Turkish filmmaker Ceyda Torun and her cinematographer Charlie Wuppermann must have the patience of saints to make this enchanting new documentary of theirs, as they stalked and trailed what seemed like thousands of cats that roam the streets of Istanbul for the best part of two months. What had originally enticed Torun, a native of … Continue reading
Filmmaker Kate Ryan Brewer’s powerful documentary on forced marriage is such an eye-opener that will shock most people who view it. Like others, I had been too quick to assume that such marriages are something that only occurs in third-world countries. How very wrong I was. Her film is about the forced marriages that … Continue reading
‘Restropo’ was an extraordinary documentary which was the ultimate in cinema vérité and the work of two intrepid and fearless filmmakers who chose to live through a grueling 14-month tour of duty with a company of American solders in one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan. It won Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger a Best Documentary Oscar … Continue reading
Roger Ross Williams’ documentary prompted by the best selling book by Ron Suskind about Owen his autistic son, is probably one of the most inspirational documentaries we will get to see this year. It tells the tale of how Suskind, a Pulitzer Award winning writer with The Wall Street Journal, and his wife Cornelia dealt with … Continue reading
Rock star documentaries often gain their drama from the self-destructiveness of their subjects. Fame magnifies personal flaws too brightly and the star gets burnt out. This one, by Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, is lovingly different. The Linda Ronstadt seen here has a soccer mom like determination to do things well. When tragedy strikes, … Continue reading