The Look of Silence – 2014

In the acclaimed documentary “The Look of Silence,” Joshua Oppenheimer explores the after effects of the 1965 genocide in Indonesia. The Oscar-nominated filmmaker throws light on the human condition in a persistent climate of fear and silence caused by the unanswered killings of between 500,000 and 1 million people. The murderers have not faced justice for half a century because the political regime still protects them. The camera follows protagonist Adi Rukun, an Indonesian optometrist, as he confronts the men who murdered his brother, Ramli, two years before Adi was born. Read more at IMDB or support this site and the filmmaker by buying it at Amazon.

Cutie and the Boxer – 2013

This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband’s assistant, Noriko finds an identity of her own. . . .

Muscle Shoals – 2013

Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music. Under the spiritual influence of the ‘Singing River’ as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals changed the world and sold millions upon millions of copies, at its heart is Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios. Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, he brought black and white together in Alabama’s cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations while giving birth to the ‘Muscle Shoals Sound’ and ‘The Swampers’. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge, Gregg Allman, Clarence Carter, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Bono, and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals’ magnetism, mystery, and why it remains influential today. Only the genre’s most studious followers will be able to watch Muscle Shoals without being regularly astonished: Even if it sometimes gets lost in its byways, Greg “Freddy” Camalier’s documentary tells an extraordinary story.

A Fierce Green Fire – 2013

An exploration of the environmental movement – grassroots and global activism spanning fifty years from conservation to climate change. With Meryl Streep, Robert Redford and Ashley Judd. Read more at IMDB or support this site and the filmmaker by buying it at Amazon.

20 Feet From Stardom – 2013

Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we’ve had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now. Read more at IMDB or support this site and the filmmaker by buying it at Amazon.

Supermensch – 2013

The life and career of the legendary Hollywood insider, Shep Gordon. Read more at IMDB or support this site and the filmmaker by buying it at Amazon.

The Act of Killing – 2013

A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers. . . . .

The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear – 2013

A filmmaker puts out a casting call for young adults, aged 15- to 23. The director wants to make a film about growing up in her home country, Georgia, and find commonalities across social and ethnic lines. She travels through cities and villages interviewing the candidates who responded and filming their daily lives. . .