal album is considered to have established the basic formula for Heavy Metal Rock and Roll. They were musicians, musicians in that world. Anvil put out a dozen albums but never became a household name.

Anvil: The Story of Anvil, directed by Sasha Gervasi, tells the story of of Steve Kudlow (a.k.a) “Lips,” vocal and lead guitar and Robb Reiner, drums who for thirty plus years have struggled doing menial jobs to keep the notion of Anvil alive.

You may love the Ballet or you may know little about it. Either way you will be educated and entertained by this look into the history of the BALLET RUSSES, dance companies that possibly did more to save this dance form and help spread it around the world then anything else. BALLET RUSSES centers around a reunion of the Ballet Russes dancers in June of 2000 in New Orleans. Some of the dancers attending the reunion were still active and in their 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. The reunion is a focal point that launches the film in to the history of two unique dance companies and the individuals who were part of them.

2002 – 120 Minutes – Directed by Josep Ma Domench and Carles Bosch – Academy Award Nominee Best Documentary – Havana Film Festival Documentary Award – Winner IDA Award – DOCURAMA – NETFLIX English Subtitles

In the 1990’s a walk on a Florida Beach might reveal a washed up battered homemade raft of Cuban Origin. Seeing this might make you wonder where the people on those rafts ended up? Did they drown in the ocean, were they picked-up by the coast guard or did they somehow land on the beach?

BEING ELMO A PUPPETEER’S JOURNEY begins with a nine-year-old boy becoming fascinated with puppetry. The boy is Kevin Clash and his love affair ultimately becomes his career. BEING ELMO is an inspirational documentary story that explores “the soul of puppeteers” and what goes into bringing the puppets to life. The film tells the tale by focusing on Kevin Clash, a puppeteer whose characters have included Elmo, Hoots the Owl and Baby Natasha. He also is currently Sesame Street’s Senior Puppet Coordinator, Muppet Captain and Senior Creative Consultant. This is a documentary that in the end is about doing and focusing on your passion despite what anyone else may think or say.

BEST WORST MOVIE is funny and a little sad at the same time. At first you have to wonder, is this a real documentary? Why would anyone make a documentary about the worst movie ever made? After watching BEST WORST MOVIE you may not be compelled to rush out and watch Troll 2, but you will have enjoyed this entertaining story about an amateurish horror movie that has become minor cult film, the cult members, the actors in the film and Troll 2 director, Claudio Fragasso. Michael Paul Stephenson, who was a child actor in Troll 2 when it was made in 1990, directs the documentary BEST WORST MOVIE.

One of the great things about making documentaries is that it’s always a learning experience. In BORN INTO BROTHELS, Zana Briski shares her firsthand experience making the film with you as she goes into the brothels of Kolkata, formerly known as Calcutta, West Bengal India, a city of 4.5 million people in a even larger metropolitan area of 15.7 million inhabitants, the capital of East India. BORN INTO BROTHELS takes place in the Red Light district of Kolkata (Calcutta) where Zana Briski, a photographer from New York, initially embedded herself to document the life of the women who work there. But she soon becomes more concerned with the children of the prostitutes, those who are “Born Into Brothels.” Because the women are working in a trade that is illegal, they are criminals and their children are branded as criminals as well. The girls will ultimately have no choice but to enter the sex trade (known locally as the line) and the boys will become involved in illegal activities like drug dealing.

An advocacy documentary that helps solve the problem it looks at.

At first you might not think, BUCK, a documentary about a “horse whisperer,” would have universal appeal. But once you start to watch this documentary you realize it connects with everyone on a number of levels. Buck Brannaman is a “horse whisperer,” a real one. But he and is methods are unique, built on his life experience. He’s a sincere, unpretentious cowboy with a philosophy from which everyone can learn. BUCK tells a story that transcends the point-of-view of many documentary films that deal with humanistic, social or advocacy issues. BUCK will make you think, laugh and cry. It is a documentary with emotion, drama and a fundamental message.

BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB -1999 – 105 Minutes – Directed by Wim Wenders – Road Movies Filmproduktion – Artisian Home Entertainment The Buena Vista Social Club documentary captures the soul of Cuba as portrayed in its music and performed by its people. A Documentary film may take many forms. Buena Vista Social Club, directed by Wim [...]

CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAMS in 3D, directed by Werner Herzog is a glimpse and a brief exploration of The Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave in France overlooking the former bed of Ardeche River in Southern France. The Chauvet cave houses prehistoric cave paintings that are 32,000 years old according to carbon dating. Hertzog who narrates the documentary explains that experts have determined that there was a landslide at least 10,000 years ago which sealed the entrance to the cave on the limestone cliff thereby preserving the paintings inside.

