Written by Laura Dattaro From the crumbling buildings of the economically failing Upsala College was born WFMU, an independent radio station that’s survived nearly three decades on listener donations, the work of all-volunteer DJs, and playing whatever the hell they want. It’s a chaotic story told somewhat chaotically in Sex and Broadcasting, which had its […]
Written by Jacob Appet American ethnomusicologist Louis Sarno was so enchanted by Central African Pygmy music that he set a personal goal to not only meet the indigenous Bayaka population, but to become a permanent resident of the traditional hunter-gatherer society. Song From The Forest, which had it’s New York City premier at DOC […]
Written by Jenna Belhumeur In Friday night’s showing of Banksy Does New York, filmmaker Chris Moukarbel explores the month-long New York City residency of famed anonymous street artist Banksy. While Banksy may not have been in attendance (or perhaps he was…), many of the New Yorkers who appear throughout the film were. At […]
Written by Maggie Glass The disturbing and probing documentary AN OPEN SECRET premiered on Friday night at DOC NYC, with a full audience that included many of the film’s brave participants and supporters. In the film, director Amy Berg explores child abuse and exploitation in the entertainment industry through the stories of its many victims, […]
Written by Krystal Grow If it had been true, the story of J.T. Leroy would have been a nearly unprecedented literary landmark, a discovery so raw and verbally vivid that celebrities, authors, editors, journalists, photographers, fashion designers and film makers would be rendered helplessly devoted. But the story of J.T. Leroy, and the […]
Written by Krystal Grow Caroll Spinney’s yellow-feathered tenure as the world’s most lovable bird started in 1969, when the young actor, artist and puppeteer met legendary Muppet-maker Jim Henson. At the time, Spinney was a sideman on the Bozo’s Big Top, and despite the invaluable live television experience he gained, thought he was capable of […]
Written by Jacob Appet The DOC NYC Visionaries Tribute, held in Chelsea’s elegant Park Restaurant, joyfully paid tribute to both the pioneers of modern documentary cinema and the vital filmmakers whom they continue to inspire. The afternoon was kicked off by executive director Raphaela Neihausen, who noted her delight at seeing so many familiar faces […]
Written by Laura Dattaro In 1997, a small group of women living in the mountains of Costa Rica began producing coffee to offset the economic flight of their husbands and sons to the city. Their organization, La Asociacion de Mujeres Organizadas de Biolley (ASOMOBI), was the first micro-mill in Costa Rica. Today, there are […]
America’s largest documentary film festival opened its 5th season with a deceptively simple question that sparked a journey of self discovery through the mystery of linguistics. Do I Sound Gay? is writer David Thorpe’s debut documentary film-one he was compelled to create in a period of intense self-loathing and personal insecurity, also known as […]
THE NEW YORK TIMES MOVIES | CRITIC’S NOTEBOOK Images That Dare You to Turn Away The DOC NYC Film Festival Returns By STEPHEN HOLDEN NOV. 11, 2014 Credit: Sebastião Salgado/Amazonas Images/Sony Pictures Classics To hell and back describes the psychological journey of the great Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado in the magnificent documentary “The Salt of the Earth.” Directed by Wim Wenders […]