Documentarian Hamid Rahmanian lifts the veil on a segment of Iranian society with inspiring profiles of four independent women coping with poverty, repression and physical brutality. At Tehran’s unique Omid e Mehr rehabilitation center for women, Nazila, an aspiring rap singer; Samira, a 14-year-old with a drug addiction; and Mitra and Sussan, who have endured insults, beatings and rape at home, learn the importance of self-esteem, personal expression and tools to take control of their lives.

READ MORE >>

The other night, not unlike Monday nights a-many in the past, I found myself glued to the television, sucked in by a vortex commonly known as Intervention, the television series. Have you watched it? It’s a show about addiction. Beware, you’re liable to become addicted. (And I don’t feel very good about my problem, either, and I think I need help. Where’s my TV show for that?) Watching, I couldn’t help but think about a few colleagues I know in the NY documentary community who’ve begun to direct Intervention. Is this, could this be, is it anything near … documentary?

Well, documentary is a slippery term, as you know, already. Many filmmakers prefer “non fiction film.” Or just plain and simple, “movies.” The Intervention folk wouldn’t dare – they call their thing … a television series. A reality television series.

READ MORE >>

If you’re an urbanite, you likely think of nature as something that exists outside of the city limits. That thinking is prevalent, and may contribute to the growth of nature deficit disorder among our kids… and ourselves. “Nature,” however, is all around us, and city government officials, planners, and community advocates are realizing that actively incorporating green spaces into urban settings makes for more livable environments (remember the High Line?).

READ MORE >>

Founded in 1847 as a home for former African-American slaves, the West African nation of Liberia has welcomed generations of expatriate Americans fleeing racism. One such immigrant was Earnestine “Amma” Smith, who settled in the capital, Monrovia, in 1958. An educator and landowner, Amma fled her new home during the recent deadly civil wars.

READ MORE >>

I’ve been watching on repeat lately the music video for Brooklyn rapper Blitz the Ambassador’s single “Breathe” from his new album Stereotype, an iTunes Hip-Hop top ten chart (without label support! Dang, someone sign him UP! ). Before moving to the States for college at Kent State University, Blitz’s musical style was strongly informed and influenced by his experience growing up in Ghana surrounded by the sounds of Afro-Beat and Highlife, as well as playing djembe in drum circles. Speaking of style, if “Breathe” is any indication, he’s got that and then some. The music video and the sound, backed by his band Embassy Ensemble, is brimming with head-nodding, shoulder-shaking, foot-tapping energy.

Blitz recently composed the original score to the PBS documentary, BRONX PRINCESS, which chronicles a Bronx-bred teenager, Rocky Otoo’s journey from New York City to Ghana to reunite with her chief father.

READ MORE >>

When dermatologist June Irwin first stood up in 1985 to speak at a Hudson, Quebec, town council meeting about the potential link between synthetic lawn pesticide and herbicide use and human and animal illnesses, she was written off as a flake. Irwin persisted, though, attending “every single town meeting in Hudson for six consecutive years – each time reading aloud a different letter with new observations and facts.” Eventually, she got her message across, and Hudson (population 5000) became the first town in North America to ban the use of these chemicals.

This week, Irwin’s story hits the big screen at film festivals in Boston and Sonoma, California. The independent documentary A CHEMICAL REACTION premiered in August in Montreal, and received rave reviews from critics: MovieMaker magazine called it “one of the most eye-opening documentaries I’ve ever seen.” Narrated by Paul Tukey, the founder of SafeLawns, the film tells the story of Hudson’s recognition of the potential dangers of chemicals used primarily for aesthetic purposes, the pushback the town received from the producers of these products, and the movement started by June Irwin’s tenacity.

A Chemical Reaction is also scheduled to screen at the Camden (Maine) International Film Festival, the New Jersey Film Festival, and the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival. If you’re near one of these venues, check it out… and let us know what you think.

“Everyone Forever Now” is an “episodic motion-based media project” that “is an examination of the collective wisdom and expression of human actions.” Creators Will Hoffman & Daniel Mercadante attempt to document and capture the mundane experiences of everyday like suntanning to the provocative such as shooting a gun. I particularly enjoyed their effort to document the art and practice of stoop sitting. When I used to live in an apartment with a stoop, one of my daily joys was to come home from work to sit on the stoop, observe, and feel the pulse of my neighborhood, as well as occasionally inform a driver that they couldn’t park in front because of the fire hydrant.

Everyone Forever Now – “Stoop Sitting” from Daniel Mercadante on Vimeo.

Populist director Michael Moore takes a stab at the fat cats of Wall Street in his latest film CAPITALISM: A LOVE STORY, a documentary about the financial crisis of 2007-2009 and the subsequent stimulus and bailout packages. CAPITALISM echoes similar themes from a 2003 Canadian documentary THE CORPORATION, a critical examination of the modern-day corporation and its behavior towards society.

READ MORE >>

I went to see Marshall Curry’s new documentary, RACING DREAMS, last week. It’s an engaging, intimate film that follows three adolescent kids through one year of Extreme Go-Kart Racing competitions – a sort of warm-up little league to the big time of NASCAR. Annabeth Barnes of Hiddenite, North Carolina, pictured below with her dad, is one of the film’s charming stars. In one pivotal year, we witness her move away from childhood and toward the precipice of adulthood, a subtle and moving transformation.

The two other protagonists, Josh and Brandon, have significant dramatic arcs as well. As I was watching, I couldn’t help but think about the old reliable adage about doc versus fiction storytelling: while fiction film must strive for an organic, complicated reality that allows the audience to ‘buy’ the authenticity of the imagined world, the documentary must strive for an heightened, almost simplified sense of the purely dramatic. Archetypes embraced!

READ MORE >>

Last night Sundance Channel launched the first online exhibition from acclaimed filmmaker and photographer Bruce Weber entitled GONE FISHING – A LITTLE JOURNEY IN MY BACKYARD. The exhibition includes more than 70 photos, video from many of his films, and a wealth of information on Weber himself. You can even watch his short film YOU FEEL ME and the Bruce Weber-directed Pet Shop Boys’ video BEING BORING in their entirety. And don’t miss the premiere of Weber’s latest short film LIBERTY CITY IS LIKE PARIS TO ME, along with a collection of Weber’s photos from around Liberty City, Florida, on August 20.

Every Thursday at 10PM this month, tune in to Sundance Channel for a different Bruce Weber film as we salute the filmmaker both online and on air. Future screenings include LET’S GET LOST, CHOP SUEY and IN SHORT: BRUCE WEBER. Get more info on screening dates and times at the online exhibition site.

For Iranian-born Canadian Eileen Yaghoobian’s documentary DIED YOUNG, STAYED PRETTY about the “underground poster culture” that “examines the creative spirit that drives these indie graphic artists,” cartoonist and writer Ward Sutton illustrates his review in a poster format for the Village Voice.

[Via]