NON FICTION FILM - Upcoming Docs

Hot Docs: new films coming soon on Malala, Aretha, Black Panthers and National Lampoon

Wed, 26 Aug 2015 01:21:25 GMT

Upcoming documentaries include one 43 years in the making

It's been a hot summer for documentaries, with the release of Asif Kapadia's Amy, Best of Enemies from Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon, Matthew Heineman's Cartel Land and Meru, co-directed by Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasarhelyi, to name but a few.

But with fall around the corner, it's time to look at what's coming soon to theaters and film festivals. It's an intriguing bunch of titles, featuring Oscar-winning directors and some fascinating subjects.

September

Sept. 2

>The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution directed by Stanley Nelson. It's hard to imagine a more timely film, given the present climate of racial tension in the country following the deaths of numerous unarmed black people at the hands of police.

Still photo from "The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution." Photo courtesy PBS

The film is described as the first feature-length documentary to examine the Black Panther Party, which emerged from Oakland, California in the 1960s, in explicit opposition to the non-violent method of resistance to racism advocated by Martin Luther King Jr.

PBS is behind the film, backing a theatrical release before it airs on public television. The Black Panthers opens at Film Forum in New York on Sept. 2; in Boston on Sept. 11; in DC and Philadelphia on Sept. 18, and at the Nuart Theatre in Los Angeles on Sept. 25. Watch the trailer here

Sept. 10

>Amazing Grace directed by Sydney Pollack. The Toronto International Film Festival will debut a documentary the late filmmaker began shooting more than 40 years ago. In 1972 Pollack's cameras followed Aretha Franklin in Los Angeles as she gave a celebrated pair of concerts that resulted in the album Amazing Grace.

Update: TIFF has pulled the Aretha documentary from its lineup as a result of a legal dispute. A federal judge in Colorado issued a temporary restraining order preventing the Telluride Film Festival from screening the film. Possibly out of caution, TIFF cancelled exhibition plans. Read the latest here.

Aretha Franklin in concert

According to the festival, before Pollack died in 2008 he expressed a desire for the film to be completed. Watch the trailer here

Sept. 15

>Women He's Undressed directed by Gillian Armstrong. The provocatively-titled documentary, which premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival, is the story of once-acclaimed (but now largely forgotten) Aussie-born costume designer Orry-Kelly. He designed for many of Hollywood's greatest talents, including Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, Natalie Wood, Ava Gardner, Rosalind Russell and even some of the guys -- Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn, for instance.

The title of the documentary is arch because Orry-Kelly was gay, which in that era of Hollywood was not exactly a ticket to success, even for a costume designer.

"He survived partially protected by his friendship with Jack and Ann Warner," a publicist for the film noted. Jane Fonda and Angela Lansbury are among the stars interviewed for the film. Watch the trailer here

Sept. 25

>Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon directed by Douglas Tirola. The film recounts the birth of the magazine that spawned some of comedy's greatest talents. Without the National Lampoon there would be no Animal House. Enough said.

Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead opens Sept. 25 in New York, the same day it becomes available on iTunes and VOD. It opens in theaters in Los Angeles and other cities in the following weeks. Watch the trailer here

Sept. 25

>Finders Keepers directed by Bryan Carberry and Clay Tweel. One of the funniest documentaries of this or any year. The bizarre story of a North Carolina man who lost his leg in an accident, then decided to preserve the remains. He stowed the limb in a smoker, which wound up in possession of another man who refused to return the missing extremity. Yes, this actually happened.

This thoroughly entertaining film opens in New York and Los Angeles Sept. 25, and then expands to more theaters and to VOD on October 2. Watch the trailer here

October

Oct. 2

>He Named Me Malala directed by Davis Guggenheim. The Academy Award-winning filmmaker (An Inconvenient Truth) turns his attention to Malala Yousafzai, the youngest person ever honored with the Nobel Peace Prize. At the age of 15 Malala was nearly assassinated in her native Pakistan by Taliban gunmen enraged by her efforts to promote education for girls.

Undeterred by the attack, she has continued to campaign for girls' education rights, an activism that has earned her a place on Time magazine's list of the world's 100 most influential people. Watch the trailer here

Oct. 9

>The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers directed by Richard Trank. The follow up to Trank's previous film, The Prime Ministers: The Pioneers, which examined Israel's early leaders, including Golda Meir. Both films are based on the memoirs of late diplomat Yehuda Avner.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, Dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center and a two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker, produced the new documentary and its earlier companion. The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers looks at the seminal figures Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin, the latter responsible for negotiating the Camp David Accords that brought peace with Egypt.

