All posts tagged: Doc

Antoine Fuqua’s Doc Primer on Nelson Mandela

Antoine Fuqua’s Doc Primer on Nelson Mandela

Published by Daniella Wilson

Watch enough biographical documentaries on film and television and it becomes difficult not to think that filmmakers are making a tacit judgment linking running time and a life’s merit.  Judd Apatow has new documentaries on Mel Brooks, at four hours, and Maria Bamford at 115 minutes, which seems longevity-based. Derek Jeter got a five-episode docuseries, while Yogi Berra’s recent documentary was only 98 minutes, which seems recency-based. The Beatles have had at least 15 hours of documentary time dedicated to them in the past few years, while Milli Vanilli’s documentary was only 106 minutes, which… is fine. Troublemaker The Bottom Line Not much depth, but a solid primer. Venue: Sundance Film Festival (Premieres)Director: Antoine Fuqua 1 hour 34 minutes So you wouldn’t be wrong to look at the 94-minute running time of Antoine Fuqua‘s Troublemaker and think that it will be nearly impossible to do justice to Nelson Mandela in an hour-and-a-half. Your concern would not be unfounded.  Troublemaker, which takes its title from Mandela’s birth name, Rolihlahla, or Xhosa for “Troublemaker,” is definitely a …

Doc Traces U.S. Athlete’s Ordeal

Doc Traces U.S. Athlete’s Ordeal

Published by Daniella Wilson

Given the sensational aspects of her story, it was perhaps inevitable that star basketball player and former prisoner of the Russian state Brittney Griner would eventually become the subject of a film in ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series. Griner’s basketball career was perhaps at its peak — both in the U.S. and abroad — when she was arrested at the Moscow airport after customs agents found nearly empty THC vape cartridges in her luggage, charged with a harsh drug charge, and eventually sentenced to nine years in what is essentially a gulag. Upon her arrest, Griner near-immediately became a political pawn used by the Putin regime, while family back home desperately advocated for her release. Griner’s frightening ordeal is methodically recounted in Alexandria Stapleton’s The Brittney Griner Story, a straightforward, unflashy film that centers on Griner and her wife Cherelle as they navigate the arduous months that Griner was detained. The film is a sturdy, informative recitation of facts — though one does long for a bit more style, and perhaps for a wider …

John Wilson’s Poignant, Quirky Doc

John Wilson’s Poignant, Quirky Doc

Published by Daniella Wilson

The History of Concrete was one of my most anticipated films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, in part because I’m eager to see how the documentary plays to an audience that doesn’t let out a gasp of excitement at the credit “A film by John Wilson.” Although TV critics and people who get along well with TV critics are aware that How To with John Wilson, which ran three seasons on HBO between 2020 and 2023, is one of the finest shows of the decade, your average TV viewer could be forgiven for not keeping track of bizarre documentary-comedy hybrids airing at 11 p.m. on Friday nights. The History of Concrete The Bottom Line Quirky, educational, touching and revelatory. Venue: Sundance Film Festival (Premieres)Director: John Wilson 1 hour 41 minutes For some readers, describing The History of Concrete as a 101-minute episode of How To with John Wilson will be cause for celebration; for others, it will be absolutely meaningless. So to that first group, I say quickly that How To with John Wilson …

Harper Steele Boards Trans Doc as Executive Producer (Exclusive)

Harper Steele Boards Trans Doc as Executive Producer (Exclusive)

Published by Daniella Wilson

Emmy-winning comedy writer and producer Harper Steele has boarded the Berlin-premiering feature documentary What Will I Become? as an executive producer. A co-production between ITVS and Deep Dive Films in association with Storylens Pictures, the film explores the vulnerability of the transmasculine community by delving into the personal experiences of directors Lexie Bean and Logan Rozos — making their directorial debuts — while intertwining the stories of two young trans men who died by suicide. “Homecoming king Blake Brockington and the soft-spoken Kyler Prescott were poets, musicians, and community advocates. This film traces their joys and challenges, their tragic deaths and resulting media attention, and the larger aftermath within their communities,” says a plot synopsis. “[It] also uplifts resources that affirm trans boys and the LGBTQIA2S+ community to provide an understanding of suicide-prevention practices. What Will I Become? asks why the transmasculine community is particularly vulnerable to living briefly and dying quietly.” Executive producer Steele is best known as the former head writer on Saturday Night Live and subject of 2024 Netflix doc Will & Harper, in …

Anarchist Commune in Copenhagen Gets Doc ‘Christiania’: CPH:DOX

Anarchist Commune in Copenhagen Gets Doc ‘Christiania’: CPH:DOX

Published by Daniella Wilson

What happens when you let 800 people create their own alternative society in the middle of a European capital city? Well, in 1971, that is how many people occupied abandoned barracks in Copenhagen, Denmark, forming Christiania, an alternative society.  Now, the documentary Christiania, from director Karl Friis Forchhammer and producer Rikke Tambo, explores this commune in the Christianshavn neighborhood of the Danish capital that is shaped by anarchist hippie culture and governed by consensus democracy. It will world premiere at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival CPH:DOX in March. “The film captures the daring effort by young women to shut down Pusher Street, Christiania’s hash market, which evolved into Denmark’s most violent area,” reads a synopsis for the film. “With unprecedented access to meetings, it highlights Christiania’s past and present struggles, showcasing tales like the biker gang attack and the attempt to burn the freetown. Through engaging storytelling, the documentary reflects on the challenges and impact of consensus democracy and Christiania’s ongoing journey.” Christiania is the latest addition to the lineup for CPH:DOX 2026. As recently …

Billy Idol on Oscar-Shortlisted Tune ‘Dying to Live’ From Doc About His Life

Billy Idol on Oscar-Shortlisted Tune ‘Dying to Live’ From Doc About His Life

Published by Daniella Wilson

Billy Idol’s heyday may have been the 1980s, but he has never gone away. The English punk-turned-rock singer/songwriter — a three-time Grammy nominee who was a key part of the MTV-driven “Second British Invasion” of America, with hits including “Dancing with Myself,” “White Wedding,” “Cradle of Love,” “Eyes Without a Face,” “To Be a Lover” and a chart-topping cover of “Mony Mony” — is now 70, a grandfather and leading a much quieter life than he did during his hard-partying days. But his spiky blonde hair, trademark sneer and seductive voice are all still there. And the last five years have included as many wins for him as any such stretch. Indeed, since the darkest days of the pandemic, when “Dancing with Myself” experienced a resurgence in popularity (for obvious reasons), he has released two EPs (2021’s The Roadside and 2022’s The Cage) and a studio album (his first in 11 years, 2025’s Dream Into It); toured North America with old pal Joan Jett; and collaborated with ardent admirer Miley Cyrus on “Night Crawling,” a song on …