November 18, 2014

Merchants of Doubt: A Call to Action Against Disinformation

  Written by Krystal Grow When you’re responsible for manufacturing some of the most harmful and toxic products on the planet, presentation is everything, and nothing is as appears. Director Robert Kenner, who uncovered the capitalist complex behind the food processing industry in Food Inc., returns with another captivating documentary that exposes disturbing connections between […]

November 18, 2014

Soft Vengeance and “A Persistent Fight for Equality”

Written by Jenna Belhumeur In Abby Ginzberg’s documentary, Soft Vengeance: Albie Sachs and the New South Africa, viewers are taken through the fight against South African apartheid via the life of one of the country’s most noted activists. Following the film’s screening on Sunday at the SVA Theater, Ginzberg was joined onstage by Sachs for […]

November 18, 2014

Rubble Kings and the Untold Story of South Bronx Street Gangs

  Written by Maggie Glass The War Pigs. The Jolly Stompers. The Savage Nomads. The Aliens. The Renagade Turks. In the 1970s, New York City was ruled by gangs, each with its own identity, fashion sense, and style of violence. With the idealism of the 60s fading, the city was experiencing swift urban decay and […]

November 18, 2014

A Deep Dive into the Life of Greg Louganis at DOC NYC

  Written by Jacob Appet Cheryl Furjanic’s Back on Board: Greg Louganis screened Sunday night at DOC NYC to a sold-out, overjoyed crowd.  The film blends archival footage with present-day interviews to paint a beautiful, complex portrait of an iconic Olympic champion. Greg Louganis, the only athlete to ever win consecutive Olympic gold medals in […]

November 18, 2014

Confronting Fate in Lucy Walker’s The Lion’s Mouth Opens

  Written by Megan Scanlon The Lion’s Mouth Opens, directed by Lucy Walker, tenderly and bravely confronts the neurodegenerative cognitive and behavioral downward spiral that is Huntington’s Disease. Walker and the subject of the film, actress and filmmaker Marianna Palka, were present for a Q&A in front of a packed DOC NYC audience on Sunday […]

November 18, 2014

David: A Case Study in Classic Documentary Film Making

Written by Krystal Grow The Synanon House in Santa Monica had a front door that faced the California freeway, and a back door that led to the rolling waves of the Pacific ocean. But in between the streets and the shoreline, a radical experiment in drug rehabilitation was happening, and an equally unheard of style […]

November 17, 2014

Roger Ebert’s Legendary Career Revealed in Life Itself

    Written by Megan Scanlon In Saturday night’s pre-screen conversation of Life Itself, John Vanco, Vice President and General Manager of the IFC Center said Director Steve James “has been making some of the most moral and impactful and important documentaries in the past 25 years.” In Life Itself, James’ portrays the life of […]

November 17, 2014

A Fiery Debate Follows the World Premiere of No Control at DOC NYC

    Written by Jacob Appet The atmosphere was electric for the world premiere of Jessica Solce’s No Control at DOC NYC.  The meticulous documentary aims to objectively explain the intricacies and absurdities of America’s current gun-control laws and the debates that surround them. The central figures of the film represent two very different sides […]

November 17, 2014

DOC NYC 20th Anniversary Screening of Hoop Dreams

Written by Maggie Glass Amidst a flurry of new releases and world premieres, DOC NYC audiences had the unique opportunity on Sunday to attend the 20th anniversary restoration of the epic documentary HOOP DREAMS. Steve James’s 1994 film follows two young black teenagers with NBA aspirations as they grapple with academics, poverty, and family crises. […]