During his last year in office, President Obama’s foreign-policy team worked to solidify the administration’s policies amidst immense challenges. The Final Year offers an insider’s look at key figures, including Secretary of State John Kerry, UN Ambassador Samantha Power, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes and National Security Advisor Susan Rice, as they sought to promote diplomacy and redefine how the U.S. confronts questions of war and peace, all while preparing to hand over the machinery of American power to a new administration.
Directed by Greg Barker (HBO’s Emmy(R)-winning “Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden”), the revealing behind-the-scenes documentary debuts Monday, May 21 (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), on HBO.
The film will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and partners’ streaming platforms.
Shooting from late 2015 until 3:00 a.m. on the morning of Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2017, director Greg Barker and his crew filmed extensively in the White House, the State Department and the United Nations, following their subjects to 21 countries, among them Austria, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nigeria, the UK and Vietnam.
Among the events chronicled in The Final Year:
Secretary of State Kerry is in Vienna for the Iran Nuclear Deal, which he calls “as serious a moment in diplomacy as you can get.” Meanwhile, the president is in Vietnam, where he holds a forum for young people. Advisor Ben Rhodes is focused on writing President Obama’s unprecedented upcoming speech in Japan to mark the 71st anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.
In Vienna, Secretary Kerry attends more than 30 meetings on the situation in Syria over two days, while UN Ambassador Power sits down with Syrian refugees to hear their heartrending stories. While Kerry and Power try to broker peace for Syria, Advisor Rhodes is in Havana, where he reflects on the newly open relationship between the U.S. and Cuba, saying, “If these two countries can try to put the past behind them, maybe we all can do that.”
In Laos prior to a presidential visit, Advisor Rhodes notes that the rhetoric of the presidential campaign is worrying people around the world. In the U.S., Ambassador Power speaks at the citizenship ceremony for her babysitter, Maria, noting emotionally that she is an immigrant herself. Next, she visits high security-risk areas in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria to help bring attention to the hundreds of girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, who have not been found after two years.
After becoming the first U.S. president to visit Laos, site of the 1964-1973 “secret war” that still claims victims from unexploded bombs, President Obama and his team prepare for UN General Assembly meetings in New York. With the situation in Syria front and center, there are heated arguments for and against military intervention, but National Security Advisor Rice points out that disagreement is important, noting, “You don’t want groupthink around a table.”
On election night 2016, Ambassador Power hosts a gathering with Madeleine Albright, Gloria Steinem and female UN ambassadors, but the mood is dampened when it becomes clear Hillary Clinton won’t be the next president. Although his successor will likely reverse his policies, President Obama, visiting Athens on his final trip as head of state, is hopeful. “History doesn’t follow a straight line,” he says. “It zigs and zags.” In the days before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Kerry, Rhodes and Power pack up their offices. Vowing to continue their work, Power says, “We’re in this for the long haul.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFlb1sAqvO0
The Final Year, which had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, was hailed as “compelling… irresistible… deeply moving” by the Hollywood Reporter, while the Wrap called it “immense and intimate.”
In addition to the Emmy(R)-winning “Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden,” director Greg Barker’s HBO credits include “Homegrown: The Counter-Terror Dilemma,” “Koran by Heart” and the Emmy(R)-nominated “Sergio.”
The Final Year is directed by Greg Barker; produced by Julie Goldman, John Battsek, Greg Barker; co-executive producers, Kerstin Emhoff, Andrew Ruhemann. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.Documentary
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Documentary THE FINAL YEAR Following President Obama’s Foreign-Policy Team During His Last Year in Office Sets HBO Debut Date [Trailer]
During his last year in office, President Obama’s foreign-policy team worked to solidify the administration’s policies amidst immense challenges. The Final Year offers an insider’s look at key figures, including Secretary of State John Kerry, UN Ambassador Samantha Power, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes and National Security Advisor Susan Rice, as they sought to promote diplomacy and redefine how the U.S. confronts questions of war and peace, all while preparing to hand over the machinery of American power to a new administration.
Directed by Greg Barker (HBO’s Emmy(R)-winning “Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden”), the revealing behind-the-scenes documentary debuts Monday, May 21 (8:00-9:30 p.m. ET/PT), on HBO.
The film will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and partners’ streaming platforms.
