New Documentary: “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am”
Senior Film Critic Kurt Brokaw reviews the insightful documentary Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am, a chronicle of the author’s life and work told mainly from her perspective in eye-to-eye interviews.
Features
Tribeca 2019 Features & Docs Films: Critic’s Choice
Senior Film Critic Kurt Brokaw reviews his picks for feature and documentary films from the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival—Gay Chorus Deep South directed by David Charles Rodriques; The Apollo directed by Roger Ross Williams; Georgetown directed by C.Waltz; and Other Music directed by Puloma Basu.
New Directors/New Films 2019 (March 27-April 7)
The 48th annual edition of ND/NF, curated by The Film Society of Lincoln Center and Manhattan’s Museum of Modern Art, spotlights 35 features and shorts from promising directors worldwide. Senior film critic Kurt Brokaw examines five dramas and documentaries, including Chinonye Chukwa’s Opening Night prison drama, Clemency, premiering in New York just 13 days after California’s governor granted temporary reprieves to over 700 inmates on the state’s death row.
Going for The Jugular: Actor/Writer/Director Camille Hollett-French
Ever doubt your sanity after selling your condo and moving halfway across the country? Meet Camille Hollett-French, writer, director, and actor of Her Story (In Three Parts): No. 3 In the Absence of Angels. Despite doubts and financial obstacles, her efforts were awarded when was selected to screen at the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival, the Park City film festival focused on emerging artists and low-budget independent films. In this piece, Courtney Gardner writes from a conversation with Hollett-French about the use of film to discuss sexuality and shame, and about what it means to go for the jugular.
Rendez-Vous With French Cinema — Feb.28-March 10
Rendez-Vous With French Cinema unreels in Lincoln Center February 28-March 10. The 24th annual edition, co-sponsored by The Film Society of Lincoln Center and UniFrance, presents nearly two dozen new French dramas, most having their US or New York premieres. Senior film critic Kurt Brokaw viewed everything available and selects Invisibles (above), Paul Sanchez Is Back!, and Raising Colors as favorites. Read those reviews here.
SUNDANCE 2019: Robert Machoian Graham
Filmmaker Robert Machoian recruited his father Bruce Graham and this three sons Arri, Ezra, and Jonah to create the short film The Minors. The Writer/Director/Producer spoke with Neil Kendricks about the end result: the film not only gave Machoian’s family an opportunity to combine quality time with creating cinematic art, but The Minors premiered at Sundance winning a Short Film Jury Award for directing. Not bad for a family with artistic aspirations finding an audience on the film-festival circuit.
Sundance 2019: Writer/Director Soudade Kaadan
Filmmaker Soudade Kaadan lends her darkly comic voice to humanity under siege in the short film Aziza, winner of the Short Film Grand Jury Prize at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. In this interview, Neil Kendricks speaks with the filmmaker about how she transformed her experience as a Syrian exile into this award-winning short.
Meet the Director: Alice Waddington
Courtney Gardner, who attended this year’s Sundance Film Festival (January 23—February 3) shares insights abut Paradise Hills, the feature debut of 28-year-old, Spanish director Alice Waddington. Bringing her love of science fiction and fantasy to the screen, Alice tells a story of women traditionally underrepresented in film. Alice spoke with Courtney about the identities she holds close, the barriers she sees and has faced in the film industry, and of the symbolism in Paradise Hills
A Tribute to Jonas Mekas (1922-2019)
Immigrant artisan, insatiable curator, preservationist, fearless exhibitor who got the world to understand that raw and unruly “underground” cinema could be classic independent moviemaking —Jonas Mekas did it all, passing away January 23 at age 96. Senior film critic Kurt Brokaw salutes the life and work of the pioneer who built Anthology Film Archives in lower Manhattan, proudly calling himself a filmer and not a filmmaker.