Posted on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 by DBRL_Katie
The first weekend in March means the True/False Film Festival has returned! Seven directors appearing this year have past work available to check out through DBRL, whether on DVD or streaming on Kanopy and Hoopla. For all of the True/False films currently available through DBRL, consult this master list. Continue reading “Previous Movies from 2023 True/False Directors”
Posted on Monday, July 12, 2021 by DBRL_Katie
Animation isn’t just for kids’ movies. It’s a useful and increasingly common medium for nonfiction storytelling, particularly when live footage doesn’t exist or won’t suffice to engage viewers. Directors can turn to animation when a subject recollects scenes from their memories or fantasies, to bring life to a dense interview or to simply visualize content in a new way. Check out the following documentaries that get creative with animation. Continue reading “Drawn to It: Docs Involving Animation”
Posted on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 by DBRL_Katie
Study up on the directors featured at this year’s True/False Film Festival. Their past documentaries below are available for check out as either DVDs or streaming online through Kanopy. Continue reading “Previous Docs From True/False 2021 Directors”
Posted on Friday, October 30, 2020 by DBRL_Katie
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Most people can agree that this election season is exhausting to follow but difficult to escape. Do you need a distraction that still engages you in politics? Gain some perspective by watching these documentaries about how political campaigns navigate the attention economy to win your vote.
“We provide daily entertainment. What we are not providing is serious solutions to what’s going on in the country.” — Mark Goodin, campaign advisor for Oliver North’s ’94 Senate run
“Weiner” (2016)
No stranger to scandal, there was perhaps never anyone so tenacious about making a comeback as the former Congressman and 2013 New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner. Throughout the latter campaign, media outlets are just as tenacious about getting Weiner to speak honestly and at length about his snowballing improprieties. Much to the viewers’ delight, the fiery candidate doubles down in response to this pressure rather than wait for the storm of shame to blow over. Continue reading ““Do You Want the Measles or the Mumps?”: Docs About Political Campaigns”
Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 by DBRL_Katie
We lose things all the time: keys, rings, our train of thought. In the following documentaries, entire film treasuries were lost, only to be rediscovered decades later by chance. Check out these films that follow the recovery of priceless collections. You’ll emerge appreciating the things you’ve long held onto. Continue reading “Hit the Mother Lode: Docs About Unearthed Collections”
Posted on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 by DBRL_Katie
Study up on the directors featured at this year’s True/False Film Festival. The following past documentaries are available for check out as DVDs or online streaming though Kanopy. Continue reading “Previous Docs From True/False 2020 Directors”
Posted on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 by DBRL_Katie
While a few Black documentary film directors like Ava DuVernay (“13th”) and Spike Lee (“When The Levees Broke”) have achieved celebrity status, many more are flying under the mainstream radar. Given a lack of representation, people have called out #OscarsSoWhite every year since 2015. Acknowledging that audiences want to see diversity both on screen and behind the camera, 2018 became a boom for Black filmmakers and film festivals like Sundance and our local True/False are more intentionally playing and recognizing work by Black directors. In celebration of Black History Month, check out these documentaries by Black directors: Continue reading “Behind the Camera: Docs by Black Directors”
Posted on Friday, December 20, 2019 by DBRL_Katie
For many the holidays this month usher in “the most wonderful time of the year.” However, faced with a swelling deluge of advertising and an omnipresent encouragement to buy, the cynics among us will disagree. The National Retail Federation projects that consumers in America could spend upwards of $730 billion this holiday season.* Check out these documentaries that scrutinize our society’s retail obsession. Continue reading ““I Shop, Therefore I Am”: Docs About Consumerism”
Posted on Monday, October 28, 2019 by DBRL_Katie
It wasn’t that time stopped in the library. It was as if it were captured here, collected here, and in all libraries …The library is a gathering pool of narratives and of the people who come to find them. It is where we can glimpse immortality …
— Susan Orlean, “The Library Book”
We’ve got libraries on the mind for the 60th anniversary of DBRL, so this month we’re highlighting documentaries that explore the vital, and at times unexpected, roles that libraries fill. Check out the following documentaries from Kanopy: Continue reading “60th Anniversary of DBRL: Docs About Libraries”
Posted on Friday, September 27, 2019 by DBRL_Katie
Reenactment isn’t only for the Renaissance Fair. It’s a powerful method of storytelling, particularly when it can elicit authentic reflection by the participants. In the audience, we can learn not only about long-forgotten, suppressed or distorted events but also interpret a character’s ability to confront that past. Check out these documentaries that use reenactment to bring muted narratives to life.
“Who is Dayani Cristal?” (2013)
This documentary seeks to humanize the immigrants who cross the U.S. southern border by retracing the fatal journey of a migrant worker whose body was found in the Sonoran Desert. We see migrants hike through vast landscapes and hitch rides on train tops, all the while the Pima County coroner’s office encounters an unprecedented case load. Continue reading “Who Have You Become?: Docs Using Reenactments”