The Prime Ministers: Soldiers and Peacemakers opens at the AMC Empire in New York on Oct. 9; it opens in Los Angeles and Encino, Calif. on Oct. 14, with a national release to follow.

Late October [exact date tbd]

>All Things Must Pass directed by Colin Hanks. The actor perhaps best known for his work on the TV series Fargo turns his sights on a musical institution: Tower Records. In its heyday there was no more successful record store chain than Tower. The advent of downloadable music imperiled the empire, but the documentary argues there are other reasons the company collapsed.

All Things Must Pass features interviews with musical greats Dave Grohl, Bruce Springsteen and Elton John, among others. Per the publicist handling the film, it will be released in "late October." Watch the trailer here

TBD Release

>Generosity of Eye directed by Brad Hall. Actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus produced the documentary, which recently played at the Rhode Island International Film Festival. It's the story of Louis-Dreyfus' father William, who amassed an extraordinary art collection and then decided to sell it to start an endowment for a children's education project in Harlem.

JLD's husband, Brad Hall, directed the film. Distribution plans are unclear at this point, but several pieces from the art collection itself are on view until October 11 at the Katonah Museum of Art in Katonah, New York.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus recently shared news about the Rhode Island International Film Festival screening with fans on her Instagram account. The post attracted 1,803 likes as of August 25. Among the comments, curiously, was this one: "Julia PLEASE where are your sunglasses from in your old navy commercial."

Hot docs coming soon: on Brando, Vidal, Buckley, Farley and more

Mon, 27 Jul 2015 09:58:41 GMT

Films that could wind up on the Oscar short list are opening this week

The last week of July brings the release of a slew of new documentaries, including two of the best reviewed films of the year: Listen to Me Marlon and Best of Enemies.

July 29 [New York]; July 31 [LA]

>Listen to Me Marlon Filmmaker Stevan Riley creates a fascinating and immersive "self-portrait" of the great Marlon Brando, through previously-unheard audio recordings which the actor made for self-hypnosis and self-motivation. Riley went so far as to recreate Brando's home [which was torn down after his death] in London to situate the voice in its original environment. Trailer here

July 31 [New York, LA, Toronto, Vancouver]

>Best of Enemies directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville [20 Feet From Stardom] and Grammy winner Robert Gordon. A documentary about the intellectual fisticuffs [which nearly turned into actual fisticuffs] between conservative William F. Buckley Jr. and leftist Gore Vidal, who squared off on television over the summer of 1968. The film argues their memorably erudite and vitriolic debates changed American political discourse. It certainly produced more insults per minute than a Don Rickles routine.

A still photo from the infamous televised debates between William F. Buckley Jr. and Gore Vidal in 1968. Photo courtesy Magnolia Pictures

Variety calls Best of Enemies "thoroughly engrossing and surprisingly entertaining." Trailer here. Full release schedule here.

July 31 [New York, LA]

>I Am Chris Farley directed by Brent Hodge and Derik Murray. It's been more than 15 years since the untimely death of comedian Chris Farley. His comic brilliance and self-destructive tendencies are remembered by the people who knew him best: his brothers, and fellow SNL cast members and alums including Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Kevin Nealon, Dan Aykroyd and David Spade, with whom Farley made a couple of very funny movies, Black Sheep and Tommy Boy.

The doc premieres August 10th on Spike TV, followed immediately by release on VOD. Trailer here

August 7

>Call Me Lucky directed by Bobcat Goldthwait. The standup comedian trains his camera on a fellow practitioner of the craft, Barry Crimmins, a performer whose dark past inspired him to become an advocate for abuse victims. The films includes interviews with some of comedy's best-known talent including Steven Wright, David Cross, Margaret Cho, Patton Oswalt and Marc Maron.

