The HBO Original documentary Great Photo, Lovely Life: Facing A Family’S Secrets, directed by Amanda Mustard and Rachel Beth Anderson, debuts Tuesday, December 5 (10:00-11:55 p.m. Et/Pt). The documentary will debut on HBO and be available to stream on Max.
Synopsis: Amanda Mustard, a renowned photojournalist drawn to the power of truth-telling through the lens of her camera, returns home to Pennsylvania to investigate the multiple sexual abuse crimes committed by her grandfather. A visual whirlwind of memories from her family’s archive unravels a world of secrets and help illustrate a granddaughter’s unflinching attempt to disrupt a cycle of intergenerational trauma through the voices of the survivors and her grandfather himself.
An eight-year cinematic journey with revealing interviews, archival photographs, and intimate home movies, Great Photo, Lovely Life: Facing A Family’S Secrets documents a personal journey to not only uncover, but also understand the impact her grandfather,...
Synopsis: Amanda Mustard, a renowned photojournalist drawn to the power of truth-telling through the lens of her camera, returns home to Pennsylvania to investigate the multiple sexual abuse crimes committed by her grandfather. A visual whirlwind of memories from her family’s archive unravels a world of secrets and help illustrate a granddaughter’s unflinching attempt to disrupt a cycle of intergenerational trauma through the voices of the survivors and her grandfather himself.
An eight-year cinematic journey with revealing interviews, archival photographs, and intimate home movies, Great Photo, Lovely Life: Facing A Family’S Secrets documents a personal journey to not only uncover, but also understand the impact her grandfather,...
- 11/20/2023
- by Travis B. Dhalia
- Martin Cid - TV
Joanna Merlin, who created the role of the daughter Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway and served as a casting director for Stephen Sondheim, Harold Prince and Bernardo Bertolucci, has died. She was 92.
Merlin died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disorder, her daughters, documentary filmmaker Rachel Dretzin (Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey) and actress Julie Dretzin (The Handmaid’s Tale), announced.
Merlin also portrayed the dance teacher Miss Berg in Alan Parker’s Fame (1980) and recurred as Judge Lena Petrovsky for more than a decade on NBC’s Law and Order: Svu.
Her acting résumé included the films Hester Street (1975), All That Jazz (1979), Baby It’s You (1983), The Killing Fields (1984), Mystic Pizza (1988), Class Action (1991) and City of Angels (1998) and such TV shows as Naked City, The Defenders, East Side/West Side, Homeland and The Good Wife.
Merlin cast the original Broadway productions of Sondheim’s Company,...
Merlin died Sunday in Los Angeles of complications from myelodysplastic syndrome, a bone marrow disorder, her daughters, documentary filmmaker Rachel Dretzin (Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey) and actress Julie Dretzin (The Handmaid’s Tale), announced.
Merlin also portrayed the dance teacher Miss Berg in Alan Parker’s Fame (1980) and recurred as Judge Lena Petrovsky for more than a decade on NBC’s Law and Order: Svu.
Her acting résumé included the films Hester Street (1975), All That Jazz (1979), Baby It’s You (1983), The Killing Fields (1984), Mystic Pizza (1988), Class Action (1991) and City of Angels (1998) and such TV shows as Naked City, The Defenders, East Side/West Side, Homeland and The Good Wife.
Merlin cast the original Broadway productions of Sondheim’s Company,...
- 10/17/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Joanna Merlin, whose acting career stretched from Broadway (she was the original Tzeitel in Fiddler On The Roof), film (she played the dance teacher Miss Berg in Alan Parker’s 1980 film Fame) and TV (Law & Order: SVU‘s Judge Lena Petrovsky on dozens of episodes) has died. She was 92.
Her death was announced on the Instagram page of the New York University Tisch Graduate Acting Program, where Merlin had been on the faculty since 1998.
“Joanna was an actress, master Chekhov teacher, and former casting director for Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Bernardo Bertolucci, and James Ivory,” the NYU message said, adding, “Joanna will be deeply missed at Grad Acting, by the Chekhov community, and by the many people she touched through her artistry.”
As a casting director, Merlin was involved in numerous landmark Broadway productions written by Stephen Sondheim. She was, for many years, Harold Prince’s go-to casting director.
A...
Her death was announced on the Instagram page of the New York University Tisch Graduate Acting Program, where Merlin had been on the faculty since 1998.
“Joanna was an actress, master Chekhov teacher, and former casting director for Harold Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Bernardo Bertolucci, and James Ivory,” the NYU message said, adding, “Joanna will be deeply missed at Grad Acting, by the Chekhov community, and by the many people she touched through her artistry.”
As a casting director, Merlin was involved in numerous landmark Broadway productions written by Stephen Sondheim. She was, for many years, Harold Prince’s go-to casting director.
A...
