The four-hour, two-part documentary “The Circus,”, explores the colorful history of this popular, influential and distinctly American form of entertainment, from the first one-ring show at the end of the 18th century to 1956, when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey big top was pulled down for the last time. Written, directed and produced by Sharon Grimberg and executive produced by Mark Samels, “The Circus” premieres on American Experience Monday and Tuesday, October 8-9, 2018, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS.
A transformative place for reinvention, where young women could become lion tamers and young men traveled the world as roustabouts, the circus allowed people to be liberated from the roles assigned by society and find an accepting community that had eluded them elsewhere. Drawing upon a vast and richly visual archive and featuring a host of performers, historians and aficionados, “The Circus” brings to life an era when Circus Day would shut down a town, its stars were among the most famous people in the country, and multitudes of Americans gathered to see the improbable and the impossible, the exotic and the spectacular.
“There’s nothing in the world like a circus,” said ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson. “You cannot come to a circus and still believe as you previously did. Circus is a peek into what we could be, how great we could be, how beautiful our world could be. It’s about making your own miracles, conjuring your own miracles. We’re coming for the transcendent.”
Through the intertwined stories of several of the most innovative and influential impresarios of the late 19th century, including P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, and the five Ringling Brothers, the series reveals the circus as a uniquely American phenomenon created by a rapidly expanding and increasingly industrialized nation. It explores how its “dangerous” and “exotic” attractions revealed the country’s notions about race and Western dominance and shows how the circus subverted prevailing standards of “respectability” with its unconventional, titillating and “freakish” entertainments.
“The tented traveling circus is an American creation,” said Mark Samels, executive producer of American Experience. “Appealing to both urban and rural parts of the country, and to people from all walks of life, the circus helped forge a common American culture and identity. It was an unprecedented combination of cutting-edge marketing, military-like organization and supreme artistry. The circus was where you could reinvent yourself, which is why so many ran away to join it. With the recent closing of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the series offers a fascinating look back at this distinctly American entertainment.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-14W2o49kA4Documentary
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THE CIRCUS Coming to PBS, Documentary to Premiere on American Experience in October [Trailer]
The four-hour, two-part documentary “The Circus,”, explores the colorful history of this popular, influential and distinctly American form of entertainment, from the first one-ring show at the end of the 18th century to 1956, when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey big top was pulled down for the last time. Written, directed and produced by Sharon Grimberg and executive produced by Mark Samels, “The Circus” premieres on American Experience Monday and Tuesday, October 8-9, 2018, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on PBS.
A transformative place for reinvention, where young women could become lion tamers and young men traveled the world as roustabouts, the circus allowed people to be liberated from the roles assigned by society and find an accepting community that had eluded them elsewhere. Drawing upon a vast and richly visual archive and featuring a host of performers, historians and aficionados, “The Circus” brings to life an era when Circus Day would shut down a town, its stars were among the most famous people in the country, and multitudes of Americans gathered to see the improbable and the impossible, the exotic and the spectacular.
“There’s nothing in the world like a circus,” said ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson. “You cannot come to a circus and still believe as you previously did. Circus is a peek into what we could be, how great we could be, how beautiful our world could be. It’s about making your own miracles, conjuring your own miracles. We’re coming for the transcendent.”
Through the intertwined stories of several of the most innovative and influential impresarios of the late 19th century, including P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, and the five Ringling Brothers, the series reveals the circus as a uniquely American phenomenon created by a rapidly expanding and increasingly industrialized nation. It explores how its “dangerous” and “exotic” attractions revealed the country’s notions about race and Western dominance and shows how the circus subverted prevailing standards of “respectability” with its unconventional, titillating and “freakish” entertainments.
“The tented traveling circus is an American creation,” said Mark Samels, executive producer of American Experience. “Appealing to both urban and rural parts of the country, and to people from all walks of life, the circus helped forge a common American culture and identity. It was an unprecedented combination of cutting-edge marketing, military-like organization and supreme artistry. The circus was where you could reinvent yourself, which is why so many ran away to join it. With the recent closing of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the series offers a fascinating look back at this distinctly American entertainment.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-14W2o49kA4
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Watch New Trailer for Deliciously Scandalous SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD
The new trailer dropped today for the documentary Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood, the deliciously scandalous story of Scotty Bowers directed by Matt Tyrnauer. The film is based on the Book: “Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars,” by Scotty Bowers with Lionel Friedberg. Greenwich Entertainment will release Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood on July 27th at the Arclight Hollywood in LA, and on August 3rd at the IFC Center in NY.