Shooting from late 2015 until 3:00 a.m. on the morning of Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, 2017, director Greg Barker and his crew filmed extensively in the White House, the State Department and the United Nations, following their subjects to 21 countries, among them Austria, Cameroon, Chad, Cuba, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Japan, Laos, Myanmar, Nigeria, the UK and Vietnam.
Among the events chronicled in The Final Year:
Secretary of State Kerry is in Vienna for the Iran Nuclear Deal, which he calls “as serious a moment in diplomacy as you can get.” Meanwhile, the president is in Vietnam, where he holds a forum for young people. Advisor Ben Rhodes is focused on writing President Obama’s unprecedented upcoming speech in Japan to mark the 71st anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.
In Vienna, Secretary Kerry attends more than 30 meetings on the situation in Syria over two days, while UN Ambassador Power sits down with Syrian refugees to hear their heartrending stories. While Kerry and Power try to broker peace for Syria, Advisor Rhodes is in Havana, where he reflects on the newly open relationship between the U.S. and Cuba, saying, “If these two countries can try to put the past behind them, maybe we all can do that.”
In Laos prior to a presidential visit, Advisor Rhodes notes that the rhetoric of the presidential campaign is worrying people around the world. In the U.S., Ambassador Power speaks at the citizenship ceremony for her babysitter, Maria, noting emotionally that she is an immigrant herself. Next, she visits high security-risk areas in Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria to help bring attention to the hundreds of girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, who have not been found after two years.
After becoming the first U.S. president to visit Laos, site of the 1964-1973 “secret war” that still claims victims from unexploded bombs, President Obama and his team prepare for UN General Assembly meetings in New York. With the situation in Syria front and center, there are heated arguments for and against military intervention, but National Security Advisor Rice points out that disagreement is important, noting, “You don’t want groupthink around a table.”
On election night 2016, Ambassador Power hosts a gathering with Madeleine Albright, Gloria Steinem and female UN ambassadors, but the mood is dampened when it becomes clear Hillary Clinton won’t be the next president. Although his successor will likely reverse his policies, President Obama, visiting Athens on his final trip as head of state, is hopeful. “History doesn’t follow a straight line,” he says. “It zigs and zags.” In the days before Donald Trump’s inauguration, Kerry, Rhodes and Power pack up their offices. Vowing to continue their work, Power says, “We’re in this for the long haul.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFlb1sAqvO0
The Final Year, which had its world premiere at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, was hailed as “compelling… irresistible… deeply moving” by the Hollywood Reporter, while the Wrap called it “immense and intimate.”
In addition to the Emmy(R)-winning “Manhunt: The Inside Story of the Hunt for Bin Laden,” director Greg Barker’s HBO credits include “Homegrown: The Counter-Terror Dilemma,” “Koran by Heart” and the Emmy(R)-nominated “Sergio.”
The Final Year is directed by Greg Barker; produced by Julie Goldman, John Battsek, Greg Barker; co-executive producers, Kerstin Emhoff, Andrew Ruhemann. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.
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ANDY IRONS: KISSED BY GOD, Surfer Andy Irons’ Story of Opioid Addiction and Bipolar Disorder Comes to U.S. Cinemas [Trailer]
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Andy Irons: Kissed by God[/caption]
“Andy Irons: Kissed by God,” the heart-wrenching story of three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons will open in U.S. movie theaters this spring. As the opioid crisis rises to a national emergency in the United States and bipolar disorder affects approximately 5.7 million adult Americans (National Institute of Mental Health), the untold story of Irons’ life serves to tear down the myths associated with these two ferocious diseases. The documentary features in-depth interviews with Andy’s brother Bruce Irons, his wife Lyndie Irons, and fellow surfers Joel Parkinson, Nathan Fletcher, Sunny Garcia and Kelly Slater. In addition to the feature content, audiences will also view a Q&A with top experts in the field of opioid addiction and bipolar disorder, directors Steve and Todd Jones, as well as Andy’s friends and family.
Fathom Events and Teton Gravity Research bring “Andy Irons: Kissed by God” to nearly 500 U.S. cinemas for one night on Thursday, May 31 at 7:00 p.m. local time, through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network (DBN).
