2016 Movies : Documentary

With Dawn Porter

U.S. abortion clinics are fighting to survive. Since 2010, hundreds of laws regulating abortion clinics have been passed by conservative state legislatures, particularly in the south. These restrictions, known as TRAP laws (or Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers) are spreading across America. Faced with increased costs of compliance and the alarming fear of violence from protestors, the stakes for the women and men on the frontlines couldn't be any higher. As the battle heads to the U.S. Supreme Court, TRAPPED follows the struggles of the clinic workers and lawyers fighting to keep abortion safe and legal for millions of American women, many of them poor and uninsured.

With Johanna Schwartz

Music is the beating heart of Malian culture, but when Islamic jihadists took control of northern Mali in 2012, they enforced one of the harshest interpretations of sharia law by banning all forms of music. Radio stations were destroyed, instruments burned, and Mali’s musicians faced torture, even death. Overnight, the country’s revered musicians were forced into hiding or exile, where most remain -- even now. But rather than laying down their instruments, these courageous artists fought back, standing up for their freedoms and using music as a weapon against the ongoing violence that has ravaged their homeland.

With Laura Gabbert • Jonathan Gold

Pulitzer Prize-winning food critic Jonathan Gold shows us a Los Angeles where ethnic cooking is a kaleidoscopic portal to the mysteries of an unwieldy city and the soul of America.

With Josh Aronson

The film focuses on the challenges of guiding gifted young people through the struggles of mastering the cello. Through the words and actions of master cello teacher, Paul Katz, it’s clear that this deep study of music not only prepares wonderful musicians, but builds self-esteem and a cultural and aesthetic character that will be profoundly important throughout his students’ lives.

With Ben Timlett • Terry Jones • Bill Jones

Monty Python Terry Jones’ new feature documentary BOOM BUST BOOM investigates the worldwide economic crash of 2008, and how we can avoid another global collapse in the future. Analyzing the direct link between the unstable financial system and our reliance on mainstream economics, the film puts a spotlight on the mistakes of the past some politicians and central bankers would like us to forget. A mix of live action, animation, puppetry and song, the film charts the ancient cycle of boom and bust and offers the world a solution.

With Van Neistat

In A Space Program, internationally acclaimed artist Tom Sachs takes us on an intricately handmade journey to the red planet, providing audiences with an intimate, first person look into his studio and methods. The film is both a piece of art in its own right and a recording of Sachs’ historic piece, Space Program 2.0: MARS, which opened at New York’s Park Avenue Armory in 2012.

For Space Program 2.0: MARS, Tom and his team built an entire space program from scratch. They were guided by the philosophy of bricolage: creating and constructing from available yet limited resources. They ultimately sent two female astronauts to Mars in search of the answer to humankind’s ultimate question… are we alone?

With Matthew Modine • Adam Rackoff • Jen Senko

Filmmaker Jen Senko explores the transformation of her father from a non-political life-long Democrat to a radicalized Right-Wing fanatic, she discovers that this is a widespread phenomenon, especially among older white men. She uncovers the forces behind the media that changed him completely: a plan by Roger Ailes under Nixon to create a media run by the GOP, The Powell Memo and the dismantling of the Fairness Doctrine, all of which would ultimately result in a media which would misinform millions, divide families and even the country itself.

With Kevin Costner • Jonathan Hock

Hank Aaron and Derek Jeter, with Kevin Costner narrating, lead a cast of baseball legends & scientists who explore the magic within the 396 milliseconds it takes a fastball to reach home plate, and decipher who threw the fastest pitch ever.