November 18, 2015

A Moment of Redemption for Man’s Best Friend

  Written by Megan Scanlon   In 2007, NFL quarterback Michael Vick was sentenced to prison for his horrific operation of a dog fighting ring. Twenty-two pit bulls were rescued as living evidence following a debate surrounding their euthanization, a stance PETA was cemented to. The NYC premiere of The Champions tells the story of […]

November 17, 2015

Exploring Mars to Appreciate Earth

  Written by Laura Dattaro   In less than a century, humans could turn Mars into a liveable planet. According to a NASA astrobiologist interviewed in Ian Cheney’s documentary Bluespace, we could pump Mars’ atmosphere full of greenhouse gases until it warmed up and liquid water flowed. Any life capable of living with that much […]

November 17, 2015

Young, Wild and Free: The story of Orry-Kelly

  Written by Megan Scanlon   The New York City premiere of Women He’s Undressed treated its audience to the world of Oscar-winning costume designer Orry-Kelly. Director Gillian Armstrong, who couldn’t be there in person, sent a message to the audience, “I do hope you enjoy our little story of his big life.” Fantastically stylized, […]

November 17, 2015

A Triumphant Tale of A Man and His Dogs

  Written by Eugene Rosenberg   The Great Alone focuses on the greatest champion of one of America’s most unique sporting institutions – Alaska’s Iditarod sled dog race. The film follows four-time champion Lance Mackey and his team of dogs over some of Alaska’s most ruggedly beautiful terrain as he competes in the 2013 event. […]

November 17, 2015

Taking a Hard Look at the True Cost of National Security

  Written by Laura Dattaro   A Good American is a difficult film to watch in New York City. A chronicle of a revoluationary security program that may have been able to prevent the September 11 terrorist attacks, the documentary is rife with emotional footage, from the audio of a voicemail left by a passenger […]

November 16, 2015

‘Raiders!’ – The Story of An Epic Remake

  Written by Eugene Rosenberg   While seemingly well-worn territory, Raiders! takes the familiar “making of a movie” documentary topic into a bold new dimension of meta-reference while fusing several contemporary popular cultural phenomena: homemade remakes of famous movies, the proliferation of viral videos, and growing dedication of genre fan bases. The film itself details […]

November 16, 2015

Legal Dream Team Tackles Tough Issues in Cameroon

  Written by Susan Keyloun   Shot over a three-month period, Sisters in Law, a Cannes award-winning documentary which marks its 10th anniversary as part of the DOC Redux line-up, follows two feisty, no-nonsense women in the small village of Kumba, Cameroon as they fight against injustice and inhumanity.  Prosecutor Vera Ngassa and Judge Beatrice […]

November 16, 2015

‘The Lost Arcade’ Revisits the Golden Age of Gaming

  Written by Eugene Rosenberg   Saturday night’s sold out screening of The Lost Arcade proved something of a homecoming for a lost tribe -Manhattan’s diehard arcade video gamers. For the last two decades the film’s subject, the “lost arcade” known as Chinatown Fair, provided the last refuge and a sense of place for NYC’s coin […]

November 16, 2015

Shakespeare and Science Collide in The Art of Rosamond Purcell

  Written by Krystal Grow   When does a manufactured item become a unique, organic object? How can animal bones in museum cases become beautiful landscapes? What can we learn about human nature by examining the things we throw away? Photographer Rosamond Purcell has spent her entire career asking these questions, and has made remarkable […]

November 16, 2015

Acknowledging an Open Wound in Joshua Oppenheimer’s ‘The Look of Silence’

  Written by Jenna Belhumeur   In The Look of Silence, Oscar-nominated director Joshua Oppenheimer continues his exploration of a chilling society where a genocide in which over one million innocent people perished is merely dismissed as “the past”; Where the stark lack of moral regret coupled with an unwillingness to accept responsibility for actions […]