“Andy Irons: Kissed by God” chronicles the struggles of bipolar disorder and opioid addiction as seen through the life of three-time world champion surfer Andy Irons. Irons struggled with the same demons that millions of people worldwide battle with daily. He was an incredible presence on the surfing world stage as the “People’s Champion,” the pride of Hawaii and revered around the world for his blue-collar rise to fame and success. However, many were unaware of his internal battles that led to his demise.
“‘Andy Irons: Kissed by God’ is both a moving documentary and an opportunity to shine a light on the country’s opioid crisis and mental health systems,” said Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt. “It’s events such as these that turn local cinemas into a place to both entertain and educate communities.”
“The time to tell Andy’s story is now, not because we want to glorify his life or accomplishments, but because Andy wanted to share the truth of his struggles to educate future generations,” said his brother, Bruce Irons. “We wanted to shine an honest light on the truth – both the struggles and the triumphs – and tell an accurate story of who Andy truly was.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJWIPRvtAHk
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Berlinale Award Winning THE SILENCE OF OTHERS Acquired by Blue Ice Docs + Premieres at Hot Docs
After world premiering at the Berlinale in February, where it won both the Panorama Audience Award for Best Documentary and the Berlinale Peace Prize, Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Almudena Carracedo and Robert Bahar’s new documentary, The Silence of Others, will have its North American premiere at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival.
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 with intimate access over six years, the film follows a courageous band of survivors as they organize the groundbreaking “Argentine Lawsuit” and challenge a decades long “pact of forgetting” around the crimes that they suffered.
Through this dramatic, contemporary story, The Silence of Others speaks to universal questions of how societies transition from dictatorship to democracy, how individuals confront silence and fight for justice, and how societies should deal with perpetrators of crimes against humanity in their midst. What happens when a country is forced to reckon with its past after decades of silence? Can justice be done after so long?
Pedro Almodóvar and his brother and producer Agustín, whose cinema careers began in the heady days after the death of Franco and Spain’s return to democracy, along with their partner Esther García, are executive producers.
As Agustín Almodóvar affirms, “The Silence of Others is a profoundly human and poetic documentary that treats difficult themes with tenderness, respect and care. With cinematographic style and a story that grabs you from the first second, the directors, Almudena and Robert, transport us on a journey of 6 years and thousands of kilometers, to explore forgetting and its consequences. We are moved by the great humanity of this work and are thrilled to be supporting its North American Premiere in Toronto.
Philippa Kowarsky of Cinephil, who handles world sales, comments: “The Silence of Others is a perfect fit for our slate of powerful, politically aware documentaries. Robert and Almudena’s film lets you experience the loss, but also the dignity and the tenacity of those victimized by dictatorship – a topic that reaches far beyond Spain.”[RB3]
Robin Smith of Blue Ice Docs, who is handling the Canadian rights, says, “We are incredibly proud to be working with Almudena and Robert on bringing their powerfully important and beautiful film The Silence of Others to Canadian audiences.”
From Picasso’s “Guernica” to Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, the Spanish Civil War holds a special place in the Western imagination, as a heroic and tragic early front against fascism. Yet outside Spain, little is known about the 40-years of dictatorship that followed, or the complex choices that were made during Spain’s transition from dictatorship to democracy. As revealed in The Silence of Others, due to an amnesty law passed shortly after Franco’s death and still in force today, no crimes linked to the regime or its officials (many of whom went on to successful careers in democratic Spain) can be prosecuted. As a result, José María “Chato” Galante passes by his torturer’s window every day, Maria Martín can’t retrieve her mother’s remains from a mass grave to finally lay her to rest, and cases of stolen children remain uninvestigated.
To challenge this amnesty before time runs out, a small band of survivors launch the “Argentine Lawsuit”, based in international human rights laws and filed in Buenos Aires. The Silence of Others follows their six-year journey and reveals how a movement that began in someone’s kitchen can go where the Spanish legal system fears to tread, achieving thefirst-ever arrest warrants for perpetrators from Franco’s regime and bringing this nearly forgotten cause to world attention.
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See First Trailer for Official WHITNEY Documentary, set to World Premiere at Cannes Film Festival
The first trailer was released today for the documentary WHITNEY which will have its world premiere at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2018. The film directed by Kevin Macdonald, is probably one of the rare ones featuring her family in front of and behind the scenes, with sister-in-law, Pat Houston, as one of the Executive Producers. Miramax and Roadside Attractions will release WHITNEY in theaters July 6, 2018.
