Documentaries

Documentaries have, for the most part, replaced ethical journalism. If you read this as a journalist and you are offended, think about this: how often these days are we able to read the real story amidst the headline-grabbing sensationalism, opinionated punditry, and time-restricted blurbs instead of facts researched patiently and well that has replaced straightforward information? Documentary filmmakers have the luxury of time, something that has long been lost in the fast news cycles that cater to and cause attention deficit disorder.

Cinema can, especially with the use of cutting-edge special effects, indulge the wildest elements of human imagination, not merely taking audiences to exotic places, but creating odd characters and entire new worlds. And yet, as the saying goes, truth is always stranger than fiction.

A House Made of Splinters is a documentary film about a shelter for neglected children in Ukraine, who are affected by the unrest in their country. The film premiered at Sundance, where Simon Lereng Wilmont won the Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary.

Panelists Amy Poehler and Eva Longoria Baston are part of the Sundance Film Festival’s Cinema Cafe series speaking about their documentaries: Lucy and Desi, and La Guerra Civil, respectively.   Via Zoom from Paris, Longoria Baston declares, “This is my first time here as a director with a film!” Poehler is also enjoying her Sundance debut as a director.

Nine-time Golden Globe nominee and three-time winner, the late legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone is the subject of a documentary directed by Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso) simply entitled Ennio. The film tells of the life and art of one of the greatest film composers of all time, bringing his genius and endearing personality to the audience, spotlighting his humanity and his fascination with the mystery of music.

The Sundance Film Festival has, for many years, exhibited a dedicated environmental streak, both in its staging and its programming. From high-profile fare like An Inconvenient Truth (which used its 2006 non-competition premiere as a springboard to two eventual Oscar victories) and The Cove (U.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to spend your entire career studying volcanoes, chasing lava and dodging geysers of fire? In Fire of Love, we get to see exactly that. The 90-minute documentary, that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, tells the story of Katie and Maurice Krafft, married scientists who captured the most incredible video footage of their shared obsession: volcanoes.

Algorithms, censorship, shadow banning, geopolitics, racism, and cybersecurity. There’s a lot to unpack in Shalini Kantayya’s new documentary TikTok, Boom.

All of us, regardless of age, country of origin, or any number of other characteristics, have had at least one moment in our lives when the simplest expression sang, and in accompaniment with some combination of piano, guitar, bass, or another instrument, landed like an emotional atom bomb, splitting our heart in two. Music, just like cinema, and probably even more so, has the ability to transcend cultures and the borders of nations.

Midwives, shot by first-time feature documentary director Snow Hnin Ei Hlaing, centers on two midwives, Nyo Nyo and Hla. The women live in a remote region of Myanmar – an overwhelmingly Buddhist country that’s being accused of ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority community.