Goldthwait says his late friend Robin Williams gave him the money to fund the project. The film premiered at Sundance and has won awards from the Boston Independent Film Festival, the Chicago Critics Film Festival and the Boulder International Film Festival, among others. Trailer here

August 14 [New York, LA, Seattle, Minneapolis]

>Meru directed by Jimmy Chin and E. Chai Vasarhelyi. The second climbing-themed documentary to come out in recent months, after Sunshine Superman. The Shark's Fin on Mount Meru in Northern India is considered possibly the most difficult peak to ascend in the world, harder even than Mt. Everest in the opinion of many experts. This documentary shows the attempt by a trio of friends -- including Chin -- to summit Meru in 2011.

Meru includes extensive interviews with Jon Krakauer, author of the Everest disaster bestseller Into Thin Air, breathtaking imagery and terrifying audio of avalanches. It may scare the hell out of anyone afraid of heights.

Expands to Boston, Berkeley, Atlanta, San Francisco, San Diego August 21. Full release schedule here. See t railer here.

Co-director Jimmy Chin scaling the face of Meru. Photo courtesy Music Box Films

Now playing

>What Happened, Miss Simone? directed by Liz Garbus. Streaming currently on Netflix. A fascinating look at the supremely talented and deeply troubled singer Nina Simone who ranks among the most gifted recording artists of the 20th century. Trailer here

>Amy directed by Asif Kapadia. The film about the late singer Amy Winehouse is among the most buzzed-about documentaries of the year, winning strong reviews from Variety and Vanity Fair, among others. But the Winehouse family isn't pleased, releasing a statement "dissociating" itself from the production, which the family calls a "missed opportunity." Trailer here

>3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets directed by Marc Silver. A riveting film that takes viewers inside the trial of Michael Dunn, a white man who shot an unarmed black teenager, Jordan Davis, at a gas station over a dispute about loud rap music. Silver incorporates jailhouse phone conversations between Michael Dunn and his then fiancée which shine a stark light on the corrosive and deadly influence of unconscious racism. Trailer here

>Cartel Land directed by Matthew Heineman. The filmmaker risked his life to put viewers in the middle of Mexico's hyper-violent drug wars. When he wasn't dodging bullets in Michoacán, Heineman was busy documenting the activities of an armed group of Americans patrolling the Arizona side of the border. The film won directing and cinematography honors at Sundance.

Opened Recently

>BatKid Begins directed by Dana Nachman. There is viral and then there is viral. Nachman's film takes us back a year-and-a-half to the story that became a worldwide phenomenon-- San Francisco's embrace of "BatKid," five-year-old cancer patient Miles Scott. The city, in combination with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, helped make Miles the Dark Knight for a day, fighting crime and bringing joy to people around the globe. Trailer here

>A Murder in the Park directed by Shawn Rech and Brandon Kimber. The story of Anthony Porter, an inmate on Illinois' death row who won freedom through the intercession of the Innocence Project. The film raises uncomfortable questions-- did the Innocence Project try to falsely blame someone else for the crime, and was Porter really guilty? Trailer here

Hot Docs: on Amy, Marlon, Chris and more

Thu, 25 Jun 2015 05:40:39 GMT

Winehouse, Brando and Farley among the famous getting big screen treatment.

There are issue documentaries and personality documentaries-- and occasionally a combination of the two-- citizenfour being a prime example. Coming soon to theaters and TV screens are several of each kind of documentary which are entertaining, compelling and informative.

July

July 3

>Amy directed by Asif Kapadia. The film about the late singer Amy Winehouse is among the most buzzed-about documentaries of the year, winning strong reviews from Variety and Vanity Fair, among others. But the Winehouse family isn't pleased, releasing a statement "dissociating" itself from the production, which the family calls a "missed opportunity." Trailer here

July 3

>Cartel Land directed by Matthew Heineman. Donald Trump's recent comments notwithstanding, the catastrophic drug-related violence in Mexico has mostly slipped from US headlines in the past couple of years. Cartel Land will help remind you how desperate the situation is.

Heineman risked his life to go on the ground in the midst of the drug war, uncovering thick layers of moral ambiguity. His hero is Dr. Jose Mireles, a physician in the state of Michoacán, who forms a citizen militia, the "Autodefensas," to combat the drug cartels. Meanwhile, in Arizona, ex-army man Tim "Nailer" Foley forms a paramilitary operation of his own to police the cartels north of the border.