Whitney Houston broke more music industry records than any other female singer in history. With over 200 million album sales worldwide, she was the only artist to chart seven consecutive U.S. No. 1 singles. She also starred in several blockbuster movies before her brilliant career gave way to erratic behavior, scandals and death at age 48. The documentary feature Whitney is an intimate, unflinching portrait of Houston and her family that probes beyond familiar tabloid headlines and sheds new light on the spellbinding trajectory of Houston’s life. Using never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives and original interviews with the people who knew her best, Oscar®-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald unravels the mystery behind “The Voice,” who thrilled millions even as she struggled to make peace with her own troubled past.
WHITNEY Trailer
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A&E Network to Premiere Biography Special “Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography”
A&E Network will premiere the Biography special “Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography,” a raw two-hour documentary following former teacher Mary Kay Letourneau as she recounts her tumultuous past in her most in-depth confessional to date. Mary, a Seattle grade school teacher, stunned the world when she fell in love with her 13-year-old former sixth grade student Vili Fualaau. Their subsequent relationship ultimately sent her to prison for more than seven years, isolating her from her children and altering the course of her life forever. Mary reveals key never-before-heard details as she shares her deeply emotional story of forbidden love, her legal troubles and the media firestorm that followed. “Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography” premieres on Tuesday, May 29th at 8pm ET/PT.
“This documentary gives viewers an unfiltered look at the story of Mary Kay Letourneau through her words as she expresses her side to a story that stunned the nation,” said Elaine Frontain Bryant, Executive Vice President and Head of Programming, A&E Network. “Honest storytelling is at the heart of the Biography brand and we hope viewers will see her story with a new understanding.”
Throughout the engrossing two hour special, Mary and Villi detail their early years, how their relationship came to be and how it intrigued and disturbed the country. Delving further, Mary shares her feelings of injustice and betrayal when she lost contact with her children and the effect her choices have had on both her and her family. Mary’s lawyers, friends and a fellow prison inmate help tell this complex story. Currently working as a paralegal, Mary talks about her future and what it may hold for her and her family.
“Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography” is produced by Asylum Entertainment in association with Marwar Junction Productions. Executive producers for Asylum Entertainment are Steve Michaels and Jonathan Koch along with David Michaels and executive producers for Marwar Junction are Allison Berkley and Joseph Freed. Executive producers for A&E are Elaine Frontain Bryant, Amy Savitsky and Brad Abramson. A+E Network holds worldwide distribution rights to “Biography Presents: Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography.”
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‘ACORN and the Firestorm’ Documentary To Debut on PBS Independent Lens This May [Trailer]
For 40 years, the controversial community organizing group ACORN sought to empower marginalized communities. Its critics, though, believed ACORN exemplified everything wrong with liberal ideals, promoting government waste and ineffective activism. These competing perceptions exploded on the national stage in 2009, just as Barack Obama became president. Fueled by a YouTube video made by undercover journalists, ACORN’s very existence would be challenged. Produced and directed by Reuben Atlas and Sam Pollard, ACORN and the Firestorm goes beyond the 24-hour news cycle and cuts to the heart of the great political divide. The film premieres on Independent Lens Monday, May 21, 2018, 10:00-11:30 PM (check local listings) on PBS. Online streaming beings May 22.
In 2008, with a 400,000 strong, grassroots membership in 38 states, ACORN stood at the height of its power, having won a lobbying campaign that led to an increase in the national minimum wage, saved thousands of people from foreclosure, and fought against predatory lending. ACORN also operated on a local level, helping clean up parks, put stoplights at dangerous intersections, and working to improve neighborhood schools.
Leading up to the 2008 election, ACORN helped to register 1.3 million voters, mostly low-income minorities in swing states. When some of those registration cards appeared fraudulent, conservative activists and politicians singled out ACORN as a conspiratorial criminal organization and strategists and pundits joined the chorus. Bertha Lewis, who became CEO just before Obama’s election, was confident that they could weather the attacks, and with an ally in the White House, she believed that actual systemic change might be possible. But nothing could have prepared her for what was to come.