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood is the deliciously scandalous story of ScottyBowers, a handsome ex-Marine who landed in Hollywood after World War II and became confidante, aide de camp and lover to many of Hollywood’s greatest male — and female — stars. In the 1940s and ’50s, Scotty ran a gas station in the shadow of the studio lots where he would connect his friends with actors and actresses who had to hide their true sexual identities for fear of police raids at gay bars, societal shunning and career suicide. An unsung Hollywood legend, Bowers would cater to the sexual appetites of celebrities – straight and gay – for decades.
In 2012, he finally spilled his secrets in the New York Times bestselling memoir “Full Service,” which revealed a dramatic, pre-Stonewall alternate history of Hollywood. While the studio PR machines were promoting their stars as wholesome and monogamous, Bowers was fulfilling the true desires of many of them. This cinema-vérité documentary tells his story, as well as presents eye-opening takes on icons from the Hollywood Golden Age including Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, Ava Gardner and many more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qn6HxTJp0k
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LeBron James Exec-Produces Documentary STUDENT ATHLETE on ‘Uncompensated Athletes’
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LeBron James[/caption]
The HBO Sports documentary Student Athlete, illuminating the complex rules of amateur athletics in America and showing how they affect uncompensated athletes and their families, will debut on HBO on Tuseday, October 2 (10:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT). From LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment and Steve Stoute’s United Masters, the feature-length presentation is directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (HBO’s Oscar(R) winners “Saving Face” and “A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness”) and Trish Dalton (“Bordering on Treason”).
Unpaid college athletes generate billions of dollars for their institutions every year. Student Athlete unveils the exploitative world of high-revenue college sports through the stories of four young men at different stages of their athletic careers, as well as a coach-turned-advocate and a whistle-blowing shoe rep who exposes the money trail. The documentary spotlights: former NCAA and NFL coach John Shoop; New Jersey high school basketball phenom Nick Richards, now at the University of Kentucky; Mike Shaw, who played at the University of Illinois and Bradley University; Shamar Graves, a former wide receiver at Rutgers University; and Silas Nacita, a walk-on who played at Baylor University.
From high-school recruiting to post-graduation, the usefulness of athletes is tied to their ability to produce revenue. Once they can no longer do that, their participation in sport ends? – ?often abruptly? – ?with virtually nothing to show for their contributions. An audited financial disclosure from the NCAA in March 2018 revealed the association had close to $1.1 billion in revenue during 2017, a total that was unimaginable in 1964, when the NCAA coined the term “Student Athlete.”
In July 2017, news reports confirmed that the Big Ten conference had reached agreement with three television partners on a six-year, $2.64 billion rights deal to carry conference athletic competition, primarily focused on football and men’s basketball. Other powerhouse conferences across the country have struck similar deals and some have even partnered with media companies to launch standalone conference network channels dedicated to increasing exposure and generating more revenue.
Huffington Post wrote, “Big-time college sports look more like their professional counterparts than they ever have with one major exception: The NCAA has restrictive rules in place that prevent schools from compensating athletes beyond the full cost of attending.”
Directors Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton say, “We embedded in the world of men’s college basketball and football, capturing athletes’ hopes and dreams being shattered by the harsh reality of what it means to be a ‘Student Athlete’ in a billion-dollar industry.”
The production team is spearheaded by NBA superstar and three-time world champion LeBron James, one of today’s most socially responsible and community-minded athletes.
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Elaine McMillion Sheldon’ RECOVERY BOYS, An Intimate Look at Opioid Crisis, to Debut on Netflix [Trailer]
Four men attempt to reinvent their lives in the heart of America’s opioid crisis in the new Netflix original documentary Recovery Boys directed by Academy Award-Nominee Elaine McMillion Sheldon.
Recovery Boys which had its World Premiere as an Official Selection of the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, will launch globally on Netflix June 29, 2018 and in NY at the Metrograph and in LA at Laemmle Music Hall.
In the heart of America’s opioid epidemic, four men attempt to reinvent their lives and reenter society after years of drug abuse. Academy Award-nominated director Elaine McMillion Sheldon (Heroin(e)), returns to her native West Virginia for her feature film debut. Recovery Boys is an intimate look at the strength, brotherhood, and courage it takes to overcome addiction and lays bare the internal conflict of recovery. In an effort to break the cycle of generational addiction and trauma, four young men let go of painful pasts as they live in the present and build a new community in a farming-based rehab. After rehab, they experience life’s trials and tribulations sober but struggle to find their place and purpose in an often-unforgiving society. In today’s world, where shocking statistics about the opioid crisis make headlines daily, Recovery Boys offers a deeply personal look into the unseen lives of those working toward transformation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSS9kYipRLk
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FOX Sports Films Acquires Boxing Documentary THEY FIGHT Produced by Common
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Common at 2017 Tribeca Talk: Storytellers, Tribeca Film Festival[/caption]
FOX Sports Films has acquired the boxing documentary “They Fight,” directed by Andrew Renzi and produced by actor/rapper Common. The documentary follows Coach Walt Manigan’s Lyfe Style Boxing, an after-school program in Washington, D.C.’s Ward 8 – a community rife with inequity. Walt mentors young boxers, “Peanut” Bartee and Quincey Williams on the path to the 2017 Junior Olympics, while he also fights to find a permanent home for his program to help young fighters avoid the troubles he found in his own youth.
