WORLD PREMIERE Bertolt Brecht asked whether there would be singing in the dark times. In the throes of war, the United Ukrainian Ballet Company defiantly insists there will be dancing, too. Far from the land they call home, young dancers take quiet comfort from art. For a while, their work feels like the old days, […]
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Drug-stricken Gottsunda is an underprivileged suburb of the city of Uppsala, Sweden, which has turned into a ghetto for immigrant families. In this first-person essay film that alternates observational scenes with experimental interludes shot in Super8, director Loran Batti crafts 21 elegant, self-reflexive scenes about his memories, his background, his encounters with […]
US PREMIERE To generations of Iranians, she is a legend – culturally on par with icons such as Barbra Streisand or Catherine Deneuve. The magnetic singer and actress Googoosh rose to fame during the 1960s and ?70s, but her career ended with the Iranian Revolution, when she was placed under house arrest. Now living in […]
NYC PREMIERE Groundbreaking trans soul singer Jackie Shane was on the cusp of stardom when she turned away from the music industry and the world. After her death, family members who never knew their pioneering aunt, piece together her remarkable life, uncovering her personal struggles, immense talent, and unmistakable voice. Through never before heard audio […]
WORLD PREMIERE This insightful documentary delves into the life and work of Art Spiegelman, the Queens-raised artist who revolutionized comics by exploring dark, complex themes. Shaped by his Holocaust-survivor parents and inspired by MAD magazine’s irreverent satire, Spiegelman’s most famous work, MAUS, is a poignant Holocaust narrative that redefined the medium. The film showcases his […]
US PREMIERE This jaw-dropping celebration of Brazilian baloeiros – secret groups of men who craft and launch elaborate hot-air balloons – is a first-rate big-screen experience. The immensely talented filmmaker Sissel Morrell Dargis spent years winning the trust of the outlawed subculture to create an epic portrayal of free-spirited artistry. Beyond the spectacle of ever-more […]
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE When we read profiles of courage in newspapers, we probably don’t read of Natalia Zubkova. A citizen journalist and mother, Zubkova is an army of one who first exposes and then fights the rampant corruption of the Russian government and its coal mafia, despite surveillance, harassment, and threats. In this investigative thriller, […]
NYC PREMIERE Debra Granik’s forthcoming limited series Conbody vs Everybody is at once a story of the school-of-tough-knocks education of a charismatic ex-con, Coss Marte, as he tries to rebuild his life, and a portrait of the teeming life and energy of New York City’s Lower East Side, captured with the authenticity of atmosphere that […]
NYC PREMIERE Fueled by the disillusionment of Kent State and Vietnam War, the ?70s music sensation Devo channeled its “organized absurdity” into an entertaining satire of modern society. Rising to fame during the Reagan era, the counterculture quintet became iconic with their hit “Whip It,” cutting-edge MTV videos, and outlandish headwear. Told through the voices of […]
NYC PREMIERE As an awkward, bullied yet rebellious kid, Diane Warren found refuge in music and went on to become one of the most prolific and successful songwriters in America, as legendary for her eccentric personality as for her exceptional talent. A laundry list of America’s top singers, and Diane herself, recount the joys and […]