The Returned Gaze of the Past: Patricio Guzmán’s ‘The First Year’
Films like The First Year play a crucial role in how nations negotiate and re-negotiate their self-image, and its reemergence is yet another step forward for post-Pinochet Chile.
documentary
Ken Burns on the Heartbreak and Hope of ‘The American Buffalo’
Ken Burns talks about his forthcoming PBS documentary The American Buffalo, the near extinction of the majestic beasts, and their respectful return to their rightful homeland.
How Much Money Do You Need? Tell ‘Dear Mr. Brody’
Among many topics raised in Dear Mr. Brody, the story of a man who gave away his ill-gotten money for need, not greed, is how media and money blur our already imperfect perception of mental illness.
The Excellent ‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ Captures Just About Everything
Little Richard brought a sheer exhilaration that was sexual, spiritual, and joyous and put it to music like no other. Lisa Cortés excellent documentary does the man justice.
Director Ana Sofia Fonseca on Her Tribute to Cape Verdean Singer Cesária Évora
Singing the Cape Verde blues known as “morna”, the world-renowned Cesária Évora sang in local Creole to a slow tempo reflecting a melancholy state of mind. Her gentle, lulling timbre recounts some of the darkest moments of the volcanic island.
The Awe-Inspiring ‘Film: The Living Record of Our Memory’
Film: The Living Record of Our Memory provides an awe-inspiring, expedited survey of film preservation and the urgency of capturing humankind’s visual memories lest we let these precious histories disintegrate.
Director Roggio on Exposing the Bible’s False Narrative About Homosexuality
Director Sharon ‘Rocky’ Roggio discusses her documentary, 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture, and how the Bible has been weaponised against the LGBTQIA+ community.
Hitchcock Toys with Filmgoers in ‘My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock’
Filmmaker Mark Cousins’ My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock uses provoking ideas to encourage expanding our understanding of the works of this 20th-century giant of cinema.
Director Nicole Newnham on Women’s Sexuality and ‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite’
The Disappearance of Shere Hite director Nicole Newnham talks with PopMatters about capturing a nuanced portrait of a woman who spoke out about sexuality and reproductive rights amidst extreme opposition in America.
The Alchemy of the Velvet Underground’s Art
In The Velvet Underground documentary, Todd Haynes shows the music catapulting across time and space to Andy Warhol’s Factory, where the alchemy worked its magic.
Riveting ‘Retrograde’ Makes Warfare in Afghanistan Personal
Matthew Heineman’s dizzying documentary, Retrograde, sees the fall of Afghanistan through the eyes of one beleaguered Afghan general.
Embodying the Mexico-US Border with Virtual Reality and Other Imaginings
Iñárritu’s VR experience Carne y Arena, Vizcarra’s documentary La Línea, and Rivera’s sci-fi film Sleep Dealer create unconventional imaginings of the Mexico-US border.