October 15, 2024
by Carla Hay
DOC NYC, which was co-founded by Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen, also has special events in addition to screenings. Even though most of the movies at DOC NYC have had their world premieres elsewhere, DOC NYC has several world premieres of its own. A complete program can be found here.
DOC NYC 2024 WORLD PREMIERE FEATURE FILMS
All descriptions are courtesy of DOC NYC.
“After the Rain: Putin’s Stolen Children Come Home”
Directed by Sarah McCarthy
With the help of golden retrievers and palomino horses at an animal therapy retreat, a group of Ukrainian children who had been abducted by the Russian army and rescued by their family members get a chance to heal. Deep in a forest by the Baltic Sea, the families portrayed in this tender and poetic film overcome their traumatic experiences. A timely cinematic reminder of what love and nature can do for the soul in a time of war.
“All God’s Children”
Directed by Ondi Timoner
Concerned about escalating tensions between Jewish and Black Brooklynites, the spiritual leaders of Congregation Beth Elohim in Park Slope and Antioch Baptist Church in Bed-Stuy embark on a radical experiment to bring the change they hope to see in their communities. The rabbi and the pastor lead delegations to their places of worship to learn from each other, but soon tensions emerge, testing their dreams of unity. Tackling their complex histories head on, these two New York City devotional institutions find communal traction, fighting side by side for justice and compassion.
“Anxiety Club”
Directed by Wendy Lobel
Emmy-winning producer Wendy Lobel makes her feature debut with this side-splitting, piercingly perceptive look at anxiety through a group of contemporary comedians who channel their experiences into their acts…and their everyday lives. Part therapy, part behind-the-scenes take on stand-up acts, and all-brilliant, Lobel’s revelatory film is a rarity.
“Art Spiegelman: Disaster Is My Muse”
Directed by Molly Bernstein and Philip Dolin
This insightful documentary delves into the life and work of Art Spiegelman, the Queens-raised artist who revolutionized comics by exploring dark, complex themes. Shaped by his Holocaust-survivor parents and inspired by MAD magazine’s irreverent satire, Spiegelman’s most famous work, MAUS, is a poignant Holocaust narrative that redefined the medium. The film showcases his resistance to fascism, from Nazis to Trump, and features rich illustrations from his comics, highlighting his significant impact as an artist and cultural critic.
“Death & Taxes”
Directed by Justin Schein
A renowned and successful record company CEO, known for his brilliance—and his combativeness, Harvey Schein lived a rags-to-riches story that embodied the American Dream. But over time he also became obsessed with how to pass on his wealth to his heirs while avoiding taxes. Director Justin Schein turns the camera on his father as a case study in America’s long and problematic history of tax benefits for the wealthy. This timely film deftly interweaves complex family dynamics with American economic policy, illustrating how the rich stay rich and what it costs our country to keep them that way.
“Facing the Wind”
Directed by Deirdre Fishel
Linda and Carla each care for their beloved spouses who are living with Lewy body dementia. Eager to learn and share information with others, Linda starts a podcast with Curry, who has the disease, and a community of support groups begins to grow. Linda and Jim decide to go on an epic road trip, and Carla quits her job to devote her time to Patrick. As life becomes overwhelming, their online support group is a lifeline. Intimate, raw, and full of life, this moving portrait gracefully explores the stark realities of caregiving.
“Front Row”
Directed by Miriam Guttmann
Bertolt Brecht asked whether there would be singing in the dark times. In the throes of war, the United Ukrainian Ballet Company defiantly insists there will be dancing, too. Far from the land they call home, young dancers take quiet comfort from art. For a while, their work feels like the old days, except there is a new troupe member: a soldier learning to dance with prosthetic legs.
“Gallagher”
Directed by Josh Forbes
With his witty wordplay and wacky props, Leo Gallagher became one of the biggest comedy acts of the 1980s. The comedian’s most famous bit: smashing a watermelon with a giant mallet to the messy delight of audiences. His signature act was a gift and a curse, shooting him to superstardom while breeding both dismissive detractors and imitators, including his own brother. As tastes change, the aging Gallagher seeks the respect he deserves as an innovator in the art of stand-up comedy.