“It is important to share Coach Walt’s story and seeing how he overcame extreme hardships and now serves as a mentor to the youth in Ward 8,” said Common. “It is a true example as to how we can take the most challenging of situations and turn them into a positive, not only for ourselves but for others. Boxing is more than just a sport to these kids, it empowers and unifies them to fight for a better life.”
This project is the newest in the Sports Emmy(R)-nominated “MAGNIFY” series from FOX Sports Films. The series leverages sports as a lens for exploring important cultural stories and investigates the challenges, change, and unity they bring to communities. Since its November 2017 launch, the MAGNIFY series’ roster of influential contributors includes: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chance the Rapper; and, most recently, Kevin Durant.
“From the opening minutes of this powerful film, we knew it was a perfect fit for our ‘Magnify’ series,” said Gabe Spitzer, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer, FOX Sports Films. “The power of sports as a community builder is visible throughout the documentary.”
“They Fight” will premiere this fall as a FOX Sports broadcast. Other “MAGNIFY” films, past and future:
2018 Sports Emmy(R)-nominated “89 Blocks,” executive produced by James and Carter for Uninterrupted, along with Sports Illustrated (November 2017)
“Shot in the Dark,” executive produced by Wade and Chance the Rapper (February 2018)
“Nossa Chape,” from award-winning directors Jeffrey Zimbalist and Michael Zimbalist (The Two Escobars, Pele: Birth of a Legend) focuses on the 2016 plane crash involving Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense. It premieres June 23rd at 4:15 pm ET on FOX immediately following 2018 FIFA(TM) World Cup coverage.
The recently announced, “Q Ball,” from Executive Producer Golden State Warriors All-Star Durant, follows the lives of the San Quentin Warriors — teammates and inmates at “The Q”, California’s San Quentin State Prison. Set to premiere in early 2019
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Watch First Trailer for HBO Documentary ROBIN WILLIAMS: COME INSIDE MY MIND
HBO has released the first trailer for the documentary Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind, described as “an intimate look into the life and work of Robin Williams, the master of stage and comedy.” The film directed by Marina Zenovich and produced by Alex Gibney and Shirel Kozak, will premiere on HBO on July 16, 2018.
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind explores his extraordinary life and career, revealing what drove him to give voice to the characters in his mind. With previously unheard and unseen glimpses into his creative process through interviews with Williams, as well as home movies and onstage footage, this insightful tribute features in-depth interviews with those who knew and loved him, including Billy Crystal, Eric Idle, Whoopi Goldberg, David Letterman, Steve Martin, Pam Dawber and his son, Zak Williams.
The documentary underscores what made Williams so unique, ranging from his youthful days in the San Francisco Bay area, to his time in New York at The Juilliard School, åto his rocket-propelled fame on TV’s “Mork & Mindy,” to his profound impact on the American cultural landscape. Such career high points as his landmark comedy show at the Metropolitan Opera, his Broadway debut in “Waiting for Godot,” his Academy Award(R)-winning performance in “Good Will Hunting” and his classic confessional bits about his alcohol and drug issues and 2009 heart surgery capture the spark that made him stand out across four decades in entertainment. Williams’ tragic death in 2014, which revealed he had been suffering from the disease Lewy Body Dementia, left fans around the world heartbroken.
The genius of Robin Williams lay in his ability to make a room, a comedy club, a concert hall or the whole world laugh. Family, friends and film crews often saw a man who wasn’t happy unless everyone else was having a good time? – ?but the dualities Williams embodied were present inside him at all times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caIFNg_JRL4
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BELIEVER Follows Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds on His Quest for LGBTQ Acceptance in the Mormon Community
Dan Reynolds of Imagine Dragons at Rock im Park 2013 in Nuremberg, Germany Imagine Dragons frontman and Mormon Dan Reynolds recently embarked on a new mission: to explore and influence how The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints treats its LGBTQ members.