Dynamic and visceral filmmaking. Opens NYC July 3 and LA July 10. Trailer here

July 24

>The Outrageous Sophie Tucker by William Gazecki. A portrait of the great entertainer Sophie Tucker, known as the "last of the red hot mamas," who became world famous in the 1920s for her risqué humor and powerful singing voice. Imagine Mae West, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler and Ethel Merman rolled into one, and you begin to get an idea of Tucker's appeal. The film features commentary from Tony Bennett, Barbara Walters and Carol Channing among others. Trailer here

July 29

>Listen to Me Marlon directed by Stevan Riley. The filmmaker creates a fascinating and immersive portrait of the great Marlon Brando, through previously-unheard audio recordings which the actor made for self-hypnosis and self-motivation. Riley went so far as to recreate Brando's home (which was torn down after his death) in London to situate the voice in its original environment. Trailer here

July 31

>Best of Enemies directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom) and Grammy winner Robert Gordon. A documentary about the intellectual fisticuffs between conservative William F. Buckley Jr. and leftist Gore Vidal, who squared off on television over the summer of 1968. The film suggests their memorably erudite and vitriolic debates changed American political discourse.

Variety calls it "thoroughly engrossing and surprisingly entertaining." Trailer here

July 31

>I Am Chris Farley directed by Brent Hodge and Derik Murray. It's been more than 15 years since the untimely death of comedian Chris Farley. His comic brilliance and self-destructive life are remembered in this documentary by the people who knew him best: his brothers, and fellow SNL cast members and alums including Mike Myers, Adam Sandler, Kevin Nealon, Dan Aykroyd and David Spade, with whom Farley made a couple of funny movies, Black Sheep and Tommy Boy.

Opens theatrically in New York and LA on July 31st. Premieres August 10th on Spike TV, followed immediately by release on VOD. Trailer here

August

August 7

>Call Me Lucky directed by Bobcat Goldthwait. The standup comedian trains his camera on a fellow practitioner of the craft, Barry Crimmins, a performer whose dark past inspired him to become an advocate for abuse victims. The films includes interviews with some of comedy's best-known talent including Steven Wright, David Cross, Margaret Cho, Patton Oswalt and Marc Maron.

Goldthwait says his late friend Robin Williams gave him the money to fund the project. The film premiered at Sundance and has won awards from the Boston Independent Film Festival, the Chicago Critics Film Festival and the Boulder International Film Festival, among others. Trailer here

August 14

>Meru directed by Jimmy Chin. The second climbing-themed documentary to come out in recent months, after Sunshine Superman. The Shark's Fin on Mount Meru in Northern India is considered possibly the most difficult peak to ascend in the world, harder even than Mt. Everest in the opinion of some experts. This documentary shows the attempt by a trio of friends -- including Chin -- to summit Meru in 2011.

According to the publicist, the documentary was "made with no recreations." It includes commentary from Jon Krakauer, author of the Everest disaster bestseller Into Thin Air. Opens in New York, LA, Seattle and Minneapolis August 14; opens in Boston, Berkeley, Atlanta, San Francisco, San Diego August 21, and expands to more cities in the following weeks. Trailer here

Director Jimmy Chin on the face of Meru. Photo courtesy Music Box Films

Documentaries playing now (released June 26):

>What Happened, Miss Simone? directed by Liz Garbus. Streaming currently on Netflix. A fascinating look at the supremely talented and deeply troubled singer Nina Simone who ranks among the most gifted recording artists of the 20th century. Trailer here

>3 1/2 Minutes, Ten Bullets directed by Marc Silver. A riveting film that takes viewers inside the trial of Michael Dunn, a white man who shot an unarmed black teenager, Jordan Davis, at a gas station over a dispute about loud rap music. Silver incorporates jailhouse phone conversations between Michael Dunn and his then fiancée which shine a stark light on the corrosive and deadly influence of unconscious racism. Trailer here

>A Murder in the Park directed by Shawn Rech and Brandon Kimber. The story of Anthony Porter, an inmate on Illinois' death row who won freedom through the intercession of the Innocence Project. The film raises uncomfortable questions-- did the Innocence Project try to falsely blame someone else for the crime, and was Porter really guilty? Trailer here

>BatKid Begins directed by Dana Nachman. There is viral and then there is viral. Nachman's film takes us back a year-and-a-half to the story that became a worldwide phenomenon-- San Francisco's embrace of "BatKid," five-year-old cancer patient Miles Scott. The city, in combination with the Make-a-Wish Foundation, helped make Miles the Dark Knight for a day, fighting crime and bringing joy to people around the globe. Trailer here

You Know How I Feel: new doc on tortured artist Nina Simone

Mon, 08 Jun 2015 07:24:47 GMT

In "What Happened, Miss Simone?" Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Liz Garbus delves deeply intro the troubled star behind "Mississippi Goddam" and "I Put a Spell on You."