“Harley Flanagan: Wired for Weirdness”
Directed by Rex Miller
From his harsh childhood in the burnt-out Lower East Side, musician Harley Flanagan burst onto the punk music scene at age 11 as drummer for his aunt’s band, the Stimulators. The founder of the Cro-Mags tells his inconceivable story, with interviews with hard rockers and icons like Flea, Ice-T, Henry Rollins, Michael Imperioli, and surprising guests. Featuring gritty footage of NYC’s downtown 1970s and ’80s music scene, this passionate film showcases Harley’s against-the-odds transformation from chaos to peace, driven by music, family, and personal growth.
“Isla Familia”
Directed by Abraham Jimenez Enoa and Claudia Calviño
Co-director and protagonist Abraham Jiménez, one of the most important voices of Cuban independent journalism, is expecting a baby with his wife, producer/co-director Claudia Calviño. As they become more and more exhausted and depressed from the constant harassment of the Cuban government, the young family embarks on a journey off the island and become political exiles in Spain. A heartfelt, intimate look at daily life in Cuba and the measures taken by one family to protect their freedom.
“Janis Ian: Breaking Silence”
Directed by Varda Bar-Kar
Janis Ian had one of the most remarkable debuts in modern music history. At the age of 13, she began performing her original songs at New York City gigs alongside future legends. From there, the precocious teenager turned fearless singer-songwriter built a career with many chapters–winning Grammys while navigating personal and professional highs and lows–in a remarkable trajectory now entering its fifth decade. Ian’s emotionally transporting songbook and turbulent life story make compelling echoes for the generation of American women who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s, discovering and voicing their power.
“Looking for Simone”
Directed by Nathalie Masduraud and Valérie Urréa
In 1949, philosopher and novelist Simone de Beauvoir wrote the groundbreaking The Second Sex, launching a disruptive discourse on women’s oppression and second-class citizenship. This film dissects the origins and relevance of this bible of feminism, charting de Beauvoir’s fact-finding journey across the US to research her book. The timely and fascinating film honors de Beauvoir’s brilliance and limitations, connecting her revolutionary ideas to the pressing issues women face today.
“Man From Pretentia”
Directed by Chih Hsuan Liang
This documentary paints a portrait of Paul Bridgewater, a quirky, charming, gay NYC art dealer who hitchhiked to Manhattan at 18, eventually becoming a beloved figure in the art world. As Paul preps gallery shows and cooks gourmet meals in his tiny East Village apartment, his passion for art shines. While his impeccable eye for discovering artistic talent shaped careers, his disregard for money ultimately would prove ruinous. A warm, nostalgic tribute to an eccentric art lover.
“Mothers of Chibok”
Directed by Joel ‘Kachi Benson
A community of mothers in a Nigerian village struggle to persevere while grieving for their daughters, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram. Intertwining the stories of multiple families, the filmmakers show how life continues in the wake of unspeakable horror. At once cinematically gripping and emotionally stirring, this story of endurance shows the ongoing personal ramifications of an event long forgotten by the news media.
“Out of Plain Sight”
Directed by Daniel Straub and Rosanna Xia
What if you lived in a coastal city never knowing that the ocean hid a deadly poison? That’s exactly what LA residents did for decades, until a scientist alerted LA Times journalist Rosanna Xia to a problem ignored by officials for years. They discover that as many as half a million barrels of DDT waste had been dumped into the ocean, and are finally able to connect the dots between sick sea lions, a poisoned ecosystem, and the legacy of health issues in all who’ve been exposed.
“The People’s Way”
Directed by Ashley Tyner and William Tyner
After the Black Lives Matter movement sees an international tipping point in the summer of 2020, three young Minneapolis community leaders intersect in their local activism to preserve the legacy of George Floyd, fight systemic injustice, and strive for meaningful change. Jeanelle and her team of caretakers work to transform offerings from the recent uprising into artifacts for the Black historical archive; Robin works to replace the police with a new approach to community safety; and Toshira focuses on demanding justice and accountability for lives stolen by policing. These committed women find they must dig deep to disrupt complacency and reconcile nuanced contradictions within their own communities.
“Plunderer”
Directed by Hugo Macgregor
“It’s not every day that you meet an old Nazi.” So begins American historian Jonathan Petropoulos, recalling the day in 1998 when he met Bruno Lohse, who was Hermann Göring’s art agent in Paris during World War II. In this riveting account, Petropoulos details Lohse’s role in stealing countless masterpieces from prominent French and Dutch families, while evading meaningful punishment, and continuing to deal art profitably for most of the rest of his life. This explosively compelling tale calls the international art market to task for its continuing lack of regulation.