- 10/16/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
According to writer Andrew Solomon, the key to finding acceptance lies in addressing “the tyranny of everything being expected to be the same”.
Solomon was speaking at a special screening of a documentary inspired by his 2012 non-fiction book, Far from the Tree, at London’s Barbican Centre on Thursday (25 January).
Motivated by his own difficulties coming out as gay to his parents, Solomon decided to examine the experiences of other families in which there are profound differences between parents and their children. “Having always imagined myself in a fairly slim minority,” he writes, “I suddenly saw that I was in a vast company. Difference unites us.”
In the film, which is directed by Rachel Dretzin, we see a range of children who are, in their own ways, different from their parents. One, named Jason, was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome as a baby, with his parents told that he’d...
Solomon was speaking at a special screening of a documentary inspired by his 2012 non-fiction book, Far from the Tree, at London’s Barbican Centre on Thursday (25 January).
Motivated by his own difficulties coming out as gay to his parents, Solomon decided to examine the experiences of other families in which there are profound differences between parents and their children. “Having always imagined myself in a fairly slim minority,” he writes, “I suddenly saw that I was in a vast company. Difference unites us.”
In the film, which is directed by Rachel Dretzin, we see a range of children who are, in their own ways, different from their parents. One, named Jason, was diagnosed with Down’s syndrome as a baby, with his parents told that he’d...
- 1/27/2023
- by Dan Byam Shaw
- The Independent - Film
Cinema Eye Honors, the organization that recognizes outstanding artistic achievement in nonfiction and documentary films & series, announced the first round of their 2023 awards and nominations at its annual Cinema Eye Fall Lunch held in Los Angeles.
In the five Broadcast categories, HBO film “Four Hours at the Capitol,” an inside look at the January 6th riot, led with three nominations: Broadcast Film, Broadcast Editing and Broadcast Cinematography. Other projects like the Disney+ docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back” and Showtime’s “We Need to Talk About Cosby” also received more than one nomination.
Other announcements at the event include the annual Shorts List, which spotlights 10 of the year’s top documentary short films, and the recipient of the Legacy Award this year, Terry Zwigoff’s 1995 film “Crumb.”
“I’m glad to find out you don’t have to be dead to receive this award,” Zwigoff said in a written statement. “I...
In the five Broadcast categories, HBO film “Four Hours at the Capitol,” an inside look at the January 6th riot, led with three nominations: Broadcast Film, Broadcast Editing and Broadcast Cinematography. Other projects like the Disney+ docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back” and Showtime’s “We Need to Talk About Cosby” also received more than one nomination.
Other announcements at the event include the annual Shorts List, which spotlights 10 of the year’s top documentary short films, and the recipient of the Legacy Award this year, Terry Zwigoff’s 1995 film “Crumb.”
“I’m glad to find out you don’t have to be dead to receive this award,” Zwigoff said in a written statement. “I...
- 10/20/2022
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Exclusive: The Cinema Eye Honors announced its first round of nominations today for artistic achievement in documentary film and series, with HBO’s Four Hours at the Capitol earning the most of any contender [full list below].
The documentary by Jamie Roberts about the January 6 insurrection scored nominations for Broadcast Film, Broadcast Editing and Broadcast Cinematography. Peter Jackson’s Disney+ series The Beatles: Get Back, landed two nominations — for Broadcast Series and Broadcast Editing. Get Back swept five Primetime Emmy categories last month.
‘Downfall: The Case Against Boeing’
Rory Kennedy’s Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, snubbed by the Emmys, earned a Cinema Eye Honors nomination for Broadcast Film. It will go up against Four Hours at the Capitol, and Emmy winner George Carlin’s American Dream, the two-part HBO film directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, among other contenders.
Nanfu Wang’s HBO docuseries Mind Over Murder, which premiered after the...
The documentary by Jamie Roberts about the January 6 insurrection scored nominations for Broadcast Film, Broadcast Editing and Broadcast Cinematography. Peter Jackson’s Disney+ series The Beatles: Get Back, landed two nominations — for Broadcast Series and Broadcast Editing. Get Back swept five Primetime Emmy categories last month.
‘Downfall: The Case Against Boeing’
Rory Kennedy’s Downfall: The Case Against Boeing, snubbed by the Emmys, earned a Cinema Eye Honors nomination for Broadcast Film. It will go up against Four Hours at the Capitol, and Emmy winner George Carlin’s American Dream, the two-part HBO film directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, among other contenders.
Nanfu Wang’s HBO docuseries Mind Over Murder, which premiered after the...
- 10/20/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
“Four Hours at the Capitol,” “The Beatles: Get Back,” “Playing With Sharks,” “We Need to Talk About Cosby,” “Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy” and “How To With John Wilson” are among the nonfiction television programs that have been nominated in the Cinema Eye Honors broadcast categories, Cinema Eye Honors announced at the organization’s annual fall lunch in Los Angeles on Thursday.
