Documentary of the Week

In “Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off the Wall,” director Spike Lee taps into rich archival footage to document the rise of the King of Pop. New interviews with Questlove, Stevie Wonder and others supply a lively history of hits like “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” and “Rock With You.” The urge to dance while watching may prove irresistible.

In “Michael Jackson’s Journey From Motown to Off the Wall,” director Spike Lee taps into rich archival footage to document the rise of the King of Pop. New interviews with Questlove, Stevie Wonder and others supply a lively history of hits like “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough” and “Rock With You.” The urge to dance while watching may prove irresistible.

Filmmaker Brian Oakes pays tribute to his longtime friend in JIM: THE JAMES FOLEY STORY, about the photojournalist who became the first American publicly executed by ISIS. Through interviews with Foley’s family and colleagues, the film illuminates the new rules of journalistic engagement in today’s conflict zones.

— Raphaela Neihausen and Thom Powers

 For more information on theatrical screenings, click here.

Every January, the Sundance Film Festival showcases an impressive array of documentary world premieres. This year, New York characters figure prominently in these three films: Weiner, directed by Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg; Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper, directed by Liz Garbus; and Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures, directed by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato.

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

— Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen

2016 Oscar Nominees for Best Documentary Feature

Amy, directed by Asif Kapadia. This intimate documentary explores the musical gifts and troubled life of the singer Amy Winehouse. For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

Cartel Land, directed by Matthew Heineman. The film reveals vigilantes fighting the drug wars on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

The Look of Silence, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer. This imaginative film, the successor to Oppenheimer's 2014 Oscar winner The Act of Killing, follows an Indonesian optician as he investigates his brother’s murder during that country's genocide in the 1960s. For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

What Happened, Miss Simone? directed by Liz Garbus. The film probes the political activism and personal turbulence of the singer Nina Simone. For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, directed by Evgeny Afineevsky. The filmmaker embeds camera crews in the violent clashes between protesters and government forces that led to the president’s overthrow in 2014. For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

— Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen

Amy, directed by Asif Kapadia. This intimate documentary explores the musical gifts and troubled life of the singer Amy Winehouse. For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

Cartel Land, directed by Matthew Heineman. The film reveals vigilantes fighting the drug wars on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

The Look of Silence, directed by Joshua Oppenheimer. This imaginative film, the successor to Oppenheimer's 2014 Oscar winner The Act of Killing, follows an Indonesian optician as he investigates his brother’s murder during that country's genocide in the 1960s. For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

What Happened, Miss Simone? directed by Liz Garbus. The film probes the political activism and personal turbulence of the singer Nina Simone. For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom, directed by Evgeny Afineevsky. The filmmaker embeds camera crews in the violent clashes between protesters and government forces that led to the president’s overthrow in 2014. For more information, click here to visit the official film web site.

— Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen

The documentary Troublemakers: The Story of Land Art explores a group of artists who fled New York City for the American southwest in the 1960s to create earthen works too massive for any gallery. Filmmaker James Crump combines archival footage with new interviews and beautiful cinematography to give fresh perspective on a movement that rejected the idea of art as a commodity.

— Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen

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

In The Story of Film, director Mark Cousins explores the history of cinema from the silent era to the present, spanning Hollywood icons and lesser known breakthroughs across the globe. Whether you watch all 15 hours or skip around, this epic work will awaken your curiosity.

— Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen 

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

In Where to Invade Next, the documentary provocateur Michael Moore travels to Europe and beyond looking to bring back ideas useful for America. Delivering laughs and memorable characters, the film is imbued with optimism as it takes on issues of education, labor, justice and women’s leadership.

 — Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen

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

In Where to Invade Next, the documentary provocateur Michael Moore travels to Europe and beyond looking to bring back ideas useful for America. Delivering laughs and memorable characters, the film is imbued with optimism as it takes on issues of education, labor, justice and women’s leadership.

 — Thom Powers and Raphaela Neihausen

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