“The Sing Sing Chronicles”
Directed by Dawn Porter
Just north of New York City, Sing Sing Correctional Facility is one of the country’s most notorious prisons. Veteran crime reporter Dan Slepian forges a bond with Jon-Adrian Velazquez, a man serving a 25-to-life sentence in the facility, that leads him on a two-decade-long journey for justice. Directed by Dawn Porter, this multi-part exposé featuring original investigative reporting and thorough research into over 1,000 hours of archival footage, chronicles the two men’s steadfast perseverance against a tragic failure of the American carceral system. Episodes 2 and 4 of the 4-part series will be screened.
“Slumlord Millionaire”
Directed by Steph Ching and Ellen Martinez
This documentary exposes housing injustice in NYC, following the David-and-Goliath battles between ordinary renters and powerful developers. Through stories from neighborhoods across the boroughs, the film reveals the harsh realities of unsafe housing, unethical landlords, and an overwhelmed housing court system. It also uncovers a troubling pattern of desirably located properties being seized for luxury developments in low-income neighborhoods, often with the system’s complicity. Slumlord Millionaire is both empowering and sobering, highlighting grassroots activism in the fight against relentless gentrification.
“Southpaw: The Life and Legacy of Jim Abbott”
Directed by Mike Farrell
Yankee Stadium has seen a plethora of legends over the franchise’s storied history, but few have left a legacy as unique as Jim Abbott’s. On September 4, 1993, the pitcher, who was born without a right hand, threw a no-hitter in front of the Yankee faithful. This astonishing achievement is merely one in a lifetime of perseverance, as Abbott continues to advocate for people with disabilities.
“Spacewoman”
Directed by Hannah Berryman
Astronaut Eileen Collins is the first woman to pilot and command the space shuttle. From her small town beginnings, she went on to smash many glass ceilings at NASA in her career, culminating in four dramatic and dangerous space shuttle missions. Through sensational archival materials and intimate interviews, Hannah Berryman’s nail-biting film considers the emotional drama Eileen’s family experienced, and a philosophical question about what level of risk is acceptable in human endeavor.
“Thom Browne: The Man Who Tailored Dreams”
Directed by Reiner Holzemer
In the world of superstar fashion designers, Thom Browne stands apart with his theatrical runway shows, dramatic ready-to-wear creations, and eye-popping originality. From his headquarters in New York City’s Fashion District, Browne recounts his early breaks in the fashion world, how his work garnered support from celebrity fans such as Michelle Obama, Billie Eilish, Zendaya, Lebron James and Anna Wintour, and how his reconceptualization of the classic men’s business suit became his signature achievement. Sparkling highlights from Browne’s personal archives showcase the years of growing wit, edge, and mastery, all the while contrasted with Browne’s humble, gently welcoming persona.
“Turtle Walker”
Directed by Taira Malaney
In the 1970s, Satish Bhaskar became a turtle walker: He walked nearly the entire coastline of India and the spectacular Andaman and Nicobar Islands in search of sea turtles. Carrying a camera and a notepad, he documented turtles’ nesting areas and tried to save them from extinction. Then the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami struck, putting all his work and the creatures he loved in peril.
“Unearth”
Directed by John Hunter Nolan; co-directors byAuberin Strickland and Dunedin Strickland
In the pristine Bristol Bay area of Alaska, two sets of siblings are alarmed when they learn of plans for the proposed Pebble Mine in the vicinity of their homes. The Salmon sisters, Native Alaskans, work on the regulatory front – pushing the federal EPA to block the project, and remaining hyper-vigilant to political pressures that could shift at any moment. The Strickland brothers, independent fishermen who know they could be just one mine accident away from losing their livelihood, probe closed-door meetings to expose the truth behind what the developer tells the public. Together, the Salmons and the Stricklands remind us never to quit until Goliath has fallen.
“We All Bleed Red”
Directed by Josephine Links
The intimate relationship that a photographer develops with the people whose photos he’s taking is at the heart of this film. New York-based Martin Schoeller won acclaim for his ultra close-up portraits of figures like George Clooney, Barack Obama, and Taylor Swift, yet here director Josephine Links focuses on his work featuring people who are not in the public eye, including homeless people and death row exonerees. Through testimonies from everyday people he’s interested in capturing, this documentary shows how some of us survive on the margins of society.
