DOC NYC: Films About Art

Included in DOC NYC’s lineup this year are a number of films on the subject of art and artists.

THE LOST BIRD PROJECT This film is a documentary about the stories of five birds driven to extinction in modern times and sculptor Todd McGrain’s project to memorialize them. THE LOST BIRD PROJECT follows the road-trip that McGrain and his brother-in-law, Andy, take as they search for the locations where the species were last seen in the wild and negotiate for permission to install McGrain’s large bronze sculptures there. The film is an elegy to the five birds and a thoughtful and sometimes humorous look at the artist and his mission.

Expected to Attend: Deborah, Dickson, Todd McGrain

PERSISTENCE OF VISION Striving to make the greatest animated film of all time, visionary animator Richard Williams of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT toiled for more than a quarter century on his masterpiece, only to have it torn from his hands. Filmmaker Kevin Schreck has woven together beautiful animation, rare archival footage, and exclusive interviews with key animators and artists who worked with Williams on his ill-fated magnum opus to bring this legendary story to the screen. A tale of creative genius gone horribly awry.

Expected to Attend: Kevin Schreck

AI WEI WEI: NEVER SORRY Since he was named Runner-Up for TIME Magazine’s 2011 Person of the Year, more people are starting to wonder: who is Ai Weiwei? Director Alison Klayman follows the Chinese artist/activist over three years as he pursues massive art projects around the world and champions free speech in face of intimidation in his home country. He shot to prominence in spring 2011 when Chinese authorities jailed him for two months. Klayman supplies an invaluable portrait of the man behind the headlines. Courtesy of Sundance Selects.

Expected to Attend: Alison Klayman

FAR OUT ISN’T ENOUGH: THE TOMI UNGERER STORY US PREMIERE Tomi Ungerer rose to prominence in the late 1950s as the creator of acclaimed children’s books—”I dare say, no one was as original,” Maurice Sendak once ventured. Ungerer’s creativity also encompassed iconic 60s protest posters and lavish books of erotica; but when his work was banned, he risked fading into obscurity. This film performs a laudable act of rediscovery by capturing his incredible personality on camera and bringing his artwork to life through enchanting animated sequences.

Expected to Attend: Brad Bernstein