November 16, 2013

Is the Man Who is Tall Happy?: Chomsky and the Intersection of Art and Science

In his new documentary on Noam Chomsky, IS THE MAN WHO IS TALL HAPPY?, filmmaker Michel Gondry made a deliberate decision to veer from Chomsky’s political beliefs, instead focusing on the academic’s work as a linguist and social philosopher. “I felt I could do a good job in getting people to know Noam as a […]

November 16, 2013

Magical Universe: The Art of Al Carbee

This post was written by DOC NYC blogger Karen Backstein “Every time you fall asleep you wake up in another reality.” So said Al Carbee, the extraordinary subject of director Jeremy Workman’s MAGICAL UNIVERSE, which screened at DOC NYC on Thursday. Every day, Carbee transformed his “new reality” into unique art: photographs of Barbie dolls […]

November 16, 2013

Emptying the Skies: Keeping the Birds of Europe Flying

This post was written by DOC NYC blogger Katie Lewin On Thursday night, the final night of the festival, DOC NYC screened EMPTYING THE SKIES.  The film, based on an essay of the same name published in The New Yorker written by Jonathan Franzen, was directed by Douglas Kass and co-directed and produced by his […]

November 16, 2013

How To Fund Your Doc (And Still Have A Life)

This post was written by DOC NYC blogger Jess Gonzalez There is no one right way to make a documentary, but one thing is always sure: raising funds is one of the most important—and difficult—tasks a documentarian will undertake on the journey to complete his or her film. On Wednesday, aspiring filmmakers and fans alike […]

November 16, 2013

Brave Miss World: Empowering Rape Survivors Worldwide

This post was written by DOC NYC blogger Jess Gonzalez In 1998, Miss Israel Linor Abargil was crowned Miss World in front of millions of viewers worldwide. Little did anyone know, the 18-year-old model had just been abducted, stabbed, and brutally raped just six weeks prior. Cecilia Peck’s documentary BRAVE NEW WORLD tells the story […]

November 16, 2013

Lessons in Crowdfunding: The Inside Scoop on Online Fundraising

This post was written by DOC NYC blogger Minnie Li Filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal (CITIZEN KOCH) and Sara Nodjoumi and Till Schauder (THE IRAN JOB) raised over $100K for their respective projects on Kickstarter. On Wednesday’s DOC NYC FUND YOUR DOC panel, they discussed their experiences with crowdfunding, and gave tips and tricks […]

November 16, 2013

What is Cinema?: The Possibilities of Film

This post was written by DOC NYC blogger Katie Lewin Tuesday evening saw the DOC NYC screening of director Chuck Workman’s new film WHAT IS CINEMA? Workman has had a long career in the film industry, making documentaries about avant-garde filmmakers such as Andy Warhol and Jonas Mekas. But he has also worked in Hollywood, most […]

November 16, 2013

Toxic Hot Seat: Putting The Flames Out

This post was written by DOC NYC blogger Jess Gonzalez What doesn’t burn you just might kill you anyway. The documentary TOXIC HOT SEAT follows the complicated battle between concerned citizens and mega-corporations over the use of cancer-causing flame retardants in American furniture. Directed by James Redford and Kirby Walker, the film saw its theatrical […]

November 16, 2013

God Loves Uganda: Examining the Price of The Gospel

This post was written by DOC NYC blogger Jess Gonzalez There’s a God problem in Uganda, but whether the country suffers from a lack or an overabundance thereof depends on whom you ask. Director Roger Ross William’s GOD LOVES UGANDA seeks not to answer the question, but rather to explore both sides of the argument. […]

November 16, 2013

The Untold History of the United States: Challenging the Established Narrative

This post was written by DOC NYC blogger Maggie Glass If your memory of high school history class consists of dusty textbooks filled with stories of American triumphs, acclaimed director Oliver Stone has a remedy in the form of his recent television series THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES. On Monday night, audiences were […]