Category Archives: documentary

“Maria by Callas” Trailer, Movie Clip, and Poster

documentary, drama, true stories, , , , , , ,

Directed by Tom Volf, Maria By Callas is a documentary about one of the world’s greatest opera singers that ever graced the stage and performance halls. What is unique about this documentary is that it is a compilation of the life of Maria Callas. Nothing is made up or slanted as documentaries do today. No. This is her life story. The story of the legendary Greek/American opera singer completely in her own words.

The compilation is told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs, nearly all of which have never been shown to the public.

The movie shines a light on the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.

Google Maria Callas and you will discover her life was riddled with negative press and marriages as well as love affairs. She died of a heart attack at the age of 53, which is tragic in itself, because her confidant, a woman, at the time swindled her trust and spent Callas’ money freely without helping young singers as promised but finally established a foundation.

Notable artists and well-known personalities star in the documentary including Fanny Ardant, Aristotle Onassis, Vittorio De Sica, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Luchino Visconti, and Omar Sharif.

The movie clip shows Marie Callas in an interview describing how she is two people, interesting.

https://youtu.be/g61K1-Mc7ok

I am not quite sure, but I believe, Volf is French and holds two acting credits in French films. Marie By Callas won the best Documentary in Music and Dance at the Master of Art Film Festival 2018.

“The Landing” Documentary Trailer

documentary, , ,

Co-written, produced, and directed by David Dodson and Mark Dodson, The Landing is a tricky documentary because the filmmakers are not openly saying if this is true or fabricated about the tragic Apollo 18 mission.

The documentary stars Don Hannah as Bo Cunningham; Warren Farina as Ed Lovett; Jeff McVey as Al Borden; Cindy Lou Adkins as Kate Borden; Page Hannah as Sandy Cunningham-Bates; Arlene Hughes-Martinez as Joan Lovett; Robert Pine as congressional representative Pete Pellarin; Craig Stepp as Mike Russo; and Joe Santaniello as Fred Calder. 

The Landing focuses on today’s fake news environment and demonstrates how easy it is to fool the world. Watch the trailer, which is not straightforward; you will see how the movie seems natural but is a lesson on fake news propaganda.

It was an exciting time in NASA’s Apollo missions. In 1973, the United States operated space program experienced an extraordinary tragedy, an event that, despite its place as one of the most disturbing episodes of the “space race,” was nevertheless all but ignored during the emerging Watergate scandal that ultimately claimed the presidency of President Richard M. Nixon.

Returning from a successful lunar landing mission, NASA’s Apollo 18 suffered a computer error that forced command module pilot Bo Cunningham to take the controls and fly the spacecraft to an emergency landing in the remote Taklamakan Desert of western China, far from the intended splashdown target in the Pacific Ocean. Thirty-six hours would pass before NASA located the spacecraft, the site of a national tragedy. What happened during the astronauts’ time in the desert, the inquiry that followed, and the mystery surrounding the event, is the subject of The Landing.

“Presented as a documentary, our movie demonstrates how unsettlingly easy it is to reshape people’s memories,” said the LANDING co-writer and co-directors David Dodson and Mark Dodson, who explained that many viewers of the award-winning film were convinced it was a real documentary regarding actual historical events when it appeared at film festival screenings. “It’s one of the abiding themes of the project and particularly germane in today’s cultural and political climate amidst the whole ‘fake news’ and ‘alternative facts’ lunacy.”

The Landing won awards while on the festival circuit. Best Director at the 2017 Boston Sci Film Festival – Best Thriller at the 2017 Burbank International Film Festival – Best Feature at 2017 Escape Velocity, Washington, D.C.

Pick of the Litter Trailer and Poster

documentary, family movies,

Directed by Dana Nachman and Don Hardy, Pick of the Litter is a documentary that focuses on a litter of puppies from their birth as they begin their destiny to develop into guide dogs for the blind.

Dana Nachman also wrote the screenplay for this documentary as cameras trail along with these puppies as they go through a profound two-year journey. They train to grow into dogs whose greatest responsibility is to protect their blind companions from harm.

Progressing along, these extraordinary canines place their obedience on a community of committed people. They train the puppies to do amazing, life-changing accomplishments in the service of their human.

Not every dog makes the grade and becomes a guide dog. Though, they try their best and can only hope they are the pick of the litter.

Science Fair Documentary Trailer, Interview with the Directors, and Poster

documentary, ,

Directed by Cristina Costantini and Darren Foster, Science Fair is a National Geographic Documentary. The movie follows nine high school students from around the globe as they navigate rivalries, setbacks and, even hormones, on their journey to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair.

Word on the street is the movie is “immensely likable,” “brilliant and quirky” and an “ode to the teenage science geeks on who our future depends.”

The documentary is the winner of both the audience award at Sundance and SXSW. Costantini and Foster are award-winning documentary filmmakers. “The idea of doing a documentary about science fair has been an obsession of mine since I first went to the International Science and Engineering Fair as a freshman in high school in 2004. I had seen Spellbound the year before and when I got to ISEF, I thought, someone, needs to make a documentary about this crazy little world. It had everything — an international cast of angsty teenagers and inspiring prodigies, all devoted to one very niche subculture, and all striving to make the world a better place,” explained Costantini.

Foster added, “ I was a science kid, too, and participated in a science fair, but the level that Cristina competed at was another world. What really sold me was this story about how she skipped the opportunity to go to the junior prom with her high school crush so she could compete at a science fair. I won’t do the story justice, you’ll have to ask Cristina, but it was the nerdiest thing I ever heard. I was in.”

