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Tribeca Festival · 2019

Tribeca Festival 2019

Spotlight Documentary

Programme

16 films · 5 reviews

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After Parkland

In the immediate aftermath of the devastating 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, filmmakers embedded with students and parents whose lives were forever changed — from quiet hours of grief and reflection to those of political awakening.

(Country: US; Year: 2018; Director: Jake Lefferman, Emily Taguchi)

World premiere

At The Heart Of Gold: Inside The US Gymnastics Scandal

Review preview for At The Heart Of Gold: Inside The US Gymnastics Scandal

This isn't just a film about sexual abuse and the culture of stigma and doubt that surrounds it. It's an examination of the wider issues around the vulnerability of children.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
A documentary about a US Olympic gymnastics coach who abused young trainees, and the cover-up that followed.

(Country: US; Year: 2019; Director: Erin Lee Carr; Stars: Rosemarie Aquilina, Aimee Boorman, Nadia Comaneci, Rachael Denhollander, Trinea Gonczar, Kathy Johnson)

Full review

World premiere

Devil's Pie - D'Angelo

Acclaimed RnB artist D’Angelo was on the precipice of super-stardom when he disappeared entirely from the public eye in 2000. Now preparing a comeback tour, Bijlsma’s film finds D’Angelo at a crossroads between a haunted past and uncertain future.

(Country: US; Year: 2019; Director: Carina Bijlsma)

World premiere

Dominican Dream

In the early 1990s, the future of basketball belonged to a young Dominican immigrant named Felipe Lopez. Featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated at the age of 17, Lopez’s story is the ultimate profile of the American dream.

(Country: US; Year: 2019; Director: Jonathan Hock)

World premiere

Framing John DeLorean

The success of infamous auto executive/playboy John DeLorean made his name synonymous with his iconic design. But he and his company crashed in the Eighties amid mismanagement, corruption, and a controversial coke bust.

(Country: US; Year: 2019; Director: Don Argott, Sheena M Joyce; Writer: Dan Greeney, Alexandra Orton; Stars: Alec Baldwin, Morena Baccarin, Josh Charles, Dean Winters, Michael Rispoli, Jason Jones, Dana Ashbrook, Josh Cooke, Sean Cullen, William Hill, Eli Tokash, Kayla Foster, Grayson Eddey, Porter Kelly, Bob Gale)

World premiere

Halston

Review preview for Halston

The film works wonderfully as an introduction to this important fashion designer for those who never heard of him or connected his name to Seventies minimalist style.

Anne-Katrin Titze · 4 out of 5
From Iowa to Studio 54, this investigation into the rags-to-riches story of America's first superstar designer uncovers the cautionary tale of an artist who sold his name to Wall Street.

(Country: US; Year: 2019; Director: Frédéric Tcheng)

Full review See: Frédéric Tcheng ‪in conversation on‬ his director's cut, Charles James, Truman Capote's Black and White Ball, and the business of Halston , Frédéric Tcheng ‪in conversation on‬ Liza Minnelli, Tavi Gevinson, Elsa Peretti and the Battle of Versailles in Halston

NYC premiere

A Kid From Coney Island

From the streets of Coney Island to the NBA, the story of basketball star Stephon Marbury.

(Country: US, China; Year: 2019; Director: Coodie, Chike Ozah; Stars: Stephon Marbury)

World premiere

Lil' Buck: Real Swan

Review preview for Lil' Buck: Real Swan

There's a magical quality about this film that coalesces in Wallecan's perspectives on Memphis landscapes and the dance performances themselves.

Jennie Kermode · 4 out of 5
Dancer Lil’ Buck grew up jookin and bucking on the streets of Memphis. After a breathtaking video of him dancing to Camille Saint-Saëns’ “The Swan” accompanied by cellist Yo-Yo Ma went viral, everything changed.

(Country: France, US; Year: 2019; Director: Louis Wallecan; Writer: Louis Wallecan; Stars: Lil' Buck)

Full review

World premiere

Maiden

Review preview for Maiden

Alex Holmes' documentary is brilliant.

Andrew Robertson · 4 out of 5
The incredible, against-all-odds story of sailor Tracy Edwards, who skippered the first all-female international crew in the 1989 Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race.

(Country: UK; Year: 2018; Director: Alex Holmes; Stars: Tracy Edwards)

Full review

NYC premiere

Nomad: In The Footsteps Of Bruce Chatwin

Review preview for Nomad: In The Footsteps Of Bruce Chatwin

Everything comes to life under Herzog's gaze, but rarely has he revealed so much of himself directly.

Jennie Kermode · 4.5 out of 5
When writer Bruce Chatwin was dying of AIDS, his friend Werner Herzog made a final visit. As a parting gift, Chatwin gave Herzog his rucksack. Thirty years later, Herzog sets out on his own journey, inspired by Chatwin’s passion for the nomadic life.

(Country: UK; Year: 2019; Director: Werner Herzog)

Full review

World premiere

Picture Character

Emojis are a worldwide phenomenon, with some arguing they are on the verge of actually becoming their own language. But where do they come from? Who, if anyone, is in charge of this new global digital language?

(Country: US, Germany, Japan, Argentina, Austria, UK; Year: 2019; Director: Martha Shane, Ian Cheney)

World premiere

The Quiet One

As an original member of The Rolling Stones, bassist Bill Wyman has lived an extraordinary life. Here, he pulls back the curtain on the hours of unseen footage, personal photographs, and vast archive of memorabilia he has amassed.

(Country: UK; Year: 2019; Director: Oliver Murray; Writer: Oliver Murray; Stars: Bill Wyman, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bob Geldof, Brian Jones, Eric Clapton, Mary Wilson, Terry O'Neill, Ronnie Wood, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Charlie Watts, Suzanne Accosta, Mick Taylor, Glyn Johns)

World premiere

Sublime

Iconic California band Sublime fused reggae, punk, ska, dub, and hip-hip into a genre-defying new sound that electrified audiences and airways in the mid-1990s. This definitive documentary charts their meteoric rise, tragic end, and lasting legacy.

(Country: US; Year: 2019; Director: Bill Guttentag; Writer: Bill Guttentag, Nayeema Raza)

World premiere

A Taste Of Sky

Documentary charts the journey of two students from Gustu, the groundbreaking cooking school and fine-dining restaurant founded by Noma’s Claus Meyer in La Paz, Bolivia.

(Country: US; Year: 2018; Director: Michael Lei; Stars: Claus Meyer)

World premiere

What's My Name: Muhammad Ali

One of the most iconic figures in athletic history, Muhammad Ali’s incredible story from world champion boxer to inspiring social activist is explored through his own voice and never-before-seen archival material.

(Country: US; Year: 2019; Director: Antoine Fuqua; Writer: Steven Leckart)

World premiere

Woodstock: Three Days That Defined A Generation

Retelling of Woodstock, from the point of view of those who were on the ground.

(Country: US; Year: 2019; Director: Barak Goodman; Writer: Barak Goodman)

World premiere