Documentary of the Week

In “Bisbee ’17,” residents of the mining town Bisbee, Arizona re-enact a dark chapter of history, when over 1200 immigrant workers were violently deported across state lines into the desert of New Mexico. Filmmaker Robert Greene artfully blurs the past and present to confront how the incident continues to stir strong emotions one hundred years later.

— Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers 

For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

In “America to Me," director Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”) spends a year examining a high school in Oak Park, Illinois that struggles with a performance gap along racial lines. The 10-part series on Starz looks at both students and faculty trying speak across divides of age, gender, race and income.

— Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers 

 For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary “Crime + Punishment” follows the case of the NYPD 12, who spoke out against biased policing. Filmmaker Steven Maing covers their story from the inside as they risk their careers in a documentary that plays like a modern day “Serpico.”

— Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers 

For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

The documentary “Minding the Gap” follows three skateboarding friends of different races — white, black and Asian — who are grappling with childhood abuse as they transition to adulthood. One of the trio is director Bing Liu, who started filming skateboard stunts as a teenager and now uses the camera to penetrate the shells of his peers.

— Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers 

For more information, click here to visit the film web site. 

The documentary classic “The Atomic Cafe,” an archival-footage essay about America’s relationship with the atomic bomb, is back in theaters with a new 4k restoration. Filmmakers Jayne Loader, Kevin Rafferty and Pierce Rafferty compiled government propaganda, newsreels, educational films — like one that tells students to “duck and cover” if a bomb hits — for a dark comedy.

— Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers 

For more information, click here to visit the film web page. 

The documentary “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood” profiles Scotty Bowers, who was a sexual procurer for movie stars in the studio era. Filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer reveals the closeted lives of Cary Grant, Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn and many more, as Scotty revisits his past having reached the age of 90.

— Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers 

For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

Over 70 million Americans have some kind of implanted medical device including birth control, joint replacements and pacemakers. In the Netflix documentary "The Bleeding Edge," filmmaker Kirby Dick looks at patients who have suffered from such devices and traces problems to lack of government regulation in the industry.

— Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers

For more information, click here to visit the film web site.

The documentary "Far From the Tree," based on the award-winning book by Andrew Solomon, explores the dynamics in families when kids turn out different from their parents' expectations. Filmmaker Rachel Dretzin profiles families encountering cases of Down's Syndrome, autism, dwarfism and incarceration.

— Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen

For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

The documentary “Dark Money” looks at how mysterious sources of campaign financing corrupts the political process. Filmmaker Kimberly Reed uses a case study in her home state of Montana where politicians in both parties found themselves being smeared by negative campaign ads that were difficult to trace. The film illustrates how the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision has a lasting impact on American elections.

"Dark Money" opens in theaters today.

Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin MacDonald delivers a sensitive exploration of the troubled life of  Whitney Houston in “Whitney.” With generous samplings of her music and candid interviews with her inner circle, the film helps us understand her motivations and addictions.

— Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen

For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.