Is Is it possible to be widely considered brilliant, yet still be under-appreciated? Such is arguably the case with Nina Simone, a singer of worldwide renown but probably not among the names that come to mind when thinking of the greatest women singers of the 20th century (Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Judy Garland and even Aretha Franklin would rank ahead of her on most top five lists).

I have to live with Nina and that is difficult.
-Nina Simone

But the new documentary "What Happened, Miss Simone?", directed by Liz Garbus, paints a picture that may convince many that Simone was a musical genius and a vastly underrated talent. The film premieres on Netflix June 26 after making its debut at the Sundance Film Festival in January.

Like too many great African-American artists, Simone triumphed early in her career only to disintegrate later in life (a fate shared by Paul Robeson, Richard Pryor, Dorothy Dandridge, Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, to name a few). Just how much responsibility she bears for her own downfall, versus the racism of the society from which she sprang, is a question the viewer can decide.

Most people are probably unaware that Simone trained as a classical pianist and had no intention of becoming a singer. She came to that career by necessity after her she was blocked from attending music school because of her race. That's just one of the many things one learns from this documentary which is compelling for so many reasons, not the least of which is the opportunity to bask in the richness of Simone's voice.

Simone died in 2003 after a long decline that saw her battle what was eventually diagnosed as bipolar disorder. Keep an eye on nonfictionfilm.com for my upcoming interview with Liz Garbus.

Ladies & gentlemen, Ms Lauryn Hill in honor of #NinaSimone at the Apollo. What Happened #MissSimone, everywhere 6/26 pic.twitter.com/jfqs8bARh8
— Netflix US (@netflix) June 2, 2015

Could be 4 a.m. work bench delirium, or it could be that #NinaSimone can take anybody from a foot tap to a dance. https://t.co/Nw3UFBF6mJ
— Steven P. Magstadt (@presumedtossed) June 4, 2015

It seems to me the time is right for a little Mississippi Goddam #NinaSimone https://t.co/nToRved7IN
— Ruth Price (@ruthferrisprice) June 1, 2015

New Doc on an "Undiplomatic" Diplomat

Thu, 23 Apr 2015 10:16:07 GMT

The late Richard Holbrooke is the subject of the new documentary, "The Diplomat." Photo: Time magazine

Few American diplomats in recent decades can claim as many successes as the late Richard Holbrooke. He is credited with brokering the peace agreement that ended the war in Bosnia in 1995. It is not only his triumphs but his failures that are the subject of the new documentary "The Diplomat," directed by his eldest son, David.

In a photo from August 2010 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton addresses the war in Afghanistan at a news conference. Diplomatic envoy Richard Holbrook is behind her. Photo: Getty Images

The documentary, which debuts today (Thursday) at the Tribeca Film Festival, is causing a stir in part because it contains previously unknown audio recordings made by Holbrooke as he tried to influence the Obama Administration's policy on Afghanistan, an ultimately failed undertaking (both Holbrooke's attempts and the policy itself, one could argue. He felt the Administration's plan in Afghanistan was doomed, but he couldn't convince the President to follow his advice).

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is interviewed in the film, as is her husband, Bill (Holbrooke's boss in the 1990s). Current Secretary of State John Kerry is also interviewed, along with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The documentary will air on HBO after its Tribeca debut.

Watch the trailer here.

Read the New York Times piece on the film here.

My father would have liked being in the A section of the NYT again. http://t.co/QvQ9WPcuWW #TheDiplomatFilm https://t.co/oKlfHGpFKk
— David Holbrooke (@DavidHolbrooke) April 23, 2015

Check out our official poster for @TribecaFilmFest & beyond! BIG THANKS @HBODocs and @HBO! #TFF2015 #TheDiplomatFilm pic.twitter.com/r0KKFP4Vcb
— The Diplomat (@thediplomatfilm) April 22, 2015

J'adore "Dior and I" Documentary

Thu, 02 Apr 2015 08:41:32 GMT

For those who love movies about the creative process, "Dior and I" is a must see. The documentary from director Frederic Tcheng takes its place among the greatest films about fashion, including "Unzipped," "Bill Cunningham New York" and "Valentino: The Last Emperor" (which Tcheng co-produced and co-edited).

