An incisive documentary that chooses its perspective well and then uses it as a starting point for the greater story of Ingmar Bergman’s life. The year 1957 became his most decisive, a time when he was juggling several film and theater productions. The experience made Bergman find his voice as a filmmaker, emboldening him to … Continue reading Bergman: A Year in a Life
YOU’RE INVITED. Simple but funny and charming – a conversation featuring four outstanding actresses who have all been knighted for their services to drama and also share a decades-long friendship. Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Joan Plowright gather for our benefit at the country cottage the latter shared with her late husband Laurence … Continue reading Nothing Like a Dame
HERO. ICON. DISSENTER. A very likable and substantive documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, justice on the Supreme Court since 1993, who has increasingly become the target of right-wingers. Even if she’s in her 80s, we learn that she’s in excellent health, as diligent as ever, even having a little fun with her status as a feminist … Continue reading RBG
A documentary and a road movie that unites two different artistic talents – French New Wave icon Agnès Varda and the photographer JR who’s turned flyposting black-and-white photos into his trademark. There are many things that separate them, including age (JR is half a century younger than Varda) and style; they’re not always the best … Continue reading Faces Places
AN UNFORGETTABLE TOUR OF THE CULINARY WORLD. Making a documentary about Alain Ducasse, the French chef who has earned 21 Michelin stars, sounds like a perfect opportunity to delve into the life of an immensely successful person. Gilles de Maistre begins by explaining to his audience why this is a man who deserves to be … Continue reading The Quest of Alain Ducasse
NO FEAR. NO LIMITS. NO EQUAL. Asif Kapadia’s breakthrough as a documentary filmmaker is a critically lauded portrait of Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian racing driver who became one of the sport’s greatest, eventually dying in an accident while racing in 1994. After breaking through in the 1980s, he became famous for being fast (always in … Continue reading Senna
There are plenty of documentaries detailing the civil rights struggle for gay people, but this one finds a new angle by depicting something that only remains a dream in most countries – the world’s first city-sponsored community for gay seniors, The Rainbow, which opened in Stockholm in 2013. The director (with her wife serving as … Continue reading Living. Loving
British fashion designer Alexander McQueen’s appearance didn’t really live up to one’s expectations – he came across more like your average bloke who’d spend most nights in a dark pub nursing a pint. But the working-class background brought something fresh to his style and he quickly became known as fashion’s ”bad boy”. All of a … Continue reading McQueen
In the past, director Kevin Macdonald has chronicled major artists like Mick Jagger and Bob Marley. His documentary about the life of Whitney Houston gained attention at the Cannes festival this year, and no wonder. It’s a powerful film and it did present some news – Whitney’s brother Gary and her longtime assistant Mary Jones … Continue reading Whitney: Family = Enemy
IF YOU WERE THROWN INTO A LIFE OF SUCCESS, WHAT WOULD YOU DO WHEN IT ALL COMES CRASHING DOWN? Released one year before the tragic death of 28-year-old Tim ”Avicii” Bergling, the Swedish DJ who had become a global phenomenon, this documentary feels prophetic now, to say the least. Telling the story of how Avicii … Continue reading Avicii: True Stories
In the 1970s, the American writer James Baldwin gathered notes and letters for a manuscript called ”Remember This House”, but it was never finished. This documentary was based on it, with Samuel L. Jackson reading the notes as the voice of Baldwin. He’s a hypnotic presence throughout. If you’re not familiar with Baldwin this is … Continue reading I Am Not Your Negro
THE CLOCK IS TICKING. The director, who’s made several documentaries about America’s role in the world, got access to President Barack Obama and his foreign-policy team during the administration’s last year. We follow Obama himself, Secretary of State John Kerry, U.N. ambassador Samantha Power, Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes and others as they deal … Continue reading The Final Year
FOR 1 IN 5 WOMEN, THEIR DREAM SCHOOL WILL BECOME A NIGHTMARE. The director followed up two other documentaries about sexual abuse, Twist of Faith (2005) and The Invisible War (2012), with a closer look at American universities and colleges, showing how hard it is for them to stop rape on campus. We meet several … Continue reading The Hunting Ground
