Documentary of the Week

The documentary “Assassins” investigates the bizarre 2017 plot to murder Kim Jong-Nam, the half brother to North Korea’s Supreme Leader. His killing was carried out in a Malaysian airport lobby by two young women who thought they were performing for a TV prank show.

Official trailer:

“The Dissident” investigates the plan by Saudi Arabia's government to murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Oscar-winning director Bryan Fogel, who made “Icarus” about the Russian Olympic doping program, brings a strong commitment of speaking truth to power.

Official trailer:

In “David Attenborough: A Life on our Planet,” the acclaimed nature documentary maker combines stunning visuals of wildlife with a passionate appeal for humans to rescue the planet. Attenborough outlines how humans need to make changes to how we eat, farm and get energy in order to preserve our future.

Official trailer:

"Giving Voice” celebrates the legacy of August Wilson by looking at a competition of high school students performing his monologues on a Broadway stage. Filmmakers James D. Stern and Fernando Villena also bring in the perspectives of actors like Viola Davis and Denzel Washington who are well-versed in Wilson’s work.

Official trailer:

“40 Years a Prisoner” follows Mike Africa Jr. as he seeks to reunite with his parents after they were imprisoned for the 1978 shootout between Philadelphia’s police and the radical group MOVE. Filmmaker Tommy Oliver interviews eyewitnesses from multiple sides to explore the tragic dynamics that led to the violent confrontation and the flawed system of justice that followed.

Official Trailer:

"Through the Night” pays tribute to working mothers by looking at a 24-hour child care facility run by Deloris “Nunu” Hogan and and her husband Patrick in New Rochelle, NY. Filmmaker Loira Limbal won DOC NYC’s Special Jury Prize for the Ethics of Care for her poignant treatment of these essential workers.

Official trailer:

The documentary “76 Days” was filmed inside hospitals in Wuhan, China during the city's lockdown at the outbreak of Covid-19. A rare independent documentary given China’s tight media control, the trio of directors Hao Wu, Weixi Chen and Anonymous present an unprecedented period of history with the pacing of a thriller.

Official trailer:

“Fireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds” takes a global journey to study meteors from the past and present. Directed by Werner Herzog and Clive Oppenheimer, the film interviews people obsessed with fallen bits of stardust from Norwegian jazz musician Jon Larsen to planetary scientist Meenakshi Wadhwa. 

Official trailer:

"I Am Greta” follows teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg over the year she rose from obscurity to becoming the voice of a generation. Swedish filmmaker Nathan Grossman had unique access to Thunberg, including her trip by sailboat across the Atlantic to speak at the United Nations in 2019.

The film is streaming on Hulu. Official Trailer:

“MLK/FBI” returns us to a time when J. Edgar Hoover led a campaign of surveillance and harassment against Martin Luther King, Jr.

The film is being previewed online at the DOC NYC festival where filmmaker Sam Pollard is being honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

DOC NYC Trailer: