US PREMIERE Sometimes you come across a documentary whose the description you have to reread just to make sure it’s all real. Mads Brügger’s latest sounds latest sounds like a John le Carré novel—but this is a true story of a multinational geopolitical plot dotted with greed, impostors, drugs, and weapons. Filmed in secrecy for […]
WORLD PREMIERE Guo Chuan is the first Chinese man to embark on a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the world. But instead of completing his quest, he went missing. Filmmaker Zhao Qi weaves together Guo Chan’s go-pro footage and his wife’s grief into a tapestry of a man struggling to hold together the happiness of his […]
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE An intimate look at the lives of the Odoriko dancers that perform in the slowly disappearing variety theaters of Japan. Nude dancers of all ages share their life stories from the unseen side of the strip clubs, in a film that reveals much more than just flesh. With glimpses from both behind […]
WORLD PREMIERE Guanglin is a blind boy in China who displays great skill at the ancient board game called Go, in which two players place black and white pieces on a grid in an attempt to dominate their opponent. Raised by a single father with limited means, Guanglin faces deep societal prejudice against the blind. […]
NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE A year in the life of a tiny ramen noodle restaurant in a quiet corner of Tokyo, featuring its unassuming master chef-owners and the loyal patrons who adore them as much as their delicious, handcrafted creations. Accompanied by a charming jazz piano score, this is a mouthwatering love letter to mom-and-pop […]
WORLD PREMIERE Amid the opioid crisis in their small New Hampshire town, Lydia O’Leary and her family open their home to those recovering from addiction. As Lydia’s altruism grows, her children assess their unconventional home life while yearning for a normal adolescence. Emboldened by the camera, the children open up about hardships, including negotiating physical […]
US PREMIERE After losing their daughters (each named “Rain”) in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, two families set out to “replace” their children and rebuild their lives. Impressive in its scope and access to daily domestic life in China, award-winning documentarian Jian Fan’s film follows the families over ten years, giving a fly-on-the-wall view into the anguish, […]
WORLD PREMIERE In 2019, Nepalese mountain climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja set out to do the unthinkable by climbing the world’s fourteen highest summits in less than seven months. (The previous record was eight years). He called the effort “Project Possible 14/7” and saw it as a way to inspire others to strive for greater heights […]
2020 SHORT LIST SHORTS: SPECIAL JURY RECOGNITION FOR COURAGE UNDER FIRE In the fall of 2019, a proposed bill allowing the Chinese government to extradite criminal suspects to mainland China escalates protests throughout Hong Kong. Unfolding across a year, this film captures the determination and sacrifices of the protesters, the government’s backlash, and the passage […]
Filmmaker Carol Nguyen interviews her family to craft a portrait of love, grief, and intergenerational trauma. (Courtesy of Traveling Distribution) This film has English language closed captioning available. For more information about closed captions and accessibility at DOC NYC, please click here. Included with the screening ticket is an exclusive pre-recorded Q&A with Carol Nguyen (Director), […]