Trailer: Yoga Is
Posted on September 24, 2012 at 4:28 pm
Suzanne Bryant’s new documentary, Yoga Is: A Transformational Journey
Documentaries about Work
Posted on September 3, 2012 at 10:30 am
Documentary filmmaker David Kraus is making a series of documentaries about work. He says his films capture “the sights, sounds, and textures of different American jobs, without the accompaniment of interviews or a musical score. Each chapter reveals the surprising, engaging, even redemptive routines of hard-working men and women across the country. Although each film is humble in its approach, seen as a whole the WORK series is epic in scope, creating a significant historical document of modern American life.” Films so far are “Preacher,” “Sheriff,” “Musician,” and “Professor,” and Kraus invites anyone to suggest future subjects.
There are a number of classic documentaries about work including Salesman
Silverdocs: Awards
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:45 pm
Silverdocs, the Silver Spring, Maryland documentary film festival that concluded this weekend, received 2018 submissions for 114 places on the schedule.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKooIgzaQMgAwards included: “Only the Young” (best U.S. feature), directed by Jason Tippit and Elizabeth Mims, is about three teenagers in a depressed Southern California suburb.
Planet of Snail,” (best world feature) was directed by Seungiun Yi and is the story on the deaf and blind South Korean poet Young-Chan and his devoted wife
“Kings Point,” (best short film), directed by Sari Gilman, is set in a retirement community in Florida.
“The Waiting Room” (special U.S. feature jury award), was directed by Peter Nicks and casts a spotlight on the real world that is often overlooked in the health care debates.
Special Flight” (world feature jury award) directed by Fernand Melgar, is about unjust treatment of immigrants in Sweden.
Audience awards: “Trash Dance” (feature) and “Sparkle” (short)
I saw four films at Silverdocs and all were superb:
“Photographic Memory,” the latest in the autobiographical series by “Sherman’s March” Ross McElwee, this one a return to the French region of Brittany, where he lived when he was a little older than his son Adrian, whose lack of focus troubles him.
“Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel,” the story of the legendary fashion editor.
“How to Survive a Plague,” with extraordinary archival footage of the activist movement that took on AIDS and changed health care and history.
“The Queen of Versailles,” about a wealthy couple with seven children who build the biggest home in America, complete with baseball field, ten kitchens, and a spa — until the financial crisis brings it to a halt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqDreqlPe98Interviews with the filmmakers of the last two coming soon — stay tuned.
List: Women’s History Month Documentaries
Posted on March 12, 2012 at 3:45 pm
For Women’s History Month, check out this documentaries about extraordinary American women:
1. Ahead of Time: The Extraordinary Journey of Ruth Gruber
2. Life of Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman? 
3. Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony
4. Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team 
5. Yoo-Hoo Mrs. Goldberg Aviva Kempner’s documentary about Gertrude Berg shows that she was more than the star of one of television’s first hit series, she was a pioneering producer and businesswoman as well.
Morgan Spurlock on 50 Un-Miss-able Documentaries
Posted on August 3, 2011 at 10:40 am
Morgan Spurlock of Super Size Me
The shows will count down from fifty to one, eventually revealing what our panel of preeminent film critics, academics and industry insiders has chosen as the most entertaining, powerful and influential modern documentary. However, this is not your average list show. Renowned documentarian Morgan Spurlock will embark on a road trip to track down the filmmakers and characters behind some of the most remarkable moments in contemporary cinema. Along the way, he’ll meet maverick directors and eccentric contributors, travel to iconic locations and explore the impact that the documentaries have made on both their subjects and society, all the while counting down to number one.
Current will also be running some of the documentaries he recommends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1M2Elfa_cI
