This Week In Documentary: Copa 71, Hummingbirds, King Coal
Theatrical & Streaming Releases - New & Recommended - June 21-27, 2024
Summer is officially here, but where are the documentary summer blockbusters? Doesn’t everyone know that watching something truthful in a theater with air conditioning is the best way to spend these hotter days of the year? What, you want escapism in the summertime? What’s more of an escape these days than getting the truth? Three of this week’s documentary highlights are opening in theaters, and it’s recommended you see them on the big screen if possible. Unfortunately, that’s not possible for most of us. Only one of them is playing throughout the U.S. immediately.
At least you’ll be able to watch them all in some form soon enough, unlike a lot of classic documentaries. This week’s big anniversary titles include rarities in terms of their availability. Friday, June 21, marks the 30th anniversary of the astronaut-focused IMAX short Destiny in Space, which can now only be watched on DVD, not the optimal format. The same day is the 55th anniversary of the BBC premiere of Royal Family, which Queen Elizabeth II and the other titular subjects disliked and almost entirely removed from distribution afterward. At least there was an episode of The Crown about it. Also celebrating 55 years on June 21 is Candid Caine: A Self Portrait of Michael Caine, which you can find on YouTube but is otherwise not available (don’t confuse it for the CBC’s Candid Caine special on the actor on their website).
Other documentaries celebrating documentaries can be more authoritatively seen. Sunday, June 23, is the 20th anniversary of the theatrical release of Michael Moore’s Palme d’Or winner, Fahrenheit 9/11 (now streaming on Peacock, Tubi, and Kanopy). Two days later, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Kazuo Hara’s essential masterpiece Extreme Private Eros: Love Song 1974 (The Criterion Channel) and the 65th anniversary of the Oscar-winning nature documentary Serengeti (a.k.a. Serengeti Shall Not Die), which is streaming free on a service called My Film Friend.
This week, we also recognize the anniversaries of two filmmakers’ births. Monday, June 24, is Mads Brügger’s birthday. This means it’s a good day to watch his provocative documentaries The Red Chapel (free on Fandango At Home and Kanopy), The Ambassador (Kanopy, The Roku Channel, and Pluto TV), and Cold Case Hammarskjöld (VOD). Michel Brault, one of the pioneers of Canada’s cinema direct movement, was born on June 25, 1928. For the occasion of his birthday, we recommend watching his films Les Raquetteurs, Pour la Suite du Monde, Éloge du Chiac, Ozias Leduc... Painter of the Soul's Seasons, and Acadia Acadia?!?, all of which are streaming free on the National Film Board of Canada website, plus Chronicle of a Summer (The Criterion Channel), which he shot.
Now, without further ado, here are this week’s highlights, listings, and coming attractions, including our Pick of the Week. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to receive more highlights and reviews.
Nonfics Pick Of The Week: Copa 71 (2023)
Did you know there was a women’s “World Cup” soccer tournament 20 years before the first official FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991? If not, that’s okay. Neither did Brandi Chastain, the U.S. soccer star who thought she had been in the first event of its kind 33 years ago. I know this because the documentary Copa 71 opens with the filmmakers showing Chastain clips of the 1971 Women's World Cup and her being shocked that she wasn’t aware of it before. It’s a good way to immediately shelter the audience from shame about also being ignorant of the history and show that even people you’d think were familiar with the story were not.
We saw another documentary take a similar approach earlier this year. The Space Race. As written in a previous Week in Documentary, it was great to see many astronauts in the documentary admit to not knowing about Black astronauts and would-be astronauts from before their time. These films drive home the importance of uncovering these hidden stories of inclusion that have been swept under the rug in favor of white patriarchal histories. Just as The Space Race benefits from the appearance of one of those unknown Black astronauts (Ed Dwight, Jr.), Copa 71 works because it features women who played for the Mexico, England, Denmark, and Italian teams in 1971. The dug-up footage of the matches and other material of these teams from the time is the central spark of it all, however. It’s really special to finally witness.
