By Jonathan Monovich. The kind of film that leaves you invigorated, full of energy, and wanting to fight the good fight.” In Joshua and Rebecca Tickell’s well-informed documentary, Kiss the Ground (2020), Woody Harrelson spoke of a solution “as old as dirt” that may help prevent humanity’s demise. The solution […]
Ten Rules for Doing Documentary Interviews the Right Way
By Roger Nygard. Every documentarian starts out doing interviews wrong. I learned the hard way, by making all these mistakes.” Interviews are the main ingredient in the documentary recipe, so how you conduct them is crucial. Everybody starts out doing interviews wrong. I learned the hard way, by making all […]
“When Did the British Ever Appreciate Their Great Men?” – Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger
By Jonathan Monovich. The way film history should be taught, recognizing greatness and encouraging students to be excited about classic films of the past.” David Hinton’s Made in England: The Films of Powell and Pressburger (2024) is and should go down as one of the great documentaries about film history. […]
Dreams Remastered: On the 4K Remaster of Burden of Dreams (1982)
By William Blick. Les’ combination of integrating nature and the indigenous people and the story of the burden of Werner’s dream, all these elements make for a really compelling story, and in such a sensitive and poetic way.” –Harrod Blank Harrod Blank, Nick Bergh, and Anthony Matt discuss the new […]
Yin and Yang: Stephen Soucy’s Merchant Ivory
By Jonathan Monovich. Chronicling both the hits and lesser known entries in the Merchant/Ivory catalogue, Soucy’s film thrives due to its expansive presence of recurring cast and crew collaborators.” The glam/art rock icon, Bryan Ferry, famously said “other bands wanted to wreck hotel rooms; Roxy Music wanted to redecorate them.”1 […]
Ultimate Equity: Hoag Kepner’s Torched
By Phoebe Hart. Like Ultimate Frisbee in its grassroots approach. Funded by a Kickstarter campaign, the makers have done well to put together a cohesive piece that will thrill both fans of Ultimate and folks interested in equity.” Torched is a new film directed by Hoag Kepner about Austin’s professional […]
Highlights and Tributes: The 26th Annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival
By M. Sellers Johnson. One of the American South’s premiere film festivals showcases documentary stories from across the globe….” After a year-long hiatus, the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival resumes energized this year in downtown Durham, North Carolina. Fully in-person screenings date back to pre-pandemic, so the festival is also […]
Self-Taught Genius – Tim Mackenzie-Smith’s Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande
By Phoebe Hart. This documentary on the neglected 70s funk band consisting of West Indian Londoners is beautifully shot and edited, with an infectious energy….” Getting It Back: The Story of Cymande charts the comeback of influential funksters, Cymande. The band were a seminal influence on generations of musical artists […]
Docu-mania: The Introduction to Crafting Contemporary Documentaries and Docuseries for Global Screens
By Phoebe Hart. Crafting Contemporary Documentaries and Docuseries for Global Screens delves into the processes by which the study participants, all creative practitioners, learn skills and acquire inspiration and mastery, and specific rituals and habits of practice.” Since its inception, the documentary film has steadily grown in form and reception, […]
Be Kind, Rewind: Kim’s Video
By Jonathan Monovich. More than anything, Kim’s Video proves that physical media for many is much more than nostalgic, it is a way of life.” Since their inception, video stores have been places of sacred proportions for film fanatics. Lance Lawson’s legendary Manhattan Beach video store, Video Archives, famously helped […]