Through immersing the viewer in the world of Dior and revealing the extraordinary effort required to produce a collection, I hoped the film would ultimately reveal a cross section of Parisian life, in the tradition of great French social realists like Renoir and Zola.
--Director Frederic Tcheng

The film takes viewers inside the famed House of Dior as newly-appointed artistic director Raf Simons prepares his first haute couture collection for the firm. "Dior and I" opens in New York and Toronto April 10 and in Los Angeles and other cities April 17.

Films about the creation of a couture collection are inherently suspenseful because the viewer doesn't know whether the runway show will turn into a triumph or a catastrophe. "Dior and I" is particularly fascinating because it illuminates how Simons tries to thread the needle (if you'll pardon the pun) of evoking the grand tradition of Dior while keeping the collection contemporary and making his own artistic statement. One feels the almost unbearable pressure he is under to validate the company's decision to install him as artistic director over the objection of some critics who viewed his style as incompatible with Dior.

Raf Simons' debut collection for Dior, captured in the film "Dior and I." Courtesy The Orchard

Artisans at Dior painstakingly assemble a dress for Raf Simons' debut collection for the house, as seen in "Dior and I." Courtesy The Orchard

A scene from "Dior and I," in which artisans in the Dior atelier get their first look at sketches for Raf Simons' debut collection for the fashion house. Courtesy The Orchard

Director Frederic Tcheng has made a film that itself is a work of art. It is filled with interesting characters-- men and women who have devoted their lives to working in the Dior atelier, and who keep the spirit of the founder alive. In a word pronounced more than once by Simons in the film, "Dior and I" is sublime [that's sublime the way the French pronounce it... sue-bleem]

Director Frederic Tcheng. Courtesy The Orchard

"Dior and I" debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2014 and has gone on to win a number of awards, including a Special Jury Award from the Seattle International Film Festival. Look for it to become a major contender when the next awards season rolls around in late 2015/early 2016.

A sampling of Tweets about the film:

"'Dior and I' is the best fashion documentary since 'The September Issue' in 2009," writes @VVFriedman. http://t.co/g4LXJV9ffj
— NYT Fashion (@NYTFashion) April 1, 2015

"Dior and I': brilliant, insightful and sensitive. The metamorphosis and a close look behind the scenes https://t.co/bb5y7kd9Aa via @YouTube
— Bianca Jagger (@BiancaJagger) March 17, 2015

@DiorandIMovie @paolaturbay @frederictcheng ¡Me encantó Dior and I! Quisera ver más de estos documentales en Bogotá. Sublime!
— sandramerchans (@sandramerchans) September 8, 2014

Controversial Scientology Doc "Going Clear" Set for HBO Premiere

Sat, 28 Mar 2015 06:01:03 GMT

The Church of Scientology may be mulling whether to cancel its HBO subscription. The pay cable network debuts the controversial new documentary "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief" this Sunday (March 29) at 8pm. The film is contoversial-- well, because anything associated with Scientology is controversial. Rest assured, it does not paint a flattering portrait of the church, founder L. Ron Hubbard or current Scientology leader David Miscavige.

"Going Clear" is the latest film from Academy Award-winning director Alex Gibney (or does that honor belong to Gibney's "Steve Jobs: Man in the Machine," which just premiered at SXSW? He's extraordinarily prolific). It's based on the book of the same title by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lawrence Wright, whose works include "The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11" and the recently-published "Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David."

The documentary hews closely to Wright's book, although it does contain greater detail about the church's alleged attempts to sabotage the marriage of Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. The church dismisses the film as a "bigoted propaganda piece." Church spokeswoman Karin Pouw wrote a lengthy rebuttal to "Going Clear," in response to a request for comment from The Hollywood Reporter.

Photo via Instamun.org

I feel compelled to note that Gibney's movie contains an interview I booked for CNN in 2008 with Tommy Davis, former spokesman for the Church of Scientology (and son of actress and Scientologist Anne Archer). Among other things, Davis addressed the question of whether the church practices "disconnection," whereby church members are required to cut off all contact with anyone not in the good graces of Scientology (be it a spouse, parent, friend, anyone). Wright's book, and Gibney's film, says "disconnection" is indeed church policy. To see what Tommy Davis had to say on that topic, click on the YouTube link below (the full interview runs 9:36).

