Highlights from Day Six at DOC NYC Exploring the roots of Doowop, following an unlikely artistic duo, and debunking pop culture stereotypes on day six of DOC NYC
An unmistakable sound, two artists on a remarkable journey, and a problematic cartoon character go under the microscope on day six of DOC NYC.
Street artist and photographer JR, whose large scale public art projects have won him worldwide acclaim, meets his match in French New Wave filmmaker Agnes Varda. In Faces Places, which Varda also directed, the duo travel through France in JR’s mobile portrait studio, creating murals and sharing laughs in a film that’s part road-trip movie, part buddy comedy, and all heart. Invented on street corners and under bright city lights, the Doo wop sound laid the foundation for some of the most memorable melodies in music history, and in Streetlight Harmonies, director Brent Wilson goes back to where it all started, interviewing the men and women whose smooth vocal tones and undeniable style defined an era. Comedian Hari Kondabolu charges head first into a common cultural stereotype perpetuated by one of the most popular television shows of all time in The Problem with Apu, which had its world premier screening on day six of DOC NYC. Packed with interesting interviews and plenty of candid commentary, the film takes on the popular Indian character and convenience store owner who has been a fixture on The Simpsons for 29 seasons and running, but for Kondabolu and many others, the joke isn’t funny anymore.
