Described as “the father of African cinema,” Ousmane Sembène receives a mostly conventional biodocumentary in Sembene!, but it is enlivened by biographer Samba Gadjigo’s personal perspectives and an impressive array of contextual footage, personal photographs, rare archival footage, interviews with intimates, and clips of Sembène’s films that are only now being preserved. Sembène had much […]
World premiering at the New York Film Festival, Don’t Blink – Robert Frank, the documentary of the life and work of artist Robert Frank, starts off with a wallop of energy. You are transported to the heyday of New York City subversive culture as edgy but upbeat punk rock fills your ears while images of […]
Written and Directed by Arne Birkenstock Produced by Birkenstock, Helmut G. Weber, Thomas Springer & Edward MacLiam Released by KimStim German with English subtitles Germany. 93 min. Not rated Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery is more straightforward than earlier explorations of skullduggery in the art market, from Harry Moses’s Who the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? […]
Produced and Directed by Les Blank and Gina Leibrecht Released by Kino Lorber USA. 65 min. Not Rated With Happy Mother’s Day (1963), directed by Richard Leacock and Joyce Chopra (26 min.) In a bit more than an hour, How to Smell a Rose: A Visit with Ricky Leacock in Normandy provides a leisurely, insightful […]
Directed by Johannes Holzhausen Produced by Johannes Rosenberger Released by Kino Lorber German with English subtitles Austria. 95 min. Not rated America and Europe approach the past differently, and each can defy common sense in ways that make sensible people want to rip their hair out. European culture can overprotect tradition like a helicopter mom, […]
Directed by Wim Wenders & Juliano Ribeiro Salgado Screenplay by Wenders, Salgado and David Rosier Released by Sony Pictures Classics English, French, and Portuguese with English subtitles France/Brazil/Italy. 109 min. Rated PG-13 At times while watching photographer Sebastião Salgado in Wim Wenders’ latest documentary (in collaboration with the subject’s son, Juliano), you wonder how Salgado […]
Directed by Ethan Hawke Produced by Ryan Hawke, Greg Loser and Heather Joan Smith Released by Sundance Selects USA. 81 min. Not rated. Rated PG Proving that not all music teachers are of the terrifyingly mean J.K. Simmons variety, this moving, intimate documentary portrait tells of the life and passion of Manhattan concert pianist Seymour […]
Directed by Greg Vander Veer Released by First Run Features USA. 80 min. Not rated It may be true that behind every great artist, there’s a great arts administrator. When it comes to modern dance, one woman stood behind countless greats of the 20th century, and this documentary gives her due credit. Martha Hill was […]
Edited and Directed by Frederick Wiseman Produced by Wiseman and Pierre-Olivier Bardet Released by Zipporah Films France/USA/UK. 173 min. Not rated Award-winning filmmaker Frederick Wiseman establishes a very clear premise for National Gallery within the first few minutes. Reminiscent of the slide presentations used in art history classes, he opens with a silent parade of […]