Must-see documentaries from DOC NYC 2023
DOC NYC is the largest documentary film festival in the U.S. and we're sharing some of the highlights from 2023.
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24 titles
- DirectorDan HartleyStarsDavid HolmesSue HolmesAndy HolmesA coming-of-age documentary of Daniel Radcliffe and his stunt double David Holmes, whose close friendship endures a life-changing accident.
- DirectorMstyslav ChernovStarsMstyslav ChernovEvgeniy MaloletkaLiudmyla AmelkinaAs the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities.
- DirectorMatthew HeinemanStarsJon BatisteLindsey ByrnesJonathan DinklageIn this deeply intimate documentary, musician Jon Batiste attempts to compose a symphony as his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, undergoes cancer treatment.
- DirectorMoses BwayoChristopher SharpStarsBarbie KyagulanyiBobi WineFollows Ugandan opposition leader, activist and musical star Bobi Wine. He used his music to fight the regime led by Yoweri Museveni, the person who led the country for 35 years.
- DirectorNicole NewnhamStarsDakota JohnsonShere HiteMichael ConradShere Hite's bestselling book The Hite Report liberated female orgasm by revealing the most private experiences of thousands of anonymous surveys. Her findings rocked the American establishment and conversations about gender and sexuality.
- DirectorMaite AlberdiStarsAugusto GóngoraPaulina UrrutiaGustavo CeratiAugusto and Paulina have been together for 25 years. Eight years ago, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Both fear the day he no longer recognizes her.
- DirectorJulie CohenStarsSean Saifa WallAlicia Roth WeigelRiver GalloFocuses on three individuals who overcame shame, secrecy, and unauthorized surgery throughout their childhoods to enjoy successful adulthoods. Choosing to ignore medical advice to conceal their bodies and coming out as who they truly were.
- DirectorKaouther Ben HaniaStarsOlfa HamrouniEya ChikhaouiTayssir ChikhaouiBetween light and darkness stands Olfa, a Tunisian woman and the mother of four daughters. One day, her two older daughters disappear. Filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania invites professional actresses to fill in their absence.
- DirectorJoe BrewsterMichèle StephensonStarsNikki GiovanniTaraji P. HensonJames BaldwinA look at the life of poet, Nikki Giovanni and the revolutionary historical periods through which she lived, from the Civil Rights Movement to Black Lives Matter.
- DirectorJesse Short BullLaura TomaselliStarsNick EstesCandi Brings PlentyHenry Red CloudA chronicle about how the Lakota Indians fight to reclaim control of the Black Hills. Will investigate how the sacred land was stolen in violation of treaty agreements and feature interviews with Indigenous citizens.
- DirectorLisa CortesStarsLittle RichardRalph HarperNewt CollierThe life and career of Little Richard, the one-of-a-kind rock 'n' roll icon who shaped the world of music.
- DirectorAsmae ElMoudirStarsMohamed El MoudirAsmae ElMoudirZahra JeddaouiA Moroccan woman's search for truth tangles with a web of lies in her family history. As a daughter and filmmaker, she fuses personal and national history as she reflects on the 1981 Bread Riots, drawing out connections to modern Morocco.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsJake DoveCharlotte HamblinGarry CooperSpans six decades as le Carré gives his final and most personal interview, interrupted with rare archival footage and dramatic anecdotes. It is set against the stormy Cold War backdrop that extends into the present day.
- DirectorRaoul PeckStarsJohn C. BarnettClassie CurleyMelvin DavisA Black family in North Carolina has been harassed for decades by land developers attempting to take their waterfront property.
- DirectorRoger Ross WilliamsStarsJohn ToonAngela DavisDavid GoldsteinA hybrid documentary/scripted feature based on Dr. Kendi's National Book Award-winning "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas".
- DirectorVinay ShuklaStarsRavish KumarSushil BahugunaDeepak ChaubeyHow independent news reporting in India and beyond is increasingly under threat by budgetary cuts and especially, extremists leveraging alternative platforms to spread misinformation.
- DirectorClair TitleyStarsTomoaki HamatsuJason HerToshio TsuchiyaA Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing.
- DirectorD.W. YoungStarsJames HamiltonThurston MooreEva PrinzThe stories behind iconic images of New York and celebrities, from Alfred Hitchcock to Muhammad Ali, recounted by photojournalist James Hamilton.
- DirectorZack RussellStarsKhaleel SeivwrightTakaBabieA carpenter takes it upon himself to build, and make accessible, small, life-saving shelters for the unhoused residents of Toronto during the pandemic.
- DirectorTarek AlbabaStarsRumana AhmedAngi AliNicole Serrano AlvarezOn February 10th, 2015, it took Craig Hicks 36 seconds to extinguish the lives of three young, Muslim Americans. Before they can grieve, the families are forced to become activists to set the record straight about the murders.
- DirectorPenny LaneStarsPenny LanePenny Lane's decision to become a "Good Samaritan" by giving one of her kidneys to a stranger turns into a funny and moving personal quest to understand the nature of altruism.
- DirectorStephen SoucyStarsJohn David AllenHelena Bonham CarterJohn BrightFollows the history of the Merchant Ivory partnership, featuring interviews with James Ivory and close collaborators detailing and celebrating their experiences of being a part of the company.
- DirectorRuth LeitmanStarsLizz WinsteadJoyelle JohnsonMolly GaebeComedian, disrupter extraordinaire Lizz Winstead (co-creator of The Daily Show) and her team of activists crisscross the U.S. to support abortion clinic staff and bust stigma. Pop culture icons and next-gen comics fuel this six-year road film activating small-town folks to rebuild vandalized clinics, exposing wrongdoer politicians, domestic terrorists, and media neglect as the race to the bottom ensues. A bold call to action reminds us that when the patriarchy burns down, joy will prevail.
- DirectorJialing ZhangStarsZijuan ChenTutuWenzu LiTwo families fight for justice from within the digital prison of the Chinese surveillance state.