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Wrestling Documentary ‘350 DAYS’ Starring Bret Hart and ‘Superstar’ Billy Graham, in U.S. Cinemas July 12 Only [Trailer]
The wrestling documentary “350 Days” starring former world champions Bret Hart and “Superstar” Billy Grahams “350 Days” hits movie theaters nationwide this summer for a one-night event on July 12. The documentary provides a behind-the-scenes look at the grueling life they led on the road and the effect that lifestyle had on their marriages, family, physical and mental health. Featuring Greg Valentine, Tito Santana, Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff, Abdullah The Butcher, Wendi Richter, Bill Eadie, Nikolai Volkoff, Lanny Poffo, Stan Hansen, Angelo Mosca, Lex Luger, and more, the event also includes some of the last interviews ever done with George “The Animal” Steele, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Ox Baker, The Wolfman, “Pretty Boy” Larry Sharpe, Don Fargo, and 99-year-old Angelo Savoldi.
In addition to the documentary, this special one-night event will also present an exclusive introduction and interview with legendary wrestling manager JJ Dillon of The Four Horsemen to discuss the impact of the film and the current state of professional wrestling.
Fathom Events, Rivalry Championship Wrestling and Happy Fish Productions present “350 Days” in nearly 450 U.S. cinemas for one night on Thursday, July 12 at 7:00 p.m. local time, through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN). For a complete list of participating theaters, visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
“’350 Days’ pulls back the curtain to give fans a unique look at the personal side of one of America’s most-watched sports – professional wrestling,” said Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt. “There is no better way to experience this thrilling documentary than in a movie theater with other wrestling enthusiasts.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvcnVv55cQk
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PBS POV Acquires Award Winning Documentaries ON HER SHOULDERS and THE SILENCE OF OTHERS
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Nadia Murad and Murad Ismael appear in On Her Shoulders by Alexandria Bombach.[/caption]
Two of the year’s top award-winning and critically-acclaimed documentary feature films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival – On Her Shoulders by Alexandria Bombach and The Silence of Others by Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar – have been acquired by PBS television series POV.
On Her Shoulders (Tim Hetherington Award Nominee) and The Silence of Others (Grand Jury Award Nominee) will both screen at the Sheffield Doc/Fest in the UK this weekend as well as at the AFI Docs film festival in Washington, DC and the Human Rights Films Festival in New York this month.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT6EgVIGwDY
On Her Shoulders, following a 23-year-old Yazidi genocide and ISIS sexual slavery survivor, premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Directing Award for a U.S. Documentary. It won a special jury award at SXSW Film Festival and was a Top Ten Audience Favorite at Hot Docs in Toronto.
Synopsis: Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi, survived genocide and sexual slavery committed by ISIS. Repeating her story to the world, this ordinary girl finds herself thrust onto the international stage as THE VOICE of her people. Away from the podium, she must navigate bureaucracy, fame and people’s good intentions.
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The Silence of Others[/caption]
The Silence of Others, which captures the first attempt in 77 years to prosecute crimes of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco, took the Audience Award (Panorama) as well as the Peace Prize at its world premiere at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale), was a Top Ten Audience Favorite at Hot Docs in Toronto.
Synopsis: The Silence of Others reveals the epic struggle of victims of Spain’s 40-year dictatorship under General Franco, who continue to seek justice to this day. Filmed over six years, the film follows victims and survivors as they organize the groundbreaking “Argentine Lawsuit” and fight a state-imposed amnesia of crimes against humanity, in a country still DIVIDED four decades into democracy.
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ROCK RUBBER 45s, Bobbito Garcia’s Basketball, Sneaker, and Music Cinematic Odyssey, Sets Release Date
Rock Rubber 45s is a cinematic odyssey exploring the connectivity of global basketball, sneaker, and music lifestyle through the firsthand lens of authentic New York City culture orchestrator Bobbito Garcia. The film explores García’s youth dealing with mistreatment, educational quandaries, identity, and loss as well as his ascension to self-determination as an adult freelance creative. The ballplayer/author/DJ/filmmaker has carved an independent career that has inspired millions throughout the world, and has affected the growth and direction of the footwear, hip hop, and sports industries in the process.
ROCK RUBBER opens theatrically for a full week run in New York on Thursday, June 28 (The Metrograph) with an extended run at the Maysles Cinema on Friday, July 6 to follow; and available on demand on Tuesday, July 24 (Worldwide).
DJ Bobbito Garcia is the critically acclaimed author of Where’d You Get Those? NYC’s Sneaker Culture: 1960-1987. As an award-winning filmmaker, Garcia has directed DOIN’ IT IN THE PARK: PICK-UP BASKETBALL, NYC, STRETCH AND BOBBITO: RADIO THAT CHANGED LIVES, and his autobiographical documentary Rock Rubber 45s. Currently, “Kool Bob Love” produces his b-ball tournament Full Court 21™ in four continents, and co-hosts NPR’s “What’s Good With Stretch And Bobbito” podcast.