When twenty-year-old journalism student Hannah Giles heard about ACORN in the news, she and James O’Keefe, a conservative political activist, orchestrated an investigation into the organization. Using a hidden camera and a fake prostitute, they created a series of YouTube videos which suggested that ACORN staffers were encouraging criminal activity. The videos and Giles became a media sensation.
ACORN and the Firestorm unfolds through the stories of Giles and Lewis, two women on opposite sides of the political spectrum, as well as through the eyes of ACORN staff, including founder Wade Rathke, members Travis Munnerlyn and Maude Hurd, and ACORN’s opposition, including Republican Congressman Steve King.
“Our constant thirst for new news in the age of the 24-hour news cycle leaves no time for the nuanced stories behind the headlines. Reuben and Sam lay out how one video smear campaign can lead to death by media,” said Lois Vossen, Independent Lens executive producer. “This film sheds relevant light on how we got to this age of alternative facts and fake news.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmyiU4_bpw0
About the Filmmakers
Reuben Atlas (Producer/Director) is an award-winning New York based producer, director, and former lawyer. His first film, the feature music documentary, Brothers Hypnotic, premiered at the SXSW Film Festival. A co-production with ITVS and NTR, the film broadcast internationally, premiered on Independent Lens on PBS, and is distributed by Factory 25. He recently co-directed with Jerry Rothwell the Netflix and Arte-funded wine fraud documentary, Sour Grapes, which premiered at Hotdocs and is distributed by Dogwoof and Gravitas. Previously, he worked at a maximum-security prison, a music law firm, and at Legal Aid. Sam Pollard (Producer/Director) has made over 50 films, including the Academy Award®-nominated documentary Four Little Girls, with Spike Lee, as well as HBO’s When the Levees Broke. He recently edited Alex Gibney’s Sinatra: All or Nothing for HBO and directed Slavery by Another Name for PBS. His 40 years of filmmaking credits as a producer, director, and editor also include the seminal civil rights series Eyes on the Prize.
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Viola Davis’s Documentary Series THE LAST DEFENSE to World Premiere at Tribeca + Debut June 12, on ABC
The powerful, new seven-episode documentary series, “The Last Defense,” from Executive producers Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, explores and exposes flaws in the American justice system through emotional, in-depth examinations of the death row cases of Darlie Routier and Julius Jones. The series will seek to trace the path that led both Routier and Jones to their places on death row, while taking a deep look into their personal stories.
In 1997, Darlie Routier, wife and mother, was sentenced to death for the brutal stabbing murder of her two young sons, a crime she insists she did not commit. Now 20 years on death row in Texas, the contentious debate over the fairness of her trial is more polarized than ever.
In 2001, Julius Jones, a 21-year-old African-American college student with an academic scholarship, was sentenced to death for the carjacking murder of a white father of two, in Edmond, Oklahoma. Twenty years later and having exhausted his appeals, Jones maintains his innocence.
The world premiere of “The Last Defense” will screen at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, on Friday, April 27, with the first hour of the Julius Jones case followed by a panel discussion with executive producers Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, Christine Connor and attorney Dale Baich; and premier Tuesday, June12 (10:00 – 11:00 p.m. EDT), on The ABC Television Network.
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Jonathan Hacker’s Terrorism Documentary PATH OF BLOOD to Open in Theaters on July 13
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Jonathan Hacker and based on his book of the same title, Path of Blood depicts Islamist terrorism as it has never been seen before. Drawn from a hoard of jihadi home-movie footage that was captured by Saudi security services, this is the story of Muslim terrorists targeting Muslim civilians and brought to justice by Muslim security agents. It is a stark reminder that all who are touched by terrorism are victimized by it.
Path of Blood will open theatrically on Friday, July 13 at the IFC Center with a national release to follow.
A powerful and sometimes shocking cinematic experience, Path of Blood reveals how brainwashed youths, fueled by idealism and the misguided pursuit of adventure, can descend into madness and carnage. The raw, unvarnished footage, to which the filmmakers negotiated exclusive access, captures young thrill-seekers at a jihadi “boot camp” deep in the Saudi desert, having signed on to overthrow the Saudi government. They plot to detonate car bombs in downtown Riyadh, become embroiled in a game of cat-and-mouse with government forces and, as their plans unravel, resort to ever more brutal tactics.
Adopting a strictly objective approach, the film doesn’t editorialize and contains no interviews or “talking heads” commentary. The home video footage was shot by the terrorists themselves, allowing viewers to see them in all their complexity, while compelling audiences to draw their own conclusions.
