During awards season, documentaries receive a lot of attention for their own special collection of awards, including those bestowed by critics groups and other prizes such as those presented by the Cinema Eye Honors and Film Independent's Spirit Awards.
And, then, documentary fans are scrambling to see all the movies on the Oscars shortlist of fifteen highly regarded nonfiction features of which five will officially become Oscars contenders on January 24, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences announces its full slate of nominees.
Awards campaigns may explain why so many fewer documentaries are opening this month than have opened during the last months of last year, when at least two documentaries per week were illuminating big screens. Hopefully, there will be a repeat of that frequency as the year progresses. But, in the meanwhile, if your list of New Year's resolutions included a commitment to see more documentaries, you have plenty of choices of films to see. And, in addition to all the current theatrical runs of documentaries that have already been recognized, there are several new theatrical releases about extraodinary performers and performances that are sure to engage you. The schedule of January, 2012 new releases follows:
January 4:
- It's About You (limited release in NY, with LA opening on Jan. 6) - The father/son filmmaking team of Kurt and Ian Markus follow John Mellencamp during the summer of 2009, when the singer/songwriter was on tour for a month and a half with Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson. Using Super8 film, the first-time filmmakers documented Mellencamp recording his new album -- No Better Than This, released in 2010 -- in American music and historic landmarks, including Memphis' Sun Studios, Savannah's First African Baptist Church, and in hotel room where bluesman Robert Johnson created some of his work. The tour becomes a personal journey for Mellencamp, who reveals his feelings about his roots in small-town America.
January 13:
- Man on a Mission: Richard Garriott's Road to the Stars (limited) -- Filmmaker Mike Woolf follows space obsessed entrepreneur and game developer Richard Garriott as he prepares to go into orbit aboard a Russian spacecraft. If you're fascinated by space travel but can't afford the trip, this documentary, providing access to all aspects of the adventure, including rare and previously unseen re-entry footage, is a must see. It's available on VOD, but best seen big screen.
- Sing Your Song (limited release in NY) - Filmmaker Susanne Rostock profiles Harry Belafonte, whose extraordinary career as an entertainer is matched only by his effectiveness as a political and social activist. Belafonte, 84 years old when the film as shot, is a fascinating subject for this comprehensive biography and tribute documentary that compiles contemporary interviews with archival footage into a remarkable revelation of just how great an influence Belafonte has been on American politics and the fight for justice and equality around the globe.
January 18:
- Crazy Horse (limited, NY) -- Iconic cinéma vérité filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, in his inimitable style (although lots of filmmakers are trying) takes us inside Paris' Crazy Horse, for a fly-on-the-wall look behind the scenes at the legendary nightclub that boasts the world's classiest nude dancing. The film reveals the artistry behind the show, the emphasis on lighting and image that give the cabaret-like performance a stunning style of their own. The result is another very fetching film from the remarkable Mr. Wiseman.
January 20:
- Carol Channing: Larger Than Life (limited release) - Filmmaker Dori Bernstein's entertaining profile of Carol Channing's career is filled with the wit and vitality of an irrepressible entertainer. Channing, who was 89 when the documentary was made, looks back at the career highlights and moments that meant most to her. Her contemporaries and younger colleagues who adore and are in awe of Channing comment on her staying power as an entertainer and great friend. Neither they, nor Channing, comment on her personal life -- her marriages and son, are quite out of the picture, but the focus on career make this a fascinating oral history of life on and around the Broadway stage during decades past. Channing is an inspiration, and so's the film.
- Pina (in select theaters) - Wim Wender's wonderful 3D documentary about the late and larger than live German dancer and choreographer, Pina Bausch, is on the Oscars shortlist and has already received and been nominated for other awards. Beautifully shot, the film documents several performances by Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, the members of which are carrying on Pina's work following her sudden death in 2009, while the documentary was in pre-production, but had not yet commenced. Wenders also uses archival footage of Pina, giving the film an oddly haunting quality. Subtitled 'A Film For Pina,' the documentary is a well realized and much deserved tribute to an extraordinarily gifted and dedicated icon of modern dance performance. The film is best seen on the big screen. Wenders' sensitive use of 3D draws you into the picture, rather than having anything from the picture rush out at you. It's a new look at the way in which 3D can enhance a documentary viewer's experience and perspective.
- The Pruitt-Igoe Myth - Chad Freidrich's documentary about the St. Louis' failed inner city public housing projects is a fascinating treatise touching on issues concerning public housing, inner city development, modernist architecture and urban environments. The footage of the famous implosion of the 33 eleven story residential towers is shocking. This film deals with housing problems faced in most big cities today.