Crumb looks at the life and work of R. Crumb (Robert Crumb) and his often-bizarre, at times sexually obsessed, world. It is an intimate portrait of a talented artist. As a documentary film, Crumb explores the gray area of erotic art, fantasy, dysfunction, and reality of Robert Crumb at one point in his life…

DARK DAYS explores the lives of homeless people who live in the dark, rat infested, tunnels under Penn Station in New York City. Some of the residents have lived there for up to 25 years listening to the sound of the trains rumbling in and out. DARK DAYS begins by following a resident, outside walking along the street and then down into the tunnels. He talks about why he lives in the tunnels, after he drops down trough a hole, and walks down the dark tunnel making his way to the place he calls home. He talks about feeling safer there, underground, than on the streets where he can get mugged.

Devils Playground – 2001 – Stick Figure Productions – 77 min. – Directed by Lucy Walker – This story follows Amish youth at 16 turned loose to experience the outside world until they can decide whether or not to commit to a life time within the Amish religion and culture. “Devil’s Playground” is the term the Amish use for the world outside their own insular community. This documentary, with the same name, takes you into that “Devil’s Playground” as Amish teenagers practice “Rumspringa” (running around). At the same time the documentary is a candid look at Amish life. When an Amish child turns sixteen they may explore and experience the “English,” non Amish world, the “Devil’s Playground.” Only after this “running around” phase, it’s believed, will they be able to make the decision to be baptized into the Amish religion which was founded on the principal that no one should be baptized as a Christian until they are able to make that decision for themselves.

DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS, directed by Stacy Peralta, is a documentary that brings you into the world of skateboarding starting in the 1970’s after the sport basically faded in the 1960’s. Peralta has special insight into this world, as he was one of the original Dog Town Zephyr Boys Skateboard team and an award winning skateboarder in the day. He also founded the Z-Boys Bone Brigade. DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS as a documentary demonstrates a style of nonfiction filmmaking that Stacy Peralta will build on for subsequent documentaries like RIDING GIANTS and KRIPS AND BLOODS in later years.

EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP – 2010 -86 Minutes – A Banksky Film – Exit, directed by Street Artist Banksy, begins with Thierry Guetta a Frenchman living in L A, who runs a trendy clothing shop. Thierry carries a camcorder everywhere he goes and compulsively shoots whatever interests him. After visiting his family in France, Thierry discovers that his cousin is a graffiti artist there, known as Enforcer. His cousin knows Shepard Fairey, a well-established L A street artist. When Thierry returns from France he contacts Fairey who agrees to let Thierry go with him while he works. Thierry tells Shepard he’s making a documentary film about graffiti and street art. But Thierry has no idea how to make a documentary; he’s just into the recording of events and everything he sees that interests him. He has hundreds of tapes sitting in boxes.

For All Mankind – 1989 – The Criterion Collection – 79 Min. Directed by Al Reinhart – This film is a compilation of NASA archival documentation of nine US missions to the moon beginning in 1968 and ending in 1972. Narrated by the Astronauts who made the historic journeys. For All Mankind uses dramatic footage from all of the nine NASA missions to the moon to aid in creating a moving and human story of one trip to the moon, a moon landing and return home.

4 Little Girls is set in 1963; Birmingham, Alabama in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement struggles, but it also looks back at the earlier history of Birmingham. The documentary story centers around four young girls who were killed on September 15th 1963 when a bomb went off at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Joan Baez sings Richard Farina’s Birmingham Sunday, as archival photographs of the girls, their graves and shots of troubled Birmingham stream by. Directed by Spike Lee, 4 Little Girls makes extensive use of archival footage showing the deeply rooted racism prevalent in Birmingham in those days. The film also uses archival photographs of the extended families of the four girls, as parents and others are interviewed. 4 Little Girls is a documentary film that brings to life an episode in American History that needs to be shown to each new generation.

GASLAND, a documentary directed by Josh Fox, is a first person account of the filmmaker’s quest to discover what the impact might be of proposed natural gas drilling both on his own property in Northeastern Pennsylvania, and ultimately, current and past drilling in thirty-three other states. What he discovered is ruining the water supply in [...]

GENGIS BLUES THE STORY OF A BLIND BLUES MUSICIAN’S JOURNEY TO THE LOST LAND OF TUVA ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE WINNER SUNDANCE AUDIENCE AWARD 1999 – 90 minutes – Color – Produced and Shot by: Roko and Adrian Belic – Written, Directed, Edited by Roko Belic  - Wadi Rum Productions – DOCURAMA Gengis [...]

Viewing Gimme Shelter, A Maysles Films Inc Production, recently released on Blu-ray Disc by Criterion Collection, is a worthwhile trip back to December 1969, and the Altamonte Speedway near San Francisco, where we visit a free Rolling Stones Concert that some say ended an era. This Direct Cinema (Cinema Verite) documentary ultimately brings us to [...]

