Documentary
The Housemaid
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The Housemaid

2009
Placing her camera in the home of an elderly German couple, director Anna Hoffmann captures the palpable friction between three tangled lives: Lore, who's confined to a wheelchair; Max, her effectively mute husband; and Martina, their Slovakian maid. Frustrated, homesick and alienated by a daunting language barrier, the uprooted Martina desperately wants to go home, but her family needs the income.

Directed by:

  • Anna Hoffmann
    • rating:2.5.png 2.5 Average Rating


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    Hillbrow Kids
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    Hillbrow Kids

    1999
    On the lonely streets of the Hillbrow district in Johannesburg, South Africa, homeless black teens ask white passersby for change, in hopes that their earnings will stave off hunger and help end their waking nightmares. In this gritty documentary framed by the narrative of a fictitious storyteller (Regina Ndlovu), German filmmakers Michael Hammon and Jacqueline Gorgen capture the lives of these impoverished young people with unflinching honesty.

    Directed by:

  • Jacqueline Gorgen
    • rating:2.5.png 2.5 Average Rating


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    Alma
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    Alma

    1997
    Filmmaker Ruth Leitman offers an unflinching and at times unexpectedly droll look at a deeply troubled Southern family and how its abuses, traumas and addictions are mediated by a regional culture rich in biblical and moral overtones. Margie Thorpe inherits an extraordinary legacy of violence endured by her mother, Alma, and also carries with her the emotional scars inflicted by an alcoholic and abusive father.

    Directed by:

  • Ruth Leitman
    • rating:2.5.png 2.5 Average Rating


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    Butterflies
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    Butterflies

    2009
    Filmmaker Ester Brymova examines how the offbeat content created and posted online by Lisanova, Boh3m3, Mr. Safety (aka Lisa Donovan, Ben Going and Cory Williams) and other popular YouTube personalities is changing the face of 21st-century media. In this documentary, these young artists are questioned as flashes in the pan as the "Weblebrities" of the moment or as the vanguard of a paradigm shift in global information distribution.

    Directed by:

  • Ester Brymova
    • rating:2.5.png 2.5 Average Rating


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    Beirut: The Last Home Movie
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    Beirut: The Last Home Movie

    1987
    Winner of several awards on the film festival circuit -- including Best Documentary and Best Cinematography at the Sundance Film Festival -- this gripping film details three months in the life of a Lebanese family inhabiting a heavily bombed Beirut neighborhood. Director Jennifer Fox creates a fascinating portrait of people living through the chaos of war as she explores the complexity of personal and political relationships under stress.

    Directed by:

  • Jennifer Fox
    • rating:2.5.png 2.5 Average Rating


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    Agile, Mobile, Hostile: A Year with Andre Williams
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    Agile, Mobile, Hostile: A Year with Andre Williams

    2008
    This candid and engaging documentary chronicles the tumultuous life of 72-year-old blues artist Andre Williams, addressing as its dominant theme the gap between his great musical success and heartbreaking personal desperation. Followed here in 2006 and 2007, Williams once recorded multiple hit tunes and performed with great R&B stars like Stevie Wonder and Ike Turner. But he also suffered through drug addiction, homelessness and legal troubles.

    Directed by:

  • Tricia Todd
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    Bump! Western America
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    Bump! Western America

    2008
    Join hosts Charlie David and Shannon McDonough as they lead viewers on an exciting exploration of Western America and help gay tourists locate the region's best gay- and lesbian-friendly destinations. Highlights include Charlie's introduction to Telluride, Colo., during the fifth annual Gay Ski Week, Shannon's meet-up with Denver's unofficial gay mayor and a rejuvenating journey to a luxurious health spa in Santa Fe, N.M.

    Directed by:

  • Rowan Nielson
  • Michelle Mama
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    Desperate Generation
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    Desperate Generation

    2006
    The rockabilly revival that rocked Southern California in the 1990s is lovingly chronicled in this fascinating documentary filled with vintage hot rods, greasers, tattoos and twang-heavy music. Images of this striking subculture are accompanied by music from artists such as James Intveld, Big Sandy and the Dynotones. Made by 19-year-old film student Emily Dutton, this gritty portrait became an underground hit.

    Directed by:

  • Emily Dutton
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    Act of God
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    Act of God

    2009
    Acclaimed filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes) directs this documentary that delves into the lives of several people who have been struck by lightning and explores the lasting metaphysical effects a strike can have on a human being. Drawing on the experiences of individuals from all around the globe, the subjects of Baichwal's captivating film include a improvisational guitarist and a prolific author.

