Documentary of the Week

The documentary “Boys State” follows more than a thousand teenage boys in Texas as they participate in a weeklong program of mock elections sponsored by the American Legion. Filmmakers Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine capture political impulses from a wide spectrum. Like many elections, the suspense builds to the very end. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “A Thousand Cuts” profiles the courageous journalist Maria Ressa, who leads The Rappler news website in the Philippines. Filmmaker Ramona Diaz follows Ressa and her team as they investigate the regime of autocratic President Rodrigo Duterte in the face of intimidation, death threats and legal harassment. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

“The Fight” covers the American Civil Liberties Union lawyers as they battle the Trump administration all the way to the Supreme Court. The filmmaking trio behind Weiner - Eli Despres, Josh Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg - put us on the front lines of legal battles over immigration, abortion, LGBTQ equality and voting rights. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The started out in the L.A. punk scene and catapulted into pop stardom. The documentary “The Go-Gos” examines the brief and brilliant history of the band behind MTV hits like “We Got the Beat” and “Vacation.” Director Alison Ellwood shows how each band member made a unique contribution to make them the most successful all-female rock band, although they continue to be neglected by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “Disclosure” examines how transgender people have been portrayed in film and television from harmful stereotypes to more positive representations. Mixing film clips with commentary, director Sam Feder and executive producer Laverne Cox illustrate recent progress in shows like "Orange is the New Black" and “Pose.” — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “And She Could Be Next” is a two-part PBS documentary covering women of color across the U.S. who ran for political office in 2018. The filmmakers cover Rashida Tlaib, Lucy McBath, Stacey Abrams and others who fight hard battles against staggering odds. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “John Lewis: Good Trouble” examines the career of the civil rights crusader over six decades, from his non-violent protests in the 1960s to his career as Congressman from Georgia. Filmmaker Dawn Porter shows how Lewis continues to inspire a younger generation of crusaders like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “Welcome to Chechnya” follows the suspenseful rescue missions of activists helping members of the LGBTQ community escape from persecution in the Russian territory. Oscar-nominated director David France works with Russian film crews to capture the dangerous work up close, inspired by the reporting of The New Yorker’s Masha Gessen. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

In “Dads,” filmmaker Bryce Dallas Howard pays loving tribute to a wide range of fathers including her own, Ron Howard. She gains candid and humorous insights from an array of comedians such as Jimmy Fallon, Will Smith, and Hasan Minhaj. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “Coded Bias,” playing online at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, examines the prejudice built-in to computer code that’s mainly written by white men. Filmmaker Shalini Kantayya looks at the Algorithmic Justice League and other activists who are lobbying for more government oversight. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

“Be Water” explores the life of martial arts film star Bruce Lee, from Hollywood to Hong Kong. Filmmaker Bao Nguyen interviews Lee’s family and friends, including Kareem Abdul-Jabar, about the actor’s effort to forge his own identity. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

“On the Record” follows former music executive Drew Dixon as she weighs going public along with others in accusing Russell Simmons of rape. Oscar-nominated filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering have a long history of covering sexual assault in films such as “The Hunting Ground.” — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “The Painter and the Thief” explores a strange relationship when an artist chooses to make a portrait of the gangster who stole her work. Filmmaker Benjamin Ree achieves a remarkable intimacy filming in the quiet spaces of a studio and couples therapy. This film is a testament to the power of art. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

The five-hour PBS series “Asian Americans” traces the complex history of a multifaceted ethnic identity and experience. Series producer Renee Tajima-Peña collaborates with a team of Asian American directors to highlight remarkable lives from silent screen actress Anna May Wong to Yahoo co-founder Jerry Yang. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the series web site.

“Spaceship Earth” tells the story of eight researchers who locked themselves into the self-contained ecosystem of Biosphere 2 in the Arizona desert for two years. Filmmaker Matt Wolf documents the interpersonal dramas and scientific controversies with an approach that has more respect than ridicule for the grandiose undertaking. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

“Capital in the Twenty-First Century” adapts the best-selling book by French economist Thomas Piketty into a lively documentary set to a pop soundtrack. Director Justin Pemberton enlists economic analysts ranging from Nobel prize winner Joseph Stiglitz to Rana Foroohar to Piketty himself. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

“Circus of Books” looks at the iconic Los Angeles bookstore known for stocking gay pornography. The unlikely owners were the parents of filmmaker Rachel Mason. The film is a multi-layered exploration of gay history, First Amendment rights and family secrets. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The Netflix series “The Innocence Files” follows cases of wrongfully convicted prisoners whose cases are championed by The Innocence Project. Executive producers Liz Garbus, Alex Gibney and Roger Ross Williams uncover the effects of bad evidence, mistaken witnesses and corrupt prosecutors. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the series web site.

