Twenty-five years ago, Paul Simon’s “Graceland” album brought international attention to South African music while the country’s black populace still suffered under apartheid. By recording in South Africa, Simon defied the United Nations cultural boycott and became embroiled in controversy. Director Joe Berlinger (Oscar-nominated for Paradise Lost 3) follows Simon as he travels back to South Africa for a […]
In the late ‘60s, the Detroit singer known as Rodriguez was considered a Chicano Bob Dylan by his producers. His album “Cold Fact” never took off in the U.S., but unbeknownst to him it became massive hit in apartheid-era South Africa. Decades later, amidst rumors of Rodriguez’s suicide, dedicated South African fans search to learn what happened to […]
Mea Maxima Culpa investigates the Roman Catholic Church’s cover-up of countless incidents of sexual abuse of children. Despite sporadic headlines, we still have enormous gaps in our knowledge about the concealment that took place over decades. Although the church has paid out over $2 billion to settle claims, U.S. courts have convicted only one senior church official for his […]
Faced with their own mortality, an improbable group of people, many of them HIV-positive young men, broke the mold as radical warriors taking on Washington and the medical establishment. With unfettered access to a treasure trove of never-before-seen archival footage from the 1980s and ‘90s, filmmaker David France puts the viewer smack in the middle of the controversial actions, […]
Ballet students, ages 9-19, travel to New York City from all over the world to compete for awards and scholarships in the Youth America Grand Prix. First-time director Bess Kargman follows six students from diverse backgrounds in the US, Italy, Colombia, and Sierra Leone as they strive to achieve their dreams. Even if you’re not a ballet aficionado, […]
Since he was named Runner-Up for TIME Magazine’s 2011 Person of the Year, more people are starting to wonder: who is Ai Weiwei? Director Alison Klayman follows the Chinese artist/activist over three years as he pursues massive art projects around the world and champions free speech in face of intimidation in his home country. He shot to prominence […]
Hoop Dreams director Steve James delivers another non-fiction epic set on the streets of Chicago, following an organization called CeaseFire, comprised largely of former gang members who are trying to break the cycle of urban violence. James, teaming up with producer Alex Kotlowitz, author of the acclaimed book There Are No Children Here, immerses us into a world […]
Following his Oscar-winning Man on Wire, director James Marsh turns to another iconographic story rooted in 1970s New York. “Nim Chimpsky” was the chimpanzee subject of a Columbia University experiment led by psychologist Herbert Terrace that sought to discover how much chimps and humans could communicate through sign language. Marsh does a masterful job of interviewing a vast array […]
Director Andrew Rossi gained unprecedented access to The New York Times, focusing on its team of reporters who cover the media business. Two stand-out characters in the film are David Carr, a witty columnist who overcame crack addiction, and Brian Stelter, a young reporter steeped in the world of new media. During this eventful period, they grapple with […]
Winner of the Audience Award at both Sundance and Full Frame, Buck profiles the real-life horse whisperer Buck Brannaman, who overcame an abusive childhood to teach a gentler approach to training horses. Beautifully photographed, the film delivers profound lessons in both horsemanship and humanity. Courtesy of Sundance Selects.