Timothy Treadwell lived with the wild Grizzly bears in Alaska for thirteen summers until he and his visiting girl friend, Anne Huguenard overstayed his usual time there resulting in them both being attacked and devoured by a Grizzly bear. Grizzly Man, directed by Werner Hetzog, incorporates a mix of footage shot by Treadwell over thirteen years, interviews shot by Hertzog with people who knew Treadwell and archival footage. Herzog also narrates parts of the documentary.

GUNNER PALACE 2004 87 MINUTES — Documentaries like 2011 Oscar Nominee RESTREPO and Fiction Films including Oscar Winning HURT LOCKER are strong stories about War. GUNNER PALACE is a documentary that offers insight into the soldier’s life and their psychological attitudes in a war zone. The daily grind of patrols, guns and occupying captured territory and property are see from the inside looking out. A soldier’s sense of humor under these conditions may seem bizarre, macabre or odd in these situations but it is representative of the stress of dealing with life threatening situations and conducting war.

“CHUCK BERRY HAIL! HAIL! ROCK ‘N’ ROLL” is a documentary that entertains and informs on many levels. Sit back and enjoy the music, anecdotes as told by the artists, a great concert with insight into the social and historical aspects of the emergence of Rock ‘N’ Roll. “Chuck Berry Hail! Hail! Rock N Roll” is an amazing documentary that begins when the director Taylor Hackford asked Keith Richards to be musical director/producer for the film and to put together a solid backup band for Chuck’s 60th birthday concert. Keith, “…wanted to serve Chuck up with a good band, because he hadn’t had one for years.” Keith brought in Johnnie Johnson on piano. Chuck Berry started out with Johnnie in St Louis. Keith also brought in Steve Jordan on drums and other musicians including himself to put together an excellent back up ensemble for Chuck’s concert…

A coal miner silhouetted and barely visible in the darkness of a coal mine calls out a warning three times, “fireinthehole,” the words all run together melodiously,  letting all know he’s about to detonate an explosion. So begins HARLAN COUNTY USA, 1976, 104 minutes Directed by Barbara Kopple, Winner Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary 1976. [...]

HELL AND BACK AGAIN proves the notion that “war is hell,” and that coming home wounded is a difficult task. This documentary combines actual combat footage shot by photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis while he was embedded in Echo Company, U.S. Marines who were part of a major assault in southern Afghanistan in 2009. The footage of the Marines on patrol and in combat is similar to the footage seen in RESTREPO, directed by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger which was nominated for an Oscar in 2011. Cinematographer and director Danfung Dennis brings you with the marines into combat.

The documentary HELVETICA’S appeal is that it explores a world of which you may not be fully aware. Signs, brochures, logos, billboards, street signs, directions, store names, product names and daily correspondence all use a variety of fonts but none more prevalent for the last fifty years than Helvetica. HELVETICA is a documentary about a [...]

I LIKE KILLING FLIES Kenny Shopsin’s Legendary Eatery 2005 – THINK FILM – 79 Minutes – Directed by Matt Mahurin When I next get to New York City, I’m planning to visit Greenwich Village and see if perhaps I might prove “worthy” enough to eat at Shopsin’s restaurant at its new location. After watching the [...]

IF A TREE FALLS is a documentary that explores many important issues in a story that focuses on the rise and fall of The Earth Liberation Front (ELF). It does this mainly through the eyes of David McGowan, as he becomes radicalized into the ecological movement and ultimately in to its most radical component the ELF. The film opens with archival footage of a ski resort burning. The ELF burned it because the resort had plans to expand in to a forest area. It is scenes like this that seem senseless contrasted with actual plundering of the environment that provoke questions about both sides of the environmental argument.

Inside Job tells the nonfiction story of the global economic crisis of 2008 including the history that leads up to this disaster. Inside Job goes beyond documenting the event from a historical perspective; it discusses the cause of the catastrophe, and names the culprits who cashed in, benefiting at the expense of the taxpayers. The documentary does all this in a way that is insightful and not difficult to comprehend. Inside Job is the rare documentary that definitely looks at a problems issues, causes, and outcomes, then offers solutions to stop it from happening again. This 2010 Oscar winning documentary should be seen by citizens of the United States and citizens of countries world wide. Inside Job makes a strong case for the prosecution of individuals, bankers and others involved in criminal activities including fraud and for reinstating of regulations that would prevent the banking industry from repeating the same crimes.

Have you ever wanted to spend a year as a monk in a monastery where conversation is not allowed? Where there is basically a vow of silence? Where you can read, meditate, sing and pray? Well, “Into Great Silence” is your opportunity to experience a year at The Carthusian Monastery in the French Alps. A year with the monks, all in less than three very quiet hours. Director Philip Gröning allows you to experience daily life at the monastery over four seasons of the year, beginning during the winter months. Two young men are initiated early in the film providing a glimpse of what it would be like to enter the order complete with having your head shaved.