Any parent who has helped or encouraged their child or children through a Science Fair needs to see this documentary.  The movie trailer is uplifting. I imagine the movie is super-uplifting. 

Here is a great interview with the two directors.

Amazon’s “Eat. Race. Win.” Trailer and Poster

based on a book, documentary, ,

Eat. Race. Win. takes a behind-the-scenes look at the off-the-bike adventure into one of the biggest annual sporting events in the world – The Tour de France.

The movie follows Chef Hannah Grant on her race within the race as she sources performance food for Australia’s pro cycling team, Orica-Scott.  Sports Director Matthew, with Orica-Scott, rallies his riders to victory.

Grant and her team competently create a daily menu of food that is delicious tasting and geared to fuel riders for over 2200 grueling miles. Along the Tour and across the culinary landscape of France, Grant—known as the Queen of Performance Cooking and the first chef of elite pedigree in racing—shows us exactly what it takes to perform at the edge of human endurance for 21 race days.

All six episodes will stream during the release of Grant’s cookbook of the same name.

“Whitney” Documentary Trailer, Movie Clip, and Posters

documentary, ,

Directed by Kevin Macdonald, Whitney is a documentary about Whitney Houston. A super talented singer who broke more music industry records than any other female singer in history.  If you haven’t heard of Whitney Houston, just google her name. You will recognize her music.

Whitney was nominated for the Golden Eye and Queer Palm award during the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

I would have a hard time watching this movie with a dry eye. I would need two boxes of tissues because her life was so tragic – according to the news headlines.  I am sure she had some happy moments – probably tons of happy moments.

Her talent and personality brought over 200 million album sales worldwide. She was the only artist to chart seven consecutive U.S. No. 1 singles. She also starred in several blockbuster movies before her brilliant career gave way to erratic behavior, scandals, and death at age 48.

It saddens me to even think that a documentary about her has arrived.

The posters look so inspirational and validating the career of a legend.

The documentary is an intimate, unflinching portrait of Houston and her family that probes beyond familiar tabloid headlines and sheds new light on the entrancing path of Houston’s life.

The studio claims there is never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives and original interviews with the people who knew her best.

From Glasgow, Scotland, Macdonald is an Oscar-winning filmmaker with some awesome credits like One Day in September (won an Oscar – Best Documentary,) Marley, and The Last King of Scotland.

The studio boasts Macdonald unravels the mystery behind Whitney and how she struggled to make peace with her own troubled past.  I don’t think anyone can figure it out. The only person who knows is Whitney Houston.

The movie clip below shows Whitney in rehearsals. Such a dynamic and beautiful person who left us way too soon.

Disney’s Nature – “Penguins” Trailer & Clips

action, adventure, documentary, family movies

Disney’s Nature brings another documentary to the silver screen.

We meet Steve and his friends in Antarctica.  The family movie, part of the Disney Earth series, will be released next Earth Day.  There is not much-written information about the film, but the trailer explains quite a bit.

The Sizzle reel of the last ten years of Disney’s Nature is so much fun to watch and realize how much time and effort it took to make these unforgettable movies.

The three movie clips show what we will see watching this documentary. I am impressed with their work. These documentaries must be produced and directed to the public so we understand the importance of helping all living forms survive on this planet.

Mr. Rogers: “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”

documentary, ,

Directed by Oscar-winner Morgan Neville, the documentary about the life and work of Fred Rogers called Won’t You Be My Neighbor? captures an in-depth look at America’s favorite neighbor.

According to the storyline, the movie follows a man we all thought we knew as we watched him on television. They promote the documentary as an emotional and moving film that takes you beyond zip-up cardigans and the land of make-believe and into the heart of a creative genius who inspired generations of children with compassion and limitless imagination.

Neville won an Oscar for his documentary 20 Feet from Stardom. The movie focuses on talented people who harmonize with the biggest music bands.

Focus Features Chairman Peter Kujawski commented on Neville’s work. “Morgan once again avoids making a traditional bio-doc and instead takes us behind the curtain to see how Fred Rogers navigated the cultural and social issues of the second half of the twentieth century with his own brand of forward-thinking, compassionate wisdom far beyond his time. Mister Rogers makes us all want to be better people, and we couldn’t be more proud to be a part of telling his story today.”

“The Fred Rogers I discovered making this film is at once comfortably familiar and completely surprising. I believe Mister Rogers is the kind of voice we need to hear right now,” said director Morgan Neville. “I am thrilled to work with Focus Features on taking this film out into the world, along with my collaborators at Impact Partners and Independent Lens.”

“This is Morgan’s fourth film with Independent Lens, following our Emmy Award-winning collaboration on Best of Enemies,” said Independent Lens Executive Producer Lois Vossen. “His beautiful new film shows us just how cool Mister Rogers was and how relevant and vital his voice is right now.”

Morgan Neville, Caryn Capotosto, and Nicholas Ma produced Won’t You Be My Neighbor? The movie trailer and clips from the documentary show a movie all generations will want to see because Mr. Rogers will continue to be an inspiration.

The below trailer offers more clips of Mr. Rogers working on his show and about his life.

The movie trailer shows many clips (some black & white) of Fred Rogers working on his television show.

Fred Rogers is a true inspiration for public television.

“Planet Earth II” Official Extended Trailer – BBC Earth

adventure, BBC, documentary,

I remember seeing Planet Earth 10 years ago, and it changed my view of our world. Now the BBC takes us closer than ever before. This is life in all its wonder. This is our planet, and this is Planet Earth II.