Copa 71 releases theatrically in New York City, San Francisco, Key West, and two cities in Washington, on Friday, June 21. Other cities will follow (find dates and locations here). The film is also out on VOD on the same day.
Other Documentary Highlights
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Arthur Dong Films
Arthur Dong is a little-known but very important part of American cinema, and not just for the documentaries he has directed. But those are what we’re highlighting at this time because of two Blu-ray box sets of his worth that are coming out this week. They represent the two most significant areas of his career as a documentarian. One is titled “Arthur Dong’s Asian American Stories” and includes the Oscar-nominated short Sewing Woman plus Hollywood Chinese, Forbidden City, U.S.A., and The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor.
Even more notable for Pride Month is the other set, titled “Arthur Dong’s LGBTQ Stories.” Included in this one are the documentaries Coming Out Under Fire, about gay men in World War II, Licensed to Kill, about anti-gay murders, Family Fundamentals, about conservative parents of gay children, and Out Rage '69, about the history of gay rights in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Both of these essential sets will be released on Tuesday, June 25, by Kino Lorber.
Hummingbirds (2023)
I don’t ever get to see documentaries on the big screen anymore. They don’t usually play in my neck of the woods, and I’m not able to get to film festivals like I used to. This week’s highlights include two docs I wish I could have seen in a theater. The first is Hummingbirds, a unique sort of personal project starring two of its directors, neither of which really acknowledges that they’re making or part of a documentary. The other credited director is Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, who is also the cinematographer and a big part of why I’m sad I can’t see it on the big screen. It’s gorgeous.
As for the two main directors/characters, Silvia Del Carmen Castaños and Estefanía “Beba” Contreras are the kinds of best friends that seem too perfect not to be scripted, yet they aren’t. They’re a testament to friendship, though, and at one point one of them even says their close bond is a substitute for therapy, which they can’t afford. The two navigate the streets of Laredo and address issues like immigration — they both arrived from Mexico as children — and reproductive rights. This is the kind of documentary that doesn’t feel like it’s about anything but also feels that it’s about too many things to put in a synopsis. I could have followed these filmmakers/characters for hours and hours more.
Hummingbirds will be released theatrically in New York City on Friday, June 21.
I Am: Celine Dion (2024)
Director Irene Taylor (Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements) has the honor of having the documentary hitting the most theaters this week, with 480 screens. Not to be confused for being part of Derik Murray’s I Am franchise, I Am: Celine Dion is the latest celebrity documentary, and like many vanity projects of late this one does seem to be putting more vulnerability out there than ego. The feature follows the titular pop diva in her emotional struggle with stiff-person disease.
King Coal (2023)
This is the other documentary I wish I could have seen on the big screen. I saw it during Sundance ‘23 via screener link and loved its cinematography. No surprise, it went on to win an award from the American Society of Cinematographers, and it was nominated for IDA and Cinema Eye Honors prizes for cinematography. You’d think it would have had greater theatrical distribution so we all could see that cinematography as it was meant to be seen. Alas, it’s now time to discover King Coal on the small screen as the opening film of POV Season 37.
I like King Coal a lot, but I wanted to love it more. It looks great, its narration reminded me of Badlands, and I’m all for its dealing with mythic and lyrical truth rather than straight reality (it’s very different from director Elaine McMillion Sheldon’s Oscar-nominated short, Heroin(e). This film offers a kind of personal pastiche of growing up as a coal miner’s daughter in Appalachia with a tapestry of real and staged imagery. Some of that staginess felt too inauthentic for me, not because of any rules I have about documentary (normally I love the hybrid thing) but it just didn’t work all the way through for me. I still recommend it, though.
King Coal will make its broadcast premiere on PBS on Monday, June 24.