Into The Arms Of Strangers is the story of ten thousand German/Jewish children who, in an effort to save their lives, were sent to Great Britain by their parents in the year before WW II. This process was known as Kindertransport. England agreed to accept children of up to seventeen years of age, as refugees providing they did not take jobs away from English workers. Many were placed in menial and domestic jobs. Most lived with families.
Into The Arms of Strangers is a well-made documentary that should be watched by anyone interested or studying this tragic period of history. Into The Arms Of Strangers: Kindertransport are nonfiction, stories about and told by, the actual people who experienced these events. Their interviews and recollections are supported by actuality documentation including newsreel footage, photographs and other documentation.

IT MIGHT GET LOUD, directed by Davis Guggenheim, tells the story of three well-known electric guitarists, each a legend in his own right. The Edge (U2), Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) and Jack White (The White Stripes, The Raconteurs) jam on an empty stage beginning a dialog that covers more than their music. If you like electric guitar, if you ever played or tried to play guitar or if you just like rock music you will enjoy this documentary. Each of these men has their own unique style and approach but they all share a passion for this instrument and the music they produce with it. What ultimately emerges from the speakers when they perform is each of their unique voices.

If JERRY SEINFELD COMEDIAN was only about Jerry Seinfeld deciding to resurrect his career as a stand-up comedian after ending his hit TV show, it would be a rather narrowly focused and possibly short story. But the documentary goes beyond this premise and explores a number of other issues and ideas about comedy, performing, career choices and just what it takes to be a comedian.

To a large extent life in China is opaque to the rest of the world. The most many people in North America get to see of China is the “Made In China” label on a piece of clothing or other item at Walmart. Last Train Home takes you on a train ride home and back, with one of the hundred-thirty million migrant worker families who make these export items. Every year the 130 million migrant workers in China go home for the Chinese New Year holiday. Last Train Home looks at the life of one family over approximately twenty-eight monts, including the parents pilgrimages home to spend time with their children.

LOST BOYS OF SUDAN looks at what it’s like to be a refugee from Sudan, a war torn country in Africa, suddenly transported to the United States and a new life. While there is a support system to help the refugees adjust and acclimate to the new alien environment, there are many problems. The ongoing war that ravaged the Sudan has killed millions of people and displaced thousands more. Twenty thousand young boys escaped being slaughtered when troops from the north swept into their villages killing men and taking woman and girls. The boys ended up in refugee camps in Kenya. They are the “Lost Boys of Sudan.”

Ever picture yourself doing the tango or merengue? How about swing dancing or just gliding across the floor doing a ballroom style waltz? But maybe you’ve always been a little shy about getting out there and trying it? Well MAD HOT BALLROOM is a chance to vicariously enjoy the experience of learning to do competitive ballroom dancing through the eyes of New York City Public School forth and fifth graders. In the process you might pick up a few steps as well. At the very least you will laugh and cry with the students as they learn to dance the merengue, tango, swing and Cuban rumba in preparation to ultimately compete and take part in a number of competitions. MAD HOT BALLROOM is entertaining, fun, informative and inspirational, so you don’t have to be a closet dance fan to enjoy it.

MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES EDWARD BURTYNSKY 2007 90 MINUTES DIRECTED BY JENNIFER BAICHWAL ZEITGEIST VIDEO — The subject matter of Manufactured Landscapes is unique; it’s probably worth risking your sanity as you watch the opening scene of the seemingly endless manufacturing floor with row after row of assembly tables manned by workers in yellow shirts. There is a rule-of-thumb in filmmaking that even it you’re trying to depict boredom, you can’t bore your audience. In this case a “manufactured landscape” is what’s being depicted. After about 30 seconds of this opening tracking shot, you get it! The next seven minutes-thirty seconds is repetitive.

MAYA LIN: A STRONG CLEAR VISION – 1994 – Directed by Frieda Lee Mock – Sanders and Mock/American Film Foundation – Maya Lin, a twenty-one year old student at Yale enters and wins a competition to design a national memorial; thereby changing the course of her life and making a long-term impact on a nation. Maya Lin: A Srong Clear Vision is the story of the creation of the Vietnam War Memorial and its young designer Maya Lin. In many respects this aspect of the story reflects the controversy and angst born out of the Vietnam War. The film also explores the creative process of an individual thrust into controversy because of her original design, politics and individuals who opposed her because of her ethnicity. Beyond all the strife, Maya Lin’s design has had a lasting, healing impact on the losses and wounds obtained by a nation in a controversial war.

