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American Factory
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The American factory in American Factory is not entirely American, and the movie is built around the tension between two cultures that collide in an Ohio town. Years after the shutdown of a General Motors plant, Chinese auto-glass company Fuyao takes over the former facility, bringing jobs back to a depressed area.
But Fuyao also attempts to bring in Chinese workplace values, which clash with American individualism (and safety regulations). The Oscar-winning film presents the conflict without passing judgment on either side, merely observing the wheels of capitalism in motion.
The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography
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A sort of B-side itself from famed documentary filmmaker Errol Morris, The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography is a low-key character study of photographer Elsa Dorfman. The affable Dorfman made her name with a specific kind of portrait, on a very rare large-format Polaroid film. Morris shows Dorfman at work, explores her connections to major figures in the art world, and examines how she finds artistic merit in a style (the individual studio portrait) that’s rarely given serious consideration.
Casting JonBenet
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Filmmaker Kitty Green takes an impressionistic approach to examining the notorious 1996 murder of six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey in Casting JonBenet. Instead of interviewing experts or investigators, Green puts together a casting session for a theoretical movie about the case.
She brings in locals from Ramsey’s Colorado community and asks for their opinions on the real people they’re “auditioning” to play. The result is as much a rumination on subjective truth and manufactured scandal as it is a true-crime documentary with a brilliantly self-referential finale.
Crip Camp
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Subtitled A Disability Revolution, Nicole Newnham and James LeBrecht’s Crip Camp draws a straight line from an inclusive summer camp for disabled kids in the 1970s to the political movement that resulted in major civil rights legislation in the following two decades.
The movie shows how valuable it was for kids with disabilities to have a welcoming and supportive place to go at a time when they were often shunned and hidden away. And it shows how that feeling of acceptance and empowerment inspired those kids to continue fighting for respect as adults.
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Dick Johnson Is Dead
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Filmmaker Kristen Johnson confronts mortality head-on in Dick Johnson Is Dead. As her father Dick’s health declines and he moves in with her and her kids, Johnson copes with her feelings by making a movie about them. Rather than being morbid or maudlin, the film is a celebration of life, with a playful approach to the inevitability of death.
Johnson creates over-the-top scenarios to depict her father’s potential death onscreen, and he amiably agrees to star in them. Through the artistic process, father and daughter come to terms with what the future might hold.
Into the Inferno
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Werner Herzog brings his typical dark, dispassionate viewpoint on nature to the volcano documentary Into the Inferno. Joined by volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer, Herzog travels to the sites of a number of active volcanoes around the world, exploring their power, origins, impact, and cultural representations. As always, Herzog’s awe over the mysterious power of nature comes across in his wry narration, and he provides existential musings alongside educational information and gorgeous imagery.
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Mercury 13
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While the first crop of astronauts were being trained for the U.S. space program in the 1960s, a parallel group of would-be astronauts underwent their own training. Mercury 13 tells the story of those aspiring astronauts, 13 women who took on training just as rigorous as the official regimen but were nevertheless denied the chance to travel to space because they weren’t men. The documentary shines a light on unsung heroes of the space program and examines their substantial legacy.
Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
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Although revealing behind-the-scenes documentaries about music superstars have become more commonplace, it was pretty surprising in 2004 to see how candid the members of heavy metal band Metallica got in Some Kind of Monster. In this look at the difficult recording of their St. Anger album, the guys known for their loud, aggressive music put themselves into group therapy, revealing deep emotions and then channeling them into new songs. It’s an affecting reminder that even macho heavy metal dudes need space to process their feelings.
Shirkers
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When she was a teenager, Sandi Tan made a feature film called Shirkers with some of her friends in Singapore, guided by their teacher and filmmaking mentor. More than 20 years later, Tan made a documentary called Shirkers, tracking down what happened to that unfinished previous film, and relating how her teacher scammed a group of teenagers and disappeared with the footage they created.
It’s a fascinating look at the creative process, along with the kind of unfolding mystery that draws in viewers to so many Netflix documentaries.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
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Fred Rogers, host of children’s-TV classic Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, is one of the most beloved figures in American history, and director Morgan Neville captures much of his genius in Won’t You Be My Neighbor? It’s a loving tribute that never turns saccharine, presenting Rogers’ renowned compassion and empathy as the product of careful planning and study. Neville interviews Rogers’ family and collaborators to create a portrait of a humble and selfless man who would never want to be placed above anyone else.