“Kill Chain: The Cyber War on America’s Elections” follows security expert Harri Hursti and others who reveal alarming vulnerabilities in U.S. electronic voting machines. Filmmakers Simon Ardizzone, Russell Michaels and Sarah Teale illuminate paper-balloting solutions, and point to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell as a key impediment to passing the Secure Elections Act that has bipartisan support. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

Gerrymandering might seem like an arcane political topic, but the documentary “Slay the Dragon” shows how citizen activists are fighting to bring greater democracy to the process of drawing Congressional maps. Filmmakers Barak Goodman and Chris Durrance create an emotional and suspenseful narrative for crusades across the country. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, ">click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “Crip Camp” tells the history of Camp Jened in the Catskills, where young adults became activists in the civil rights movement for people with disabilities. Filmmaker Jim Lebrecht, a former camper who witnessed the movement from the inside, teams with co-director Nicole Newnham for a rousing story of resistance, transgression and hard won freedoms. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

"After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News" studies the rise of lies in politics and their weaponization with social media. Filmmaker Andrew Rossi examines conspiracies such as Pizzagate and the operatives who foster them among both Republicans and Democrats. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

"Dirty Money" returns for a second season exposing corruption, crime and other violations of common decency, including an episode on Wells Fargo bank. Executive producer Alex Gibney leads a team of skilled filmmakers for a series that will leave you more informed and irate. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

“The Booksellers” looks at the world of antiquarian booksellers and highlights a new generation that’s breaking the stereotype of the profession as white, male and slow to change. Filmmaker D.W. Young celebrates the legendary New York stores of Argosy, The Strand and others. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

“The Kingmaker” traces the fall and rise of Imelda Marcos, the disgraced First Lady of the Philippines, who’s on a quest to bring her family back to power in alliance with President Rodrigo Duterte. Filmmaker Lauren Greenfield gains insightful interviews with the Marcos family and their critics. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

In the documentary “Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band,” filmmaker Daniel Roher explores the history of the legendary roots rock group from their formation and work with Bob Dylan to their final performance in “The Last Waltz.” Robertson, The Band’s founder, reflects on the chemistry of the five members that caused their rise and fall. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

“The Times of Bill Cunningham” profiles the legendary New York Times photographer who covered street fashion. Filmmaker Mark Bozek draws upon a rare interview with Cunningham spanning his whole career, illustrated with a dazzling array of fashion photography across several decades. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

“McMillon$” is a 6-part documentary series that explores the FBI’s investigation into the McDonald’s Monopoly scam leading all the way to the New York Mafia. Filmmakers James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte blend comedy and drama like a real-life version of "The Sopranos," with twists and revelations all the way until the end. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary "Suppressed: The Fight to Vote" looks at how GOP lawmakers made it harder for Democrats to vote in Brian Kemp's narrow victory over Democrat Stacy Abrams to become Georgia's governor. Filmmaker Robert Greenwald examines multiple tactics of purging registered voters from the rolls, holding back absentee ballots and reducing voter machines in Democratic districts that are a cautionary tale across the country for the 2020 election. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The short documentary "Walk, Run, Cha-Cha" looks at a Vietnamese couple, separated by the war, who reunite in America and recover their lost youth in dancing. Filmmaker Laura Nix uses the beauty of dance to explore the experiences of immigration and reinvention. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers Click here to watch the film.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney traces the rise and fall of Russian oligarch-turned-dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky. The film plays like a thriller with dramatic twists and unsolved murders, delivering a compelling look into a complex country that sits at the center of world politics. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “The Woman Who Loves Giraffes” profiles Anne Innis Dagg, who was a pioneer at studying animals in the wild in the 1950s, preceding Jane Goodall in Africa. Filmmaker Alison Reid draws upon archival footage from Dagg’s giraffe research and examines how she was held back as a woman in her career development by the patriarchal university system in her home country of Canada. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

The documentary “Advocate” profiles Israeli lawyer Lea Tsemel, who defends Palestinians that many regard as terrorists. Filmmakers Rachel Leah Jones and Philippe Bellaiche trace her history over several decades and follow her as she continues to defend Palestinians today, including the case of a 13-year-old boy accused of attempted murder of a Jew. The film is on the short list of 15 competing for the five slots as Oscar nominees for best documentary —to be announced later this month. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

“Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice” profiles the singer who made a success of multiple genres from rock and country to American standards and Mexican folk songs. Filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman deliver generous helpings of live performances from over the years and interview Ronstadt’s close associates including Dolly Parton, Emmy Lou Harris and Don Henley. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “I Am Big Bird: The Carroll Spinney Story" profiles the Sesame Street puppeteer who died on December 8 after embodying the Sesame Street characters Big Bird and Oscar the Ground for nearly 50 years. Filmmakers Dave LaMattina and Chad Walker trace how Spinney turned his childhood dreams of puppeteering into an adult reality. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The new documentary "Cunningham" makes beautiful use of 3D photography to convey the artistry of the choreographer Merce Cunningham. He belonged to a postwar wave of avant garde, and the film reminds us that their work was deeply divisive before it became canonized. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

Syrian filmmaker Waad al-Kateab chronicles four years of living in Aleppo during wartime in the documentary diary “For Sama” (titled after her daughter). The film, directed in collaboration with Edward Watts, contains unexpected moments of sweetness, humor, and comradery. It won the Cannes Golden Eye Award for documentary among many other festival prizes. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “The Apollo” examines the history of Harlem’s famous theater and its efforts to stay vital in the 21st Century. Director Roger Ross Williams covers both the celebrity performers on its stage and the lesser known managers, fans, ushers and amateur night performers who are the soul of the institution. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

"Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator” traces the rise and fall of the multi-millionaire hot yoga teacher Bikram Choudhury. Oscar-winning filmmaker Eva Orner documents the stories of former students who accused him of rape and how they’ve been disappointed by the criminal justice system. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

“Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project” tells the story of a Philadelphia woman who recorded television non-stop accumulating 70,000 VHS tapes. Director Matt Wolf explores Stokes’ complex life. She had communist sympathies, but came into immense wealth that supported her quixotic archival mission. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

"Narrowsburg" is a whimsical tale about a small town in the Catskills where an independent film stirred up Hollywood dreams and disappointments. The film plays like "The Music Man" with a dark side. It's one of more than 100 documentaries premiering at the DOC NYC festival running in Greenwich Village and Chelsea until November 15th. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the festival web site.

In the documentary "American Dharma," the Oscar-winning filmmaker Errol Morris interviews political operative Steve Bannon about his journey from Harvard to Hollywood to Trump's White House. Morris weaves in clips from classic films with Gregory Peck, John Wayne and Orson Welles that speak to different aspects of Bannon's career. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the Errol Morris web site.

The documentary "Ask Dr. Ruth" profiles the sex therapist now in her 90s, from her life as German Jewish refugee to becoming a talk show celebrity. Filmmaker Ryan White examines how she turned many tragic events into motivators for demystifying taboo topics. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “The Cave,” from the Oscar-nominated Syrian director Feras Fayyad (“Last Men in Aleppo”), looks at an underground hospital outside Damascus. At the center is the young female pediatrician Dr. Amani, who has to fend off male chauvinism even while she’s saving lives. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film's web site.

The documentary "The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash" traces the musician's career in his own words and through interviewers with his admirers from Emmylou Harris to Bruce Springsteen. Director Thom Zimny explores the artistry of Cash and also his struggles with adversity. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Asif Kapadia ("Amy) tells the larger-than-life story of World Cup football star "Diego Maradona." The film focuses on his tumultuous years in the 1980s, when his loyalty was divided between his home country of Argentina and his adopted country of Italy, culminating in an epic match at the 1990 World Cup. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary "The Great Hack" investigates how our personal data is collected, monetized and weaponized to sway elections. Filmmakers Karim Amer and Jehane Noujaim frame the story around the case of Cambridge Analytica, interviewing the company's insiders, whistleblowers and critics. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary "Buzz" profiles the Pulitzer Prize-winning author Buzz Bissinger ("Friday Night Lights") as he explores his own gender and sexuality while writing about Caitlyn Jenner. Filmmaker Andrew Shea creates an intimate portrait of Bissinger experimenting with cross-dressing and fetishes as he seeks to find his own authentic self. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

"This Changes Everything" profiles Geena Davis and other Hollywood women trying to fix gender discrimination on screen and behind the scenes. Filmmaker Tom Donahue and a majority female film crew including Davis as Executive Producer interview an all-star roster of talent from Shonda Rhimes to Meryl Streep. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

"Say Amen, Somebody" captures the early pioneers of gospel music, Willie Mae Smith and Thomas Dorsey, in a celebratory documentary that will move even non-believers. Director George Nierenberg made the film in the early 1980s and it's now been lovingly restored for re-release. — Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.