MILTON GLASER – To Inform & Delight is a unique documentary profile of an artist whose widely seen and acclaimed work carries universal appeal. Milton Glaser is an amazing talent with a wonderful outlook on life and art. He appears to be someone who has been successful at what he creates and the way he lives. MILTON GLASER, the documentary explores this man’s extraordinary life and work. Yet outside New York City art and design circles, the average person does not always associate Milton Glaser with his work. MILTON GLASER – To Inform & Delight, is a documentary everyone, especially anyone involved the arts will enjoy and learn from.

All that can be heard in the opening moments of Murder Ball are the ambient sounds of Mark Zupan getting himself into his wheel chair, lifting his body and legs into place and the sound of a compressor. In some ways the opening images of MurderBall are deceiving in that you might imagine a very [...]

One difficult thing about making a portrait or profile documentary is turning it into an interesting story about the person or subject being documented.  Nadja Salerno–Sonnenberg is an extremely talented, and accomplished violinist. Her style of performance is aggressive and filled with the emotion she feels coming from the music. Her approach to performing is [...]

At the Mannheim Film Festival in 1964, Filmmakers, from all over the world, selected Nanook of the North, as among the greatest documentaries of all time.[i]

It is said that Nanook Of The North established a new genre of documentary filmmaking. However, the film has been criticized because Flaherty staged a number of scenes and selected certain Inuit for roles in the documentary. These criticisms fail to take into account that Flaherty’s goal was to depict Eskimo life and traditions. He wanted to show Eskimo traditional way of life before the European explorers came to the area. There were no “actors” in the film. Everyone is an Eskimo living the life in which they are depicted. In addition Flaherty was breaking new ground; there were no rules as to what constituted a documentary. Up to this time there had been only short “actuality” and “travelog” films in the nonfiction area.

NIGHT AND FOG is extremely cinematic using editing in a way that constructs the story. But this is not an easy subject to watch. NIGHT AND FOG is a short documentary that cannot be ignored. It graphically demonstrates the horror of the holocaust and the eleven million people who were murdered. There are no reenactments or speculations in this thirty minute historical documentary essay. Only actuality, questions and reflection about how and why something like this could happen and why it must never happen again in human history. In the years since this documentary film was made there have been many fictional films produced based on true stories or other information, but none of these films has had the impact of NIGHT AND FOG which methodically explores the reality of this gruesome time in history in the context of the concentration camps.

If you don’t know much about Bob Dylan, his work, or his music then, especially today when a voice like Dylan’s is badly needed in the current climate of oppression and self-oppression, you should. Bob Dylan did not want to be part of any movement or political group. He said his writing was not topical, but he gave voice in his songs to the most pressing issues of the day. NO DIRECTION HOME – BOB DYLAN takes those who were there back to the days when they bought every album released by Dylan and knew the words to his songs. The documentary covers Dylan and events up to 1966.

What emerges from NO DIRECTION HOME – BOB DYLAN is that Bob Dylan’s work reflects back the time period when it was written. Dylan at times claimed he was not a protest singer and at other times that all his songs were protest songs. Both things are true. Dylan was active in the Civil Rights movement, but also claimed he was not political. He wrote and sung, “The times they are a-changing” metaphorically in all his work. His writing did not just apply to civil rights; it applied to life styles and relationships, being American, and the culture in general. Dylan is as much a poet and writer as he is a singer and musician. He found his voice after being exposed to the poets and coffee houses in Greenwich Village, NYC and went on from there. In many respects Bob Dylan chronicled or documented injustice and other issues broadcasting them to the public much like a journalist or documentary filmmaker.

Using quotes from George Orwell’s novel, 1984, the documentary film, Orwell Rolls In His Grave, written, directed and edited by Robert Kane Pappas explores the role of media in today’s world. It is a prophetic documentary conveying a message that seems even more urgent in 2011 than when the film was made in 2004. Orwell Rolls In His Grave asks controversial questions about a number of issues concerning the political and corporate control of the public’s need to know. Pappas, aided by a number of knowledgeable individuals, deconstructs events in recent history that bring to light the Orwellian world we live in today.

Orwell Rolls In His Grave is a social, historic and advocacy nonfiction statement. It asks questions, and explores issues using an objective reality format that presents actuality in a way that makes you think about the world you live in today. This documentary removes the foggy eyeglasses issued by indifference and spin to reveal a world that would make Orwell Roll In His Grave.

Primary, 1960, 53 minutes, directed and filmed by Robert Drew and Richard Leacock initiated a documentary style in which the filmmakers became observers. This form of documenting actuality became known as “Direct Cinema.” According Richard Leacock, the style of filmmaking used in Primary is not Cinema Verite, which he equates with the notion of a constantly [...]