A selection of relevant Tweets about "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief":

@alexgibneyfilm #GoingClear "bone-chilling" http://t.co/3y1ECiWvRC
— Lawrence Wright (@lawrence_wright) March 28, 2015

Alex Gibney's #Scientology doc #GoingClear is jaw-dropping, scary, unnerving, even disturbingly funny. Our review: http://t.co/W3vKzs9LVN
— SFGateAandE (@SFGateAandE) March 27, 2015

'Going Clear': Mike Rinder helps us understand a #Scientology document that will creep you out http://t.co/xmqLuvwKl8
— Tony Ortega (@TonyOrtega94) March 23, 2015

The Dean of College Basketball Coaches

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 22:52:33 GMT

In the midst of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, Showtime debuts a new documentary on legendary coach Dean Smith, who won two national championships at the University of North Carolina. Sadly for Tar Heels fans, the team lost Thursday night to number one seed Wisconsin in a close contest, but this documentary may offer some solace. Smith earned 879 victories over the course of his coaching career, capped by titles in 1982 and 1993. Watch a promo for the documentary here.

I had some rawness to me. He [Dean Smith] shaped all that.
--Michael Jordan

Under Smith, who died in February at the age of 83, UNC produced some of the greatest basketball players in history, most notably Michael Jordan. Watch Jordan speak about his mentor here. According to the New York Times, the Smith family gave its blessing to the documentary, but did not provide interviews to the filmmakers.

From WUNC.org

"Dean Smith: A Portrait of Greatness" next airs on Showtime on Saturday, March 28. It is available now on Showtime Anytime and Showtime on Demand.

Haunted Images: Art from the Holocaust

Wed, 25 Mar 2015 21:45:53 GMT

How do you survive in the most dehumanizing conditions possible -- a place where your very identity marks you for death? The answer for a number of prisoners held in Nazi concentration camps was to somehow create art in the midst of the horror that was the Holocaust. The new documentary "Because I Was a Painter," from director Christophe Cognet, explores drawings and paintings made surreptitiously by inmates in the death camps. The film opens April 24th at Lincoln Plaza in New York.

Click here to watch the trailer

An image from "Because I Was a Painter." Courtesy Cinema Guild

Publicist Sasha Berman provided additional information about the film: "In 1945, when the Allies liberated the concentration camps, they discovered thousands of secretly created artworks. These drawings, hidden from the Nazis, offer an unparalleled understanding of life in the camps. Featuring interviews with surviving artists, curators, as well as recently uncovered evidence, this fascinating documentary considers the ability of art to capture, reflect and survive under unimaginable conditions.

BECAUSE I WAS A PAINTER explores a wide range of perspectives, from an artist who grapples with finding beauty in paintings of corpses to Treblinka survivor Samuel Willenberg who believes that the artworks can be nothing but inherently devoid of beauty. In addition to works intended as art, the film contemplates the role of alternative relics such as portraits of Romani victims killed by infamous Nazi physician Josef Mengele and paintings that were recreated years later because originals were lost or destroyed."

An image from "Because I Was a Painter." Courtesy Cinema Guild

Read our review of BECAUSE I WAS A PAINTER a harrowing documentary about at in times of war http://t.co/EcbCEk4vMj
— StageBuddy (@StageBuddy) April 24, 2015

Artists Reflect on Life in Nazi Camps in 'Because I Was a Painter' http://t.co/B39khOjYCi pic.twitter.com/bzElpBGx5g
— Voice Film Club (@VoiceFilmClub) April 23, 2015

Poetry of Misery: The Visual Impact of "The Salt of the Earth"

Tue, 24 Mar 2015 08:21:07 GMT

An arresting image of famine by Sebastiao Salgado, subject of the documentary, "The Salt of the Earth." Photo Sebastian Salgado/Sony Pictures Classics

The Academy Award-nominated documentary "The Salt of the Earth" reaches U.S. theaters Friday, March 27. The film about the life and work of photographer Sebastian Salgado, who has created visually stunning images of human suffering, is co-directed by Salgado's son, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and acclaimed filmmaker Wim Wenders.

Read the New York Times Q&A with Salgado here. The New York Times' A.O. Scott reviewed the film in December 2014.