One of the academically interesting consequences of the end of the cold war has been access to historical material that would not necessarily been available to Western historians while the Soviet Union was still in existence.
Miss Gulag tries hard to balance the story of a beauty pageant in a Siberian prison for females with a broader examination of life in post-Soviet society.
The key to Hey Boo's success lies in director Mary Murphy's ability to balance critique and appreciation, providing both historical and biographical context to explain the novel's importance and testimonials to attest to its timeless qualities.
The directors of The Desert of Forbidden Art, Amanda Pope and Tchavdar Georgiev, state that they are drawn to "stories about stubborn, unsung people with vision who challenge the boundaries of their times."
Klein came up for the idea of Jelly Belly, the gourmet jelly bean that comes in a myriad of different flavors, and, as related in the documentary Candyman, he ended up selling his stake in the company for a tidy profit that turned out to be a small percentage of its eventual worth.
Funny thing, though, once the film exonerates Lomborg from the mutually exclusive charges that he is a feckless idiot providing ammunition for those who would fiddle while the world burns and a knowing hypocrite who lies for a living, it actually settles down into an interesting, thought-provoking, and useful examination of the pros and cons of various approaches for dealing with global climate change.
Want to know how Robert Altman got started in making films? What does Cameron Crowe consider his most compelling film? Does Martin Scorsese think the film industry will survive? Is Spike Lee's approach to dealing with actors the same as George Lucas's?
Marwencol is a fascinating blend of two different genres, the artist documentary and the therapy film, with Mark acting as his own therapist--probing and prodding and--this is key for me--moving towards an end.
I would say then that one of the values of "I Am an American" and its attendant documentary is to show black and white together espousing and celebrating patriotism through song and honoring the influences in their lives who have helped to instill that patriotism in them. In fact, I will say it.