RESTREPO 2010 93 Minutes. A documentary by Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington. Editor Michael Levine, Associate Editor Maya Mumma. Grand Jury Prize for best documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. National Geographic Entertainment Outpost Films 2011 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD. “Restrepo” is a bullets over your head, crawl on your belly documentary in which you will “take fire” with combat soldiers who are actually fighting in the Korengal Valley near the Pakistan border in Afghanistan. A person who hasn’t been in firsthand l military combat cannot really know what it’s like to face death constantly. This documentary may be as close as you can get to actually being there.

The long awaited sequel to the documentary WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR is here, it’s called, REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR – You Can’t Kill An Idea Whose Time Has Come. And yes both documentaries are worth seeing! Chris Paine directed both films putting together not only the history of the electric car up to GM’s EV1 in WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR, and more recent developments in the reemergence of electric vehicles in REVENGE OF THE ELECTRIC CAR.

Who Killed The Electric Car – 2006 – Sony Pictures Classics – 93 min. – Directed by Chris Paine. The history of the electric car and how GM created a successful electric car in the 1980’s and then pulled it off the market and then destroyed all production models leased and in use.

Revenge Of The Electric Car – 2011 – 90 min. Documramafilms – Directed by Chris Paine – Begins where Who Killed The Electric Car Ends with the reemergence of the Electric Car.

Whether you love surfing or wonder what its all about Riding Giants takes you on an amazing journey. Huge waves, accompanied by the sound of the ocean and music, curl across the screen transporting you into the realm of big wave surfing. Here you meet surfing legends past and present including Tom Blake, Greg Noll, [...]

RIVERS AND TIDES – ANDY GOLDWORTHY – WORKING WITH TIME
2004 90 Minutes Directed by Thomas Riedelsheimer Produced by Annedore V. Donop Rome Releasing DocuRama DVD – Rivers And Tides is a film, which demonstrates that a documentary may be both art and actuality. Andy Goldsworthy creates his work in natural environments with materials from nature including leaves, flower pedals, twigs, pinecones, snow, sand and stone. He has traveled the world creating installations that in some cases are reclaimed by nature within a few hours of being constructed. Rivers and Tides begins in the gray white snow where one of Andy Goldsworthy’s stone, cone shaped sculptures is seen by the water. The camera pans across a colorless, rock strewn beach

ROTHKO’S ROOMS, produced and directed by David Thompson is a journey into the world of Mark Rothko (1903 to 1970), who in the period from 1940 into 1960’s was one of the leading American Painters in the Modern Art world. The unique thing about this educational documentary is that it goes beyond mere facts and history. Through a combination of action, interviews, archival elements and additional footage, the documentary story penetrates Rothko’s abstract view of the world, unlocking the door to Rothko’s rooms. This is a beautifully crafted documentary film well worth watching on it’s own.

Scratch explores DJs, Hip Hop history, MCs, Rap, Beat, Digging, Breaks, DJ Battle, Turntablism and how they all connect to the “chizza chizza” scratch breaks of the best DJs. Scratch is a documentary that submerges you into music, the actuality and the growth of this phenomenon.
Scratch skillfully presents the evolution of all the elements as seen through the eyes and work of Grand Master Flash, Steinski, Mix Master Mike, and DJ Qbert amongst others. As the documentary moves though jam sessions, DJ Battles, and sessions with DJ Relm, DJ Flare, and DJ Shadow it becomes clear that DJing needs to be recognized as an art form using or creating a new instrument to create its music. “The turntable is a musical instrument as long as you can see it being one.”

A documentary exploring the artistic creative process might choose a number of approaches, but none more intimate and revealing than in Sketches of Frank Gehry, a film by Sydney Pollack. Sketches of Frank Gehry may be the only documentary Pollack directed in his long career as a filmmaker, but because of his willingness to experiment, [...]

Sound and Fury is the story of Heather Artinian, a young deaf girl caught up between the opportunity to hear the sounds around her and the opposition of her family and the deaf community which accepts deafness as a way of life. She, her deaf parents, parents hearing siblings, non-hearing and hearing grandparents are caught up in the issues and politics of giving Heather the ability to hear through a surgical implant known as a cochlear implant. (CI) is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing.

SOUTH OF THE BORDER A FILM BY OLIVER STONE 2010 78 Minutes A Cinema Libre Fillm — South Of The Border is a trip by Mr. Stone to South America where he conducts conversations with elected Presidents of several countries including Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Evo Morales, Bolivia, Lula da Silvo, Brazil, Cristina Kirchner and her husband Nestor Kirchner (the ex president), Argentina, Fernando Lugo, Paraguay, Rafael Correa, Ecuador. Oliver Stone and Chavez also visit Raul Castro in Cuba…

Style Wars is a documentary that looks at graffiti “writers,” “bombers” and “taggers” in New York City starting in the 1970’s. It sees graffiti, or “street art,” (a more recent development) as part of a three-part hip-hop movement that includes, graffiti as the written word, rap as the spoken word, and acrobatic break dancing as [...]