Path of Blood director / producer Jonathan Hacker has won more than twenty awards including a BAFTA. His diverse documentary work ranges from high-profile international history series such as Secret Agent and Timewatch for the BBC, to hard-hitting current affairs programs such as Britain’s First Suicide Bombers, which also tackled the subject of Al Qaeda.
View images from Path of Blood
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See the New Trailer + Poster for BOOM FOR REAL: THE LATE TEENAGE YEARS OF JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT [Video]
When you think you have read and seen everything there is to know about Jean-Michel Basquiat, then comes the captivating documentary, Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years Of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The film which follows Basquiat’s life pre-fame and how New York City in the 1980’s formed the artist he became, released a new trailer and cool retro-looking poster. Boom For Real: The Late Teenage Years Of Jean-Michel Basquiat which World Premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, will be in theaters on May 11.
Using never-before-seen works, writings and photographs, director Sara Driver, who was part of the New York arts scene herself, worked closely and collaboratively with friends and other artists who emerged from that period: Jim Jarmusch, James Nares, Fab Five Freddy, Glenn O’Brien, Kenny Scharf, Lee Quinones, Patricia Field, Luc Sante and many others. Drawing upon their memories and anecdotes, the film also uses period film footage, music and images to visually re-recreate the era, drawing a portrait of Jean-Michel and Downtown New York City -pre AIDS, President Reagan, the real estate and art booms – before anyone was motivated by money and ambition. The definition of fame, success and power were very different than today – to be a penniless but published poet was the height of success, until everything changed in the early 1980s. This is New York City’s story before that change.
THE BACKGROUND
“If we don’t tell the history, then others will, who weren’t there and don’t know the truth.” – Alexis Adler
Thirty years ago, Alexis Adler, an embryologist and friend of Jean-Michel stored away what’s now considered a treasure trove of his art and writings, along with the more than 150 photographs she took of him at work, goofing around and hanging out. In 1979, she gave him a key to her apartment, a safe place for him to stay and there he began to explore his talents.
BASQUIAT AND NEW YORK CITY
The film explores the movements that touched and inspired Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as the influence a bankrupt, violent city had on this seminal artist. Jean-Michel has become, over the years, the ultimate representation of this period. All the many things that were going on in the city fed through him – politics, hip-hop, punk rock, race issues and the art scene.
In 1978, Jean-Michel was a teenager (18 years old), living on the street and sleeping on friends’ sofas in the East Village. He was shaped and formed by his friendships — those he influenced and those who influenced him. The crumbling city allowed them the freedom to discover and experiment with their work.
THE CITY, THE CRIME, THE ARTS
During a brief time, downtown NYC was the epicenter for a community of young artists: musicians, painters, sculptors, filmmakers, performers, dancers, etc., living among the burned-out buildings that punctuated the city. These artists cross-pollinated each other, experimenting with different mediums. There were no divisions between young and old. The young learned from the older artists and vice versa. At the parties, clubs and in the streets there were minimalist painters, beatniks and jazz heroes. It was cheap to live in NYC. The city was lawless and drugs were everywhere, sold openly on the street.
The origins of hip-hop were floating through everything. The sounds of salsa, disco, punk, hardcore and no wave music wafted in the streets and through the clubs: CBGB, Mudd Club, Max’s Kansas City, Hurrah, Studio 54, Tier 3.
The streets were dangerous and crime rampant. The night’s events spread by word of mouth and handmade posters plastered on building walls, as well as through listings in local art papers: the Village Voice, the East Village Eye and the Soho News. NYC was bankrupt and crumbling, but because it was so cheap it became a fertile breeding ground for so many artists.
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First Look at Women Commandos Fighting Isis in Documentary ‘Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom’ [VIDEO]
Here is a first look at Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom, a dangerously intimate documentary directed by Alba Sotorra that follows a woman commando unit as it takes on ISIS. Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom will World Premiere at the 2018 Hot Docs Canadian International Film Festival on Sunday April 29.
When we meet Arian, a 30-year-old commander of the YPJ, the Kurdish-Syrian Women’s Protection Unit, she is struggling to recover from multiple ISIS sniper wounds. But her greatest worry is to be sent home. “If I live an ordinary life, I will be scared of death,” she says.
