October 19, 2021

TRY HARDER!

NYC PREMIERE At Lowell High School, the top-ranked public high school in San Francisco, the cool kids are nerds, nearly everyone has an amazing talent, and the majority of the student body is Asian American. As they prepare their college applications, students vie for the few open spots in their dream colleges. With humor and […]

October 19, 2021

MR BACHMANN AND HIS CLASS

NYC PREMIERE Filmed over six months, Mr Bachmann and His Class takes us inside the classroom of a German primary school for immigrant students, led by an inspiring teacher. Filmmaker Maria Speth works in the tradition of Frederick Wiseman, using an immersive approach and expansive length to capture Bachmann’s progressive approach to teaching. “This is […]

October 7, 2020

SHORTS: SHE STORIES (2020)

Films from and about women.  (TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 86 MIN) Making the Case | Director: Jennifer Callahan Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, for whom legal arguments are daily currency, examines her handbags, revealing a corner of a mind that has argued and won historic cases.  (USA, 10 MIN) First Move | Director: Arielle Edelman A Washington Heights elementary […]

October 7, 2020

FIRST MOVE

WORLD PREMIERE | A Washington Heights elementary school chess team attends the country’s largest scholastic chess tournament in Nashville, Tennessee.   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 Arielle […]

October 5, 2020

THE DILEMMA OF DESIRE

In this timely and radical film about female desire, gender politics, and sexuality, director Maria Finitzo invites us to share intimate conversations with women on a mission to reverse a patriarchal legacy that excludes female empowerment through omissions and distortions. Sophia Wallace’s artwork on “cliteracy” acts as a powerful framing device as the film explores […]

October 5, 2020

SUMMERWAR (SOMMERKRIEG)

US PREMIERE  | Ukraine has been at war with Russia since 2014. In response, its ultranationalists have organized paramilitary summer camps to prepare children to one day take up arms to defend their homeland. This film follows two campers over a session as uber-patriotic teen Jasmin revels in the military-style maneuvers and gun training, while younger […]

October 5, 2020

SINCE I BEEN DOWN

Runner Up: Audience Award DOC NYC 2020 Kimonti Carter is serving life without parole in a Washington state prison based on a harsh 1990s three-strikes law, but rather than accept this condemnation, he has worked to transform inmates’ lives through education. His experience brilliantly elucidates the dehumanization and trauma that accompany incarceration, but also demonstrates […]

October 5, 2020

HARLEM RISING: A COMMUNITY CHANGING THE ODDS

The Harlem Children’s Zone Initiative has transformed the lives of several generations of children and led a revolutionary educational and social experiment to break the cycle of poverty and violence. This inspiring and timely film uses an extraordinary archive to document its history. From serving one block in the 1990s to ultimately reaching 97 blocks, […]

October 5, 2020

CHASING CHILDHOOD

WORLD PREMIERE | Overprotected and overdirected, American children are wilting under the weight of well-meaning parents. In the pursuit of keeping them safe and creating an impressive resumé of extracurricular activities to wow admissions boards, over-parenting smothers children across socioeconomic classes. This thoughtful film follows education professionals and reformed helicopter parents who seek and offer solutions […]

October 1, 2020

ON POINTE

WORLD PREMIERE | Ballet lovers of all ages won’t want to miss this sneak preview of the pilot episode of On Pointe. The six-part Disney+ docuseries captures a season in New York City at the School of American Ballet. We watch students ages 8 to 18 follow their dreams to launch careers. For many, that starts with […]