THE BRIDGE – 2006 – 94 minutes – Produced and Directed by Eric Steel – Koch Lorber Films. IFC . Rated “R” Suicide is a difficult subject to deal with. Some might call it morbid. The documentary, The Bridge begins with panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge, the bay, recreational activities, boats, rowers, people walking [...]

The documentary, The Civil War is eleven hours long and first ran as a series on PBS in 1990 and again in April of 2011. Counting both sides in the conflict six hundred thousand Americans were killed in the Civil War. In this compilation style documentary, old photographs, documents and other source materials are seen as a letter from a soldier to his wife or family is read by a voice over narrator. Sound effects like cannons being fired are heard as photographs of the day, taken of battles are shown. Burns does not simply show an old photograph he brings it to life with camera movement on the photo, authentic sound effects, music and voice over when necessary. Interviews with Shelby Foote, Civil War historian and others add insight and perspective to documentary.

“Driving into the town of Taiji (Japan) is like driving into the twilight zone,” says Ric O’Barry, dressed with hat, dark glasses and a filter mask, disguised as he drives his passenger into the town. “A little town with a big secret,” Rick continues, “when you look around you would think they loved dolphins and whales.” THE COVE

“I believe in God and I certainly believe in the devil. There’s certainly a devil and he knows my name.” – Daniel Johnston Sundance Film Festival Winner, The Devil and Daniel Johnston begins with a scene of Daniel Johnston performing at the time the documentary was made. It then flashes back to interviews with his parents, Mabel and Bill, illustrated by archival photographs and home video of Daniel growing up in New Cumberland, West Virginia. Daniel is a precocious child who is artistic and full of life. He is a musician, draws and makes videos. But his mother speculates that he somehow lost his confidence in junior high school and that is when he started to have problems. There is a definite conflict between Daniel and his Church of Christ, fundamentalist parents. Daniel tape records his Mother berating him, accusing him creating “Satanic” drawings seeking attention by drawing.

THE FAMILY OF MAN EXHIBIT AND BOOK CREATED BY EDWARD STEICHEN ORIGINALLY OPENED IN 1955 THE MUSEM OF MODERN ART, NEW YORK A DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBIT AND BOOK It must be a wonderful experience to walk though this exhibit of photographs documenting “The Family of Man,” and to linger and examine each picture depicting so [...]

The Fog Of War – Eleven Lessons From The Life Of Robert S. McNamara is more than lessons about the cruelty of war. McNamara and director Errol Morris explore issues surrounding war, including the mindset, ethics, politics and mistakes made in US policy decisions during the life of Robert S. McNamara. The documentary begins with [...]

Asked about working on The Last Waltz, Martin Scorsese said, “it was a joy, it was celebration, it was extraordinary inspiration listening to this music.” To many there will never be another band like “THE BAND!” In 1976 Scorsese was asked to make a documentary of The Band’s last performance. After 16 years of backing [...]

THE U.S. vs. JOHN LENNON ARTIST. HUMANITARIAN. NATIONAL THREAT. 2006 – LIONS GATE – 96 minutes – Directed by David Leaf & John Scheinfeld Anyone who lived through the sixties and the seventies can’t help but relive the turbulent times depicted in The US vs John Lennon. For those too young to have experienced that [...]

The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, 2005 83 minutes, a documentary film by Judy Irving, is an insightful, intimate story that explores the life of Mark Bittner, a resident of Telegraph Hill, and his self styled vocation, of tending to a flock of wild parrots living in the area. The documentary reveals how he arrived at this point in his life and where his work has ultimately lead him. Mark’s story is interwoven with the story of the wild parrots, Mingus, Connor, Picasso and others; their evolution and survival in the San Francisco environment.

United States of America v. Thomas B Kin Chong – a/k/a Tommy Chong is a unique, actuality based documentary, directed by Josh Gilbert. Different because it successfully combines a strong political message with humor, emotion and entertainment. The story begins with Tommy Chong apparently being interviewed at Taft, a federal minimum-security prison in California, where he is serving a nine month sentence for owning a company that sold bongs on the internet.

WAL * MART – the high cost of low price is a well crafted advocacy documentary released in 2005 that may be a reoccurring nightmare for Wal-Mart every time it is screened at a community gathering fighting against a new store proposed to be built or shown to Wal-Mart “associates” looking for better working conditions.

The documentary looks at a number of issues. Including the impact on local stores when a Wal-Mart is built in the town or surrounding area; state and local subsidies in the millions given to Wal-Mart when the build in a community; Wal-Mart treatment of it’s workers (associates), who, in the final analysis are paid less than minimum wage and who pay high premiums for such meager health benefits that they must register for Medicaid and are encouraged to do so by Wal-Mart; Wal-Mart practices in 3rd world countries where they manufacture products sold in their stores; the local communities that fight to stop Wal-Mart from building stores in their communities and the crime that goes on in Wal-Mart parking lots.