    Directed by:

  • Jennifer Baichwal
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    Out of the Poison Tree
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    Out of the Poison Tree

    2007
    On the eve of the long-awaited Khmer Rouge trial, an American survivor of the genocide returns to Cambodia hoping to unlock the mystery of her father's disappearance in 1975. Thida Buth Mam's pursuit of the truth dredges up one family's nightmare, brings to light inconceivable heartache and ultimately shatters a people's long silence. Beth Pielert directs this poignant documentary.

    Directed by:

  • Beth Pielert
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    Children of Fate: Life and Death in a Sicilian Family
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    Children of Fate: Life and Death in a Sicilian Family

    1993
    This gritty documentary details the three-decade struggle of Angela Capra, a mother living in the Cortile Cascino slum of Palermo, Italy. Struggling to raise her children after leaving her husband, Angela faces violence and poverty, but her faith and spirited outlook on life keep her family going. Children of Fate garnered a Best Documentary Oscar nomination and won the Cinematography Award and Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

    Directed by:

  • Michael Roemer
  • Andrew Young
  • Robert M. Young
  • Susan Todd
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    On a Roll
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    On a Roll

    2004
    Offering an unblinking look at what it's like to be "different" in America, this PBS documentary follows the trials of 65-pound Greg Smith, a tireless advocate who speaks out from his wheelchair on behalf of those with disabilities. Some of the film's most eye-opening moments occur when Smith struggles to accomplish tasks that most people take for granted, including his attempts at mobility in a largely inaccessible world.

    Directed by:

  • Joanne Caputo
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    I Can Tell the World
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    I Can Tell the World

    2009
    The spiritual -- the wellspring of such genres as jazz, blues and hip-hop -- is celebrated in this uplifting documentary that follows the interracial Spirituals Project Choir as it seeks to breathe new life into the original American form of music. Members of the group delve into the history and meaning of works such as "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Go Down, Moses," while performance clips attest to the songs' contemporary relevance.

    Directed by:

  • Larry Bograd
  • Coleen Hubbard
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    Ice People
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    Ice People

    2008
    In the brutal region of Antarctica, researchers leave behind the comforts of their former lives in the name of science, pouring their ceaseless energy into their work and, in the process, forging new understandings about climate change. Emmy-winning filmmaker Anne Aghion spent four months in the icy locale to make this exhilarating documentary, painting dual portraits of gritty human determination and eye-popping natural splendor.

    Directed by:

  • Anne Aghion
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    Small Steps: Creating the High School for the Contemporary Arts
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    Small Steps: Creating the High School for the Contemporary Arts

    2007
    Two talented teens navigate life in an experimental arts-themed high school located in one of the most notorious neighborhoods in the Bronx in this emotional and absorbing documentary from acclaimed filmmakers Barbara Kopple and David Becker. Spending a year with students and faculty at the new school, the filmmakers construct a meticulous portrait of institutional change within a bureaucratic educational system.

    Directed by:

  • David Becker
  • Barbara Kopple
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    Stealing America: Vote by Vote
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    Stealing America: Vote by Vote

    2008
    As memories of 2000 and 2004 grow dimmer, this documentary reminds viewers of the controversy surrounding the elections of George W. Bush. Filmmaker Dorothy Fadiman uses film clips and interviews to make the strong case that Bush won neither contest. Voters, election officials and politicos discuss their efforts to expose the truth, while media footage -- including some spot-on calls from Comedy Central -- recalls the events at the time.

    Directed by:

  • Dorothy Fadiman
    • rating:2.4.png 2.4 Average Rating


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    Now and Then
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    Now and Then

    1995
    Waxing nostalgic about the bittersweet passage from childhood to puberty in this tender coming-of-age tale, four childhood girlfriends -- Teeny, Chrissy, Samantha and Roberta -- recall the magical summer of 1970. During their walk down memory lane, they reconcile experiences with boys, secrets, bullies and more. Lesli Linka Glatter directs; Gaby Hoffmann, Ashleigh Aston Moore, Cloris Leachman, Thora Birch and Christina Ricci co-star.

    Directed by:

  • Lesli Linka Glatter
    • rating:3.8.png 3.8 Average Rating


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    Now and Then (1995)
    A heartwarming movie about four childhood girlfriends who, in adulthood reunion, relive their experience of the life-changing summer of 1970, including a mystery death, divorce, standing up to the boys, first kiss, and the meaning of true friendship. Each explores her unique identity amidst family and friends. Beautifully directed by Lesli Linka Glatter.
    - Frances   
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