The words reflect the dual motivations that inspired Kurdish women to literally take arms against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria as it gobbled territory and slaughtered villagers in their homeland. She and her all-female comrades know the stakes involved in stopping the ultra-fundamentalist insurgency from overrunning them.
“To them, a piece of fabric is worth more than a woman,” Arian says angrily in an earlier interview from the battlefield. “To end their threat to women, we will fight them until there is no one left.”
But Alba Sotorra’s riveting documentary Commander Arian – A Story of Women, War and Freedom, is about more than the threat in front of these women. It’s about their camaraderie. And it’s about what they left behind that they would like to see change in the face of a victory over the Islamic extremists.
The documentary jumps regularly between the post-recovery Arian – who wants nothing more than to get back in battle – and the YPJ fighters as they make village-by-village progress to the occupied Syrian city of Kobane, “the heart of Kurdistan.” We witness Arian in her role as a de facto life coach toward fellow soldiers who have left a life where they were only expected to be wives and mothers. “What kind of woman do you want to be?” she repeatedly asks those under her command.
As a fellow fighter named Nupelda offers in advance of the next fire-fight, “Here, there is a goal, to enrich my thoughts and be free.” There is tragedy along with the high ideals. Some of the women we meet en route to Kobane will be injured and killed. But the push forward continues, along with the dreams for a better life than before.
“When the war in Syria broke out, Kurdish women took arms against Daesh (ISIS),” director Sotorra says. “Having followed the news about the atrocities committed in the region, especially against women, I thought it was incredible that a female force was emerging as the fiercest power against these monsters.”
When the YPJ was taking back Kobane and repelling attacks, Sotorra undertook a risky filmmaking mission via contacts in Turkey, arriving in time to see a city in ruins and without power. “I decided to travel to Kobane and meet the women who had led that battle. I wanted to share their feminist struggle and, as a woman filmmaker, it almost felt like my duty to document it.
“It was an adventure. I had no idea what I was getting into. Sometimes I think if I had been aware of all the things I would experience, I wouldn’t have had the courage to go. But ignorance is bliss and this is a story about courage.”
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First Look at ‘SAY HER NAME: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland’ Documentary Premiering At Tribeca Film Festival [VIDEO]
Ahead of its April 25th World Premiere at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, HBO Documentary Films shared a first look and official poster for the highly anticipated documentary, SAY HER NAME: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland. The documentary which is directed by Kate Davis and David Heilbroner, will premiere on HBO.
In 2015, Sandra Bland, a politically active 28-year-old black woman from Chicago was arrested for a traffic violation in a small Texas town. Three days later, Sandra was found hanging from a noose in her jail cell. Though ruled a suicide, her death sparked allegations of racially-motivated police murder and Sandra became a poster child for activists nationwide, leaving millions to question, “What really happened to Sandra Bland?”
Ten days after Sandra’s death, the filmmakers began working closely with the family’s legal team, tracking the two-year battle between Sandra’s aggrieved family and Texas authorities. With disturbing, never-before-told details about the case, the film is punctuated by Sandra’s own passionate and moving commentary.
Approximately 30 “Sandy Speaks” video blogs, which Sandra created herself, allowed the filmmakers to get to know Sandra Bland in a deeply personal way. Via these videos, Sandy herself emerges as a central voice in SAY HER NAME — an empowered, enlightened woman of color whose sharp, humorous, charismatic remarks address subjects from educating kids about black history to police brutality to the importance of natural hair.
Part legal thriller, part parable about race in America, SAY HER NAME takes viewers deep inside a story that galvanized activists across the country.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pybBqJNg5ds
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Tribeca 2018: Watch First Trailer for McQUEEN, Documentary on Designer Alexander McQueen [VIDEO]
Bleeker Street has released the first teaser trailer for the documentary “McQueen“, which will have its World Premiere on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at the Tribeca Film Festival and released in select theaters on July 13, 2018. The documentary is directed by Ian Bonhôte and co-directed/written by Peter Ettedgui.
McQueen is described as a personal look at the extraordinary life, career and artistry of Alexander McQueen. Through exclusive interviews with his closest friends and family, recovered archives, exquisite visuals and music, McQueen is an authentic celebration and thrilling portrait of an inspired yet tortured fashion visionary.