Week of April 7, 2008: Five Great Docs Release Theatrically
Wednesday April 9, 2008
In theaters this week, a great selection of documentary films covering a wide range of worthy subjects:
- Body of War (2007) - Phil Donahue and Ellen Spiro's award-winning documentary about an injured American veteran returning home from the war Iraq is a searing indictment of the government's handling of the U.S.-led invasion. Read my review.
- Young@Heart (2008) – Stephen Walker directs this absolutely charming film about a Massachusetts-based choir of senior citizens who belt out show tunes and punk rock with extraordinarily inspiring gusto. You'll fall in love with this film and its cast of characters. Read my review.
- The Dhamma Brothers (2007) - A fascinating account of how the practice of yoga has tamed the savage beast and brought transcendent wisdom to long-term inmates at a maximum security prison. Directed by Jenny Phillips, with Anne Marie Stein and Andrew Kukura, the film provides a profound counterpoint to the documentaries revealing the torture of prisoners by the U.S. military in Afghanistan, Iraq and Cuba.
- Young and Restless in China (2008) - Written and directed by Sue Williams, this documentary traces the stories of several Chinese Gen X'ers as they grapple with rapid, mind-bending changes in thier country's society, culture and economy.
- Bra Boys (2007) - An Australian documentary, written and directed by Sunny Abberton and narrated by Russell Crowe, is about the notorious surfer-gang from Maroubra, a working class Sydney suburb. The first officially sanctioned documentary about Maroubra's rebellious, fearless big surf-gang known as the Bra Boys. Great surfing and an interesting story about the notorious gansta atheletes.
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