Doc Corner: Five Highlights from the 159-deep Documentary Longlist
Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at 1:00PM By Glenn Dunks
Have you heard? The Academy has announced the longlist of eligible titles for the 2019 Best Documentary Feature category. All 159 of ‘em; they don’t call it a longlist for nothing. The 15-wide shortlist will be derived from these and from there the five nominees will be chosen by the documentary branch.
As I suspected, Peter Jackson’s They Shall Not Grow Old is not on the list. It is also worth noting – as I have done all year – that Amazing Grace gambled with the odds last year on a qualifying run and sadly didn’t make it. There were only a few films that we have written about in Doc Corner that either did not submit or were not eligible including Vision Portraits, The Raft, Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché and Beyoncé’s Homecoming would be the best of that lot.
All the big titles that we have long expected to show up, however, did. Box office hits like Apollo 11, The Biggest Little Farm, Maiden and Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice sit next to streaming heavyweights American Factory, The Edge of Democracy and Knock Down the House (Netflix), One Child Nation and Citizen K (Amazon), Gay Chorus Deep South (MTV), The Apollo (HBO) and big-name specialty titles like Western Stars and Diego Maradona with buzzy, low-key titles waiting to pounce like Advocate, Honeyland, The Kingmaker, 5B and Roll Red Roll.
We still have many of the movies featured on there to watch and (hopefully) get the chance to discuss. But we’re going to cheat and use this as a moment to play catch-up with some short paragraphs on some of the titles featured on the long list.
The Apollo
A snappily edited history lesson on the historic Apollo Theatre in Harlem from Oscar-winning director Roger Ross Williams (Music by Prudence, Life Animated) that smartly doesn’t just give us the chronological facts as if its makers are reading Wikipedia on the go. Rather, it weaves these stories of its famous performances through the more personally affecting story of the black history that gave The Apollo its live and vitality. The Apollo is more about what it means to a community, spinning its arc around a live theatrical performance of Ta-Nehisi Coates’ acclaimed Between the World and Me (Angela Bassett! Common!) about the contemporary realities of being African American. Because The Apollo is inseperable from these lived experiences as much as it is the music. It makes for a film that is both entertaining and poignant and easy to forgive the roughness of some of its archival footage.
Jawline
A documentary cousin to Eighth Grade. Small-town nobody Austyn Tester is young, handsome and has a knack of conversing with strangers online (er, not like that). He wants to be an influencer, travelling the world and earning big money to be himself (or is it?) to hordes of screaming teenage girls. Truly, a horror movie of a different breed, Liza Mandelup’s Jawline highlights the very alarming reality for many of today’s youths who see no other way out of lower-class suburbia than through the screens of laptops and phones as they use social media to build fanbases around seemingly nothing but their looks and ability to string a few nice words together about loving yourself and following your dreams. A harsh reality check that should be compulsory viewing for high schoolers.
When Tomatoes Met Wagner
Set on a delightfully rustic farm in Greece where the farmers play Wagner over their fields of tomatoes, Marianna Economou’s short and sweet documentary (it’s only 72 minutes!) has a charm that would make it immensely popular if not for the subtitles (we know how western audiences go with those these days). As these traditional farmers battle through the sands of time to stay in business as the world turns to health food fads that threaten to leave them penniless, it’s impossible not to hope for their success. It’s hardly surprising that at the Q&A I attended, it seemed everybody just wanted to know they could buy their jarred tomato and cous cous meals. They looked delicious!
The Biggest Little Farm
I came to John Chester’s The Biggest Little Farm about a couple attempting a new life as farmers with a healthy dose of scepticism. But like the Tomatoes above, I was won over by sheer goodness. Sometimes you just really need to watch something that doesn’t make you feel like the world is a dumpster fire and that we should all just die and get it over with (I watched this one on a particularly rough day following two documentaries about St*ve B*ann*n, so you can imagine my mood). Sure, anybody with the slightest knowledge of farming will know all the tricks of the trade that are espoused here as newfound gospel, but that doesn’t mean the movie itself doesn’t work. Yes, it’s all very circle of life kumbayah and that most of us could never dream of even attempting it, but I had a grin on my face from the moment they started planting those trees so, truly, I don't care? How actual farmers who don’t have the benefit of their resources will view it, however, I don't know, and that framing device is a cheap grab that it does not need. But they feel like minor quibbles with a movie that made me feel so happy.
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound
If you get the chance to see this in a cinema, then do so! It felt somewhat of a waste to watch a mere Vimeo screener on my home television, but I can still appreciate Midge Costin’s lively exploration of the – as the title says – role sound plays in film. I liked that it gave noted attention to names, particularly women, that another filmmaker of another gender (ahem) may not. Costin wades evenly through film clips, technical how-to and in-the-know industry revelry, and it should be required viewing for anybody who year in year out still can’t figure out the difference between sound mixing and sound effects editing at the Academy Awards.
Reader Comments (10)
When Tomatoes Met Wagner -- title of the year?
What about Madonna and the Breakfast Club? Why isn't elegible?
I'm rooting hard for American Factory, one of my favorite films of the year!
I'm glad to see you mention Roll Red Roll, though. While it is a little rough around the edges, it packs a big emotional punch.
Suzanne, I would be giving the statue to that or One Child Nation - presuming they're both nominated, of course. My personal favourite is The Edge of Democracy, but it's a busy year and Netflix have so many horses in the race.
Peggy Sue, it's quite a title isn't it?
I know it’s not a great doc, but I hope Linda’s film gets nominated. What a nice follow up that would be to the Kennedy Center honor. Great lady.
Great piece, Glenn. I felt the same way about The Biggest Little Farm, which I avoided seeing for a while since it didn't sound all that enticing.
Two of my favorites from this list that don't seem to be getting as much attention are The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley and At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal. I don't think either has much of a shot, but I'd love to see them included.
JAWLINE sounds really interesting. Thanks for pointing out.
Of all the music documentaries the Ronstadt film was indeed the most captivating. While the filmmakers were straightforward in style, that very basic approach enhanced the music and the story of Ronstadt's journey. Clear, powerful, feminine, authentic and heartbreaking just like her voice. . Perhaps surprisingly made grown men cry and folks applauded.
Abe, I'm less a fan of THE INVENTOR, but I will seek out AT THE HEART OF GOLD on your recommendation.
I want to you cover Madonna and the Breakfast Club if you can.