DOC NYC

Latest reviews

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  Come See Me In The Good Light

  Review preview for Come See Me In The Good Light

  Gibson’s modesty about language is among the film’s most moving qualities

  Two poets, one incurable cancer diagnosis. Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley go on an unexpectedly funny and poignant journey through love, life, and mortality.
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  The Perfect Neighbor

  Review preview for The Perfect Neighbor

  The film is a triumph of editing by Viridiana Lieberman, in terms of storytelling

  A seemingly minor neighbourhood dispute in Florida escalates into deadly violence. Police bodycam footage and investigative interviews expose the consequences of Florida’s 'stand your ground' laws.
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  Mr. Nobody Against Putin

  Review preview for Mr. Nobody Against Putin

  Despite the depressing nature of what’s happening at the school, Talankin’s affection for his students and his resilient sense of humour ensure that the film is always engaging.

  As Russia launches its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, primary schools across Russia’s hinterlands are transformed into recruitment stages for the war. Facing the ethical dilemma of working in a system defined by propaganda and violence, a brave teacher goes undercover to film what’s really happening in his own school.
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  Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk

  Review preview for Put Your Soul On Your Hand And Walk

  The film doesn’t answer every common question that people have in this situation, but it does provide some context.

  A glimpse of everyday reality for people living in Gaza in 2024.
• 
  Orwell: 2+2=5

  Review preview for Orwell: 2+2=5

  Offers food for thought in the realm of a slightly ungainly and sprawling all-you-can-eat buffet rather than a satisfying sit-down feast.

  Delves deep into Orwell’s final months and visionary works to explore the roots of the vital and troubling concepts he revealed to the world in his dystopian masterpiece… Doublethink, Thoughtcrime, Newspeak, the omnipresent spectre of Big Brother… disturbing socio-political truths which resonate ever-more powerfully today.
• 
  Santacon

  Review preview for Santacon

  The documentary celebrates the early days when members of the public really didn’t know what was going on.

  The story behind the mass gathering of Santas which began in San Francisco in 1994 and went on to expand across the world.
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  Julian Assange And The War On Journalism

  Review preview for Julian Assange And The War On Journalism

  This is a consistently interesting film and a good exercise in navigating historical narratives, even if it’s not exactly what its UK title might have viewers expecting.

  This film traces the saga of Julian Assange, a contemporary icon of the right to information, whose recent release from prison has reignited the global debate on press freedom.
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  Flophouse America

  Review preview for Flophouse America

  Strømdahl keeps us within the apartment for virtually the whole film, watching as Mikal tries to negotiate the unpredictability of Tonya and Jason or retreats into a world of video games.

  Documentary following a boy living in a motel with parents who struggle with alcohol abuse.
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  Below The Clouds

  Review preview for Below The Clouds

  Rosi expertly paints a picture of a community with all its widely varied facets.

  Documenting Vesuvius, featuring traces of history, the excavation of time, the remains of everyday life.
• 
  Holding Liat

  Review preview for Holding Liat

  Her experience is, of course, only that of an individual, and cannot represent what happened to all of the other hostages, but it still has significance.

  On October 7th, during a raid by Hamas on her kibbutz, Israeli-American Liat Atzili was kidnapped, prompting an urgent and heart-wrenching fight for her release by her family. Through a deeply intimate lens, parents Yehuda and Chaya cope with fear and uncertainty as they are thrust into a global conflict unfolding in real time.

A–Z of DOC NYC 2025 reviews →

Features

• 'We were banned from leaving the country for one year'
  Mohammadreza Eyni and Sara Khaki on the challenges of shooting and distributing Iranian doc Cutting Through Rocks
• The most wonderful time
  Seth Porges on the Cacophony Society, sparking imaginations, and Santacon
• 'We became like soul sisters'
  Natalie Halla on capturing the life of Manizha Bahktari in The Last Ambassador
• Clean content
  Director Denis Côté on entering the world of a 'simp' and his dominatrices for Paul