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National Geographic To Premiere ‘Inside North Korea: Race to Peace’ Two Days Before Historic Summit
National Geographic will premiere Inside North Korea: Race to Peace on Sunday, June 10, at 10/9c, two days before the summit with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump takes the world stage.
Inside North Korea: Race to Peace is the story of the twists and turns leading to this momentous event, following 70 years of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula.Combining current and archival footage with insights from leading dignitaries and noted experts, including new interviews with former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and Bill Richardson, former governor of New Mexico and U.S. North Korea emissary.
Inside North Korea: Race to Peace moves beyond the headlines to dive into the story behind what could be one of the most significant diplomatic events of our time.
Setting the Stage
On March 26, 2018, a passenger train departed Pyongyang, North Korea. Twenty-one bulletproof cars crossed the border into China and the international community was abuzz with speculation. Who was onboard? As the train reached its final destination in Beijing, it was revealed that North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un was on it. Kim Jong Un met with China’s President Xi Jinping on this, his first trip outside North Korea since his he took power in 2011, and it was his first meeting with a foreign leader. Kim Jong Un would visit China again and South Korea, to meet with President Moon Jae-in. Are these the first steps to what may be the most important diplomatic event of our young century? The on-again, off-again, summit between Kim Jong Un and Trump is now on again, and the two leaders will meet in Singapore on June 12. Could this be a path to peace on the Korean Peninsula and a way to bring the North Koreans into the international fold after 70 years of isolation?National Geographic’s Role
National Geographic played an interesting, albeit unintentional, role in the creation of a separate North and South Korea. Near the close of World War II, in August 1945, the U.S. sought to divide the Korean Peninsula after the surrender of Japan. When the State Department’s Charles Bonesteel and future Secretary of State Dean Rusk were tasked with determining how to divide the zones of occupation they selected the 38th parallel based on a National Geographic Society map that would be featured in an issue of National Geographic Magazine.How We Got Here
Inside North Korea: Race to Peace takes an unflinching look back at the complicated diplomatic history of the region, with a trained eye on the future. “I think he [Kim Jong Un] does have a good hand to play,” Albright says in the special. “He has managed to scare the whole region into doing something.” While all eyes will be on June 12, proper historic context will only enhance what unfolds. For Inside North Korea: Race to Peace Christine Weber is executive producer and Robert Zakin is the writer and producer.
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Ground Breaking Immersive Documentary FACE TO FACE to World Premiere at Sheffield Doc/Fest
FACE TO FACE, the ground breaking immersive story/documentary/installation directed by the award-winning photo journalist, Michelle Gabel and co-directed by immersive storyteller/filmmaker Michaela Holland will world premiere at the Sheffield Doc/Fest beginning June 7 to 12, 2018.
Imagine if a shotgun blast took away your eyes, nose and upper palate leaving you permanently blind and unable to smell. FACE TO FACE is the true story of Michelle, who was the victim of this accidental shooting and is currently raising her two daughters. A shotgun blast took away Michelle Fox’s eyes, nose, and upper palate, leaving her permanently blind and unable to smell. Years of photojournalism and audio interviews work in tandem with a virtual reality piece as viewers explore an immersive, three-act installation.
FACE TO FACE is an intimate look at gun injury and human resilience. The film is an immersive documentary that blends years of photojournalism with virtual reality to create a three-act installation. This intimate look at gun injury and human resilience is based on the life of a woman who wears a facial prosthesis after a near fatal shooting accident. The installation will bring the viewer up close and personal, as we experience only a fraction of a day in the life of the main character. Years of photojournalism and interview audio is the foundation and cornerstone of this project. These traditional mediums work in tandem with a virtual reality piece as guests explore the film/installation.
FACE TO FACE was chosen from a record number of highest quality entries to be awarded the 2018 Alternate Realities Commission . It was awarded due to the project’s ability to push the boundaries of what is possible within factual storytelling and its strong commitment to innovation in the realm of non-fiction.
FACE TO FACE is a part of Sheffield Doc/Fest’s Alternate Realities programme, which is a leading forum for interactive, augmented reality, and virtual reality projects. Here, the festival explores game-changing forms of storytelling through experimenting with technology, for fully immersive experiences.
Image: Michelle in her daily ritual just before she puts her face on – in a scene from FACE TO FACE – an immersive documentary directed by Michelle Gabel and co-directed by Michaela Holland.