Film: Arshile Gorky, Documentary Oscars, India's Most Daring Filmmaker

We have several pieces this week commemorating the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, lookin

Apr 23, 2021 • View in browser

We have several pieces this week commemorating the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, looking at various films related to the event. The Academy Awards are also this weekend, and Justine Smith has a suggestion for them to consider. Before checking out a full retrospective of his work on OVID, read our interview with veteran Indian filmmaker Anand Patwardhan. And we have a preview of this year’s New Directors/New Films. Enjoy!– Dan Schindel, Associate Editor for Documentary

Anand Patwardhan, India's Leading Documentarian

Anand Patwardhan filming "Jai Bhim Comrade"

For decades, Anand Patwardhan has been making films challenging power structures in India. Now he faces increasing difficulty getting his works shown in the country. Steve Macfarlane speaks to the director about his practice and philosophy.

Should the Oscars Add New Documentary Awards?

From "Time"

Several Canadian film awards have categories specifically recognizing editing, cinematography, and sound in documentaries. Here, Justine Smith argues that the Academy Awards should do the same.

Latest Reviews

In "Without Gorky," the Artist’s Family Opens Up About Their Pain In this moving documentary by Cosima Spender, there are lots of unanswered questions but you can’t help but be moved by the rawness. Hrag Vartanian

The Art of Looking at, and With, Animals Gunda and Stray reveal how difficult it is not to romanticize the lives of other animals. Eileen G'Sell

New Directors/New Films 2021

Image courtesy Film at Lincoln Center

The 50th iteration of Film at Lincoln Center and MoMA’s venerable film festival kicks off this coming Wednesday and runs through May 8! We’ve already touched on titles like We’re All Going to the World’s Fair and Liborioin roundups of previous festivals, and we have some full reviews of films in their program as well. Read up to prepare, and be on the lookout for more of our coverage of the fest as it progresses.

The Entanglements Between Policing, Surveillance, and Moving Images Theo Anthony unpacks the fraught history that has brought us the body camera in his documentary All Light, Everywhere, which recently premiered at Sundance. Dan Schindel

El Planeta, Amalia Ulman’s Transportive “Comedy About Eviction” Ulman’s feature debut chronicles a mother-daughter pair in post-recession Spain with a restrained style and hints of amusing deception. Kambole Campbell

What to Stream

From "Grandmother's Tattoos"

On the week we commemorate the 106th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, Hyperallergic Editor-in-Chief Hrag Vartanian rounds up some films to watch to learn more about the subject.The Brazilian cinema nonprofit Cinelimite is running an online program of films about the culture of Espírito Santo, a coastal state in southeast Brazil. Labyrinth of Cinema, the final film from prolific Japanese director Nobuhiko Obayashi, will be available on MUBI starting April 27. Read Ryan Swen’s piece on Obayashi from last year’s Japan Cuts festival.

The Royal Ocean Film Society has taken a look at the fascinating community of people who make their own edits of popular films, from the innumerable Star Wars reedits to a years-long effort to restore The Thief and the Cobbler.

The Bizarre World of Fan Edits and Restorations

Until theaters are safe again, be well!

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