Documentaries

When can a disease be life-saving? The answer to that riddle forms the spine of the documentary Syndrome K, narrated by the late Ray Liotta and available across digital platforms on August 16. Directed by Stephen Edwards, the movie tells the fascinating story of a fictitious highly contagious illness concocted by three Roman Catholic doctors during World War II.

Filipina American Theresa Navarro, Vice President for External Affairs of American Documentary (AmDoc), a Hollywood Foreign Press Association grantee, grew up in a family which loved cinema. “My fondest childhood memories involve going to the drive-in theater with my family or sneaking Asian snacks into the matinee with my cousins,” Navarro recalled.

“Ever since I was 16, I was determined to have the greatest adventure any one person could have. ” Those words were spoken by David Bowie, one of the greatest artists of our time, and were a declaration he proved true, as shown in the groundbreaking documentary Moonage Daydream, by writer and director Brett Morgen, due for release worldwide on Imax in September.

Nonfiction films which trade in biography arguably have the ability to avoid a good number of the narrative pitfalls that frequently bedevil fictionalized biopics. They’re less frequently compromised by the active participation of their subjects, for starters.

“In this state, Black women represent 10 percent of the births but we’re 20 percent of the deaths. And Tulsa is one the worst places in the country to have a baby.

For many viewers, a big part of the appeal of documentary films lies in their dutiful service as cinematic passports, having the ability to take audiences anywhere and everywhere. One downside is that this sometimes lends itself, to a devaluation of the actual art of nonfiction filmmaking.

The title of the documentary film The Territory refers to a 7,000-square mile region in the Brazilian state of Rondônia. It is the sovereign land of the Uru-eu-wau-wau and other Indigenous groups.

“American Pie" by Don McLean was first released in 1971 and was an instant hit. One of the most successful and debated songs of all time, it is now the subject of an intriguing new documentary The Day the Music Died which delves into the origins of the song, why it remains so popular and what exactly do some of those cryptic lyrics mean.

The internet, and in particular social media, is regarded widely and not incorrectly as a machine for perpetual outrage. And yet sometimes that outrage is entirely justified, and worth indulging.

As a child, everything seemed impossible to Kyle Westphal – going to school, socializing with other kids, looking someone directly in the eye. Wrapping himself in a blanket comforted him as he felt safe in his world where he could be himself.