“Waste Land” begins with Vic Muniz, a well-known artist, living in Brooklyn, New York, who decides to return to Brazil his birthplace, to do an art project that has social relevance. Art that will somehow help the people involved. Muniz’s work mainly combines photography with other media. He has gained recognition worldwide. He decides to go to Rio de Janeiro to photograph “Catadores” who make their living picking recyclable materials out of the huge garbage dump/landfill known as Jardim Gramacho located on the outskirts of Rio. Muniz plans to take photographs of a number people, blow the pictures up, project them as templates and have the individuals participate in painting themselves with the recyclable materials or “garbage” as it’s called in the publicity. Muniz then re-photographs these “portraits.” His plan is to exhibit this work and sell prints with the proceeds going to the “Catadores.”

“Waste Land,” directed by Lucy Walker is an honest documentary that attempts an exploration of the shadows of perceived reality, in the hope of finding some glimmer of truth. This is an excellent documentary that deals with many issues on many levels.

Waiting For Superman is an advocacy documentary that explores issues facing Public Education in the United Sates. The film appears to be making a case for charter schools to replace the traditional public school systems especially in low income areas. Charter schools take public money, but are run privately. Charter schools compete with public schools [...]

John Lennon was a fan and friend of American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson. Harry’s voice and the songs he wrote are familiar but his name is not one that comes to mind as easily as the Beatles, or other famous musicians or groups. The Beatles said, “Harry Nilsson was their favorite group.”

This 2010 documentary profile, written and directed by John Scheinfeld, is not a video version of Harry Nilsson’s greatest hits or 116 minutes of interviews. It sincerely attempts to capture the essence of the man through his work and through the voices of his family, friends and voice over interviews with Harry himself. In this age of digital reproduction “Who Is Harry Nilsson?” is the LP, analog original point-of-view version, that captures the essence of a dream that Harry Nilsson found himself living.

Why We Fight, directed by Eugene Jariecki, was made in 2005, but it opens with President Dwight D Eisenhower giving his farewell address to the nation in 1961. In his speech, this conservative, ex Army General, the supreme allied commander, Europe in WWII, warns against an ever expanding military-industrial complex, which he perceived as a danger to the democracy. “The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic process,” he said.

WINGED MIGRATION is a stunningly beautiful film that brings you closer to nature and migrating birds than you have ever been, but it’s much more than showing birds in migration. It is a beautiful film that takes you into the sky with the birds as they fly thousands of miles twice each year migrating back and forth across the planet. The cinematography is great not only in capturing the flight of the birds but also in recording the natural colors of the environments in all kinds of weather and conditions. Interestingly this documentary captures not only the flight of the birds and natural environments, it also captures the birds in relation to humans, human environments and other species on the planet.

With One Voice explores the world of mysticism and it’s role in spirituality and religion. The documentary is a quest to learn from mystics, representing major religions, about their own spiritual journey and what they have learned from it.  In the words of Father Keating in the film, “We are all mystics seeking to solve [...]

WOMEN AND SPIRITUALITY THE GODDESS TRILOGY is a three-hour, three part series made between 1987 and 1992 sponsored by the National Film Board of Canada. Part One – GODDESS REMEMBERED looks at prehistory and evidence that goes back about 35,000 years beginning with stone age Cro-magnon culture where carved Goddess sculpture and cave paintings of 37,000 years ago are found in France. The notion of a mother earth creation story along with the nurturing role of women in peaceful hunter gather groups is established.

Fifty Million Americans do Cross Word Puzzles every week on a regular basis. Wordplay, directed by Patrick Creadon explores this phenomenon. There are interviews with avid crossword puzzle fans including President Clinton, Jon Stewart, Bob Dole, Mike Mussina, Ken Burns and others. But the main focus of the documentary is on Will Shortz who is the crossword puzzle editor at The New York Times; known to millions as NPR’s “Puzzle Master,” and the World Crossword Puzzle Championship.

ZEITGEIST is a film that has a definite point-of-view which is presented in a sort of on going rant against the alleged world establishment. It is basically divided in to three acts that lead to some interesting conclusions in the final act. The first part examines the similarity of Christianity to many other earlier religions. Jesus is compared to the Egyptian God Horas, who the film claims has an identical story of birth; Horas and Jesus both conceived by a woman without a man. In the case of Horas the Goddess is Isis. The entire notion of Christianity is tied into the astrological Zodiac and the 12 signs. Horas and Jesus, the film shows, were both Sun Gods which puts them in line with many other religions and myths. In some instances the information,presented as hard facts, makes a convincing argument. Christian scholars might argue that the mythical elements were applied after the fact to make Christianity more palatable to pagans. However, the film goes back to prehistory to establish its premise.