Real TV Awards Winners
Last Saturday, the Critics Choice Association held the 6th annual Real TV Awards, honoring reality television and other nonfiction programming. Among the winners were a handful of documentary shows. The David Beckham-focused series Beckham (available on Netflix) won the award for Best Limited Series while another soccer story, Welcome to Wrexham (Hulu), was named Best Sports Show. Trafficked: Underworlds with Mariana van Zeller (Hulu and National Geographic) won the award for Best Crime/Justice Show, Planet Earth III (VOD) won the award for Best Animal/Nature Show, We’re Here (Max) won the award for Best Structured Series, and The Reluctant Traveler with Eugene Levy (Apple TV+) won the awards for Best Travel/Adventure Show and Best Unstructured Series.
Documentary Release Calendar 6/21/24 - 6/27/24
Friday, June 21, 2024
Bread & Roses (2023) - A feature documentary about women living in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. (Apple TV+)
Copa 71 (2023) - A feature documentary about the first unofficial Women’s World Cup. (In Theaters and VOD)
Gay USA (1977) - A feature documentary showcasing Gay Pride parades across the U.S. (TCM)
Geoff McFetridge: Drawing a Life (2023) - A feature documentary about the titular artist. (In Theaters)
Hummingbirds (2023) - A feature documentary about two filmmakers/friends in Laredo, Texas. (In Theaters)
I Am: Celine Dion (2024) - A feature documentary about the titular singer and her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome. (In Theaters)
Invisible Nation (2023) - A feature documentary about Tsai Ing-wen, the first female president of Taiwan. (In Theaters: Los Angeles)
Roots of Comedy with Jesus Trejo (2024) - A six-part docuseries showcasing diverse comedians. The first two episodes, starring Ali Sultan and Vanessa Gonzalez, respectively, premiere on this date. (PBS)
She Rises Up (2024) - A feature documentary about three women starting their own businesses. (In Theaters)
The Speedway Murders (2023) - A true-crime documentary about an unsolved case from 1978. (In Theaters and VOD)
Taylor Swift vs. Scooter Braun: Bad Blood (2024) - A two-part documentary about the feud between singer-songwriter Taylor Swift and music mogul Scooter Braun. (Max)
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Accident, Suicide or Murder Season 5, Episode 6: “Dark Plunge” - The latest episode of this true-crime series involves a couple found in a lake in a submerged pickup truck. (Oxygen True Crime)
The Queen (1968) - A feature documentary showing a behind-the-scenes look at a drag queen contest in New York City. (TCM)
Stevie Van Zandt: Disciple (2024) - A feature documentary about the titular musician and actor. (Max)
Sunday, June 23, 2024
The Icons that Built America (2024) - A six-part docuseries about innovators in the entertainment industry. (History)
Sins of the South Season 1, Episode 7: “Savannah’s Deadly Bet” - The latest episode of this true-crime series involves the death of an anti-gun violence activist. (Oxygen True Crime)
Monday, June 24, 2024
Breakin’ On the One (2024) - A feature documentary about the 1981 breaking battle between the Rocksteady Crew and the Dynamic Rockers in New York City. (Hulu)
King Coal (2023) - A feature documentary about the coal culture of Appalachia. Airing as an episode of POV. (PBS)
Walt Disney: Behind the Magic (2024) - A feature documentary about Walt Disney. (Reelz)
The Wedding in Monaco (1956) - A short documentary about the wedding of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. (TCM)
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Ancient Aliens Season 19 - The previous season of this documentary series about UFOs and aliens being part of ancient history. (DVD)
Coming Out Under Fire (1994) - A feature documentary about gay World War II veterans and the military policy against homosexuals at the time of the war. Released as part of the box set “Arthur Dong’s LGBTQ Stories.” (Blu-ray)
Copa 71 (2023) - A feature documentary about the first unofficial Women’s World Cup. (DVD)
Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge (2024) - A feature documentary about the fashion designer. (Hulu)
Enter the Clones of Bruce (2023) - A feature documentary about the Brucesploitation trend of Bruce Lee ripoffs. (Blu-ray)
Family Fundamentals (2002) - A feature documentary about conservative Christian parents with gay children. Released as part of the box set “Arthur Dong’s LGBTQ Stories.” (Blu-ray)
Forbidden City, U.S.A. (1989) - A medium-length documentary about an all-Chinese nightclub in San Francisco. Released as part of the box set “Arthur Dong’s Asian American Stories.” (Blu-ray)
Hollywood Chinese (2007) - A feature documentary about film history through a Chinese-American lens. Released as part of the box set “Arthur Dong’s Asian American Stories.” (Blu-ray)
I Am: Celine Dion (2024) - A feature documentary about the titular singer and her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome. (VOD)
The Killing Fields of Dr. Haing S. Ngor (2015) - A feature documentary about the Cambodian doctor turned prisoner turned Oscar-winning actor. Released as part of the box set “Arthur Dong’s Asian American Stories.” (Blu-ray)
Licensed to Kill (1997) - A Sundance-winning feature documentary investigating anti-gay murders. Released as part of the box set “Arthur Dong’s LGBTQ Stories.” (Blu-ray)
Meeting The Beatles in India (2020) - A feature documentary following filmmaker Paul Saltzman back to India where he met The Beatles. (Blu-ray)
One South: Portrait of a Psych Unit (2024) - A two-part documentary about a hospital’s psychiatric unit in Queens, New York. (Max)
Orlando: My Political Biography (2023) - A Berlin Film Festival award-winning personal essay documentary directed by trans filmmaker Paul B. Preciado about his and others’ transitions. (Blu-ray and DVD)
Out Rage ‘69 (1995) - A medium-length installment of the docuseries The Question of Equality that covers the fight for LGBTQ rights through the ‘50s and ‘60s. Released as part of the box set “Arthur Dong’s LGBTQ Stories.” (Blu-ray)
Sewing Women (1982) - A short documentary about a woman from her arranged marriage in China to her working-class life in America. Released as part of the box set “Arthur Dong’s Asian American Stories.” (Blu-ray)
TikTok Star Murders (2024) - A feature documentary about a TikTok creator who killed his wife. (Peacock)
Ultramegalopolis (1995) - A feature documentary about Los Angeles. (Blu-ray)
Walt Disney: Behind the Magic (2024) - A feature documentary about Walt Disney. (Peacock)
Yoshiki: Under the Sky (2023) - A concert film co-directed by and starring Japanese rocker Yoshiki plus The Chainsmokers, Scorpions, Sarah Brightman, and many other artists. (Blu-ray)
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
The Real CSI: Miami (2024) - A new docuseries based on the CSI franchise involving cases solved through forensic techniques. (CBS)
Worst Roommate Ever Season 2 - The return of the docuseries about terrible roommates. (Netflix)
Thursday, June 27, 2024
Something to Stand for with Mike Rowe (2024) - A feature documentary hosted by Mike Rowe as he tells stories of American history. (In Theaters)
Sneak Peak At What’s Coming Soon
6/28 - The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout - A feature documentary about the multi-level disaster of the John Wayne movie The Conqueror. (In Theaters)
7/12 - The Blues Under the Skin - Restoration of the 1973 music documentary starring B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and other blues legends. (In Theaters)
7/19 - Skywalkers: A Love Story - A feature documentary about a couple who are “rooftoppers,” as they climb skyscrapers and other heights. (Netflix)
7/30 - Under the Radar – Secrets of a Swedish Serial Killer - A true-crime docuseries about a murderer cryptically confessing through song. (Viaplay)
7/31 - Blackpink World Tour Born Pink in Cinemas (2024) - A concert film starring the group Blackpink. (In Theaters)
10/18 - Union - A feature documentary directed by Stephen Maing (Crime + Punishment) and Brett Story (The Hottest August) about an effort by Amazon workers to unionize. (In Theaters)