“Four Hours at the Capitol,” Jamie Roberts’ HBO film about the Jan. 6 insurrection, received three nominations to lead all programs. “Get Back,” “Cosby,” “Stanley Tucci,” “John Wilson” and “Playing With Sharks” each received two nominations.
Along with “Four Hours at the Capitol” and “Playing With Sharks,” broadcast film nominees were “Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes,” “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing” and “George Carlin’s American Dream.” Nonfiction series nominees were “Get Back,” “Cosby,” “Black and Missing,” “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey,” “LuLaRich” and “Mind Over Murder.” Nominated anthology series...
“Four Hours at the Capitol,” Jamie Roberts’ HBO film about the Jan. 6 insurrection, received three nominations to lead all programs. “Get Back,” “Cosby,” “Stanley Tucci,” “John Wilson” and “Playing With Sharks” each received two nominations.
Along with “Four Hours at the Capitol” and “Playing With Sharks,” broadcast film nominees were “Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes,” “Downfall: The Case Against Boeing” and “George Carlin’s American Dream.” Nonfiction series nominees were “Get Back,” “Cosby,” “Black and Missing,” “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey,” “LuLaRich” and “Mind Over Murder.” Nominated anthology series...
- 10/20/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Participant Media has promoted three executives to senior vice president.
Elizabeth Haggard has been elevated to senior VP of narrative film; Nicole Starr has been appointed to the newly created position of senior VP of content representation and impact; and Rob Williams has been named senior VP of global sales.
Haggard will continue to report to executive VPs of narrative film Anikah McLaren and Robert Kessel. As senior VP of narrative film, she will have greater oversight of the day-to-day development and production of the company’s film slate.
Starr will report to CEO David Linde. In her newly formed role, Starr will engage throughout the content development process for Participant’s narrative, documentary and episodic content.
Williams will report to Liesl Copland, the executive VP of content strategy and sales. He will continue to spearhead daily operations of Participant’s global sales, working with partners and buyers across all stages of a project,...
Elizabeth Haggard has been elevated to senior VP of narrative film; Nicole Starr has been appointed to the newly created position of senior VP of content representation and impact; and Rob Williams has been named senior VP of global sales.
Haggard will continue to report to executive VPs of narrative film Anikah McLaren and Robert Kessel. As senior VP of narrative film, she will have greater oversight of the day-to-day development and production of the company’s film slate.
Starr will report to CEO David Linde. In her newly formed role, Starr will engage throughout the content development process for Participant’s narrative, documentary and episodic content.
Williams will report to Liesl Copland, the executive VP of content strategy and sales. He will continue to spearhead daily operations of Participant’s global sales, working with partners and buyers across all stages of a project,...
- 9/7/2022
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
One of the most harrowing true-crime documentaries to hit Netflix this year is Rachel Dretzin's "Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey." The doc focuses on cult leader Warren Jeffs and those who survived his chilling reign in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Flds). "Keep Sweet" covers heavy material, as Jeffs's rule was marked by rampant manipulation and sexual abuse. Jeffs was eventually convicted on charges of sexual assault and sentenced to life in prison, but what has happened to him since his sentencing? Here's what you need to know about his whereabouts today.
Who Was Warren Jeffs?
Located in Hildale, Ut, and Colorado City, Az, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a radical polygamist sect that broke off from the Mormon Church about a century ago, per ABC News. Jeffs officially became the leader of the Flds when his father, Rulon Jeffs,...
Who Was Warren Jeffs?
Located in Hildale, Ut, and Colorado City, Az, the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is a radical polygamist sect that broke off from the Mormon Church about a century ago, per ABC News. Jeffs officially became the leader of the Flds when his father, Rulon Jeffs,...
- 6/7/2022
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
From Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Rachel Dretzin comes a documentary like no other, “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.” Based on the true events of the Yearning for Zion Ranch raid—a Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Flds) —the four-part documentary series tells the story of the courageous men and women who escaped from the criminal cult.
Read More: The Best Documentaries Of The Decade [2010s]
Dretzin has previously worked on “Who Killed Malcolm X” and “Frontline.” She is also a co-founder of Ark Media and works as a principal producer, director, and writer within the company.
Continue reading ‘Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey’ Trailer: New Netflix Documentary From Emmy Award Winner Rachel Dretzin at The Playlist.
Read More: The Best Documentaries Of The Decade [2010s]
Dretzin has previously worked on “Who Killed Malcolm X” and “Frontline.” She is also a co-founder of Ark Media and works as a principal producer, director, and writer within the company.
Continue reading ‘Keep Sweet: Pray And Obey’ Trailer: New Netflix Documentary From Emmy Award Winner Rachel Dretzin at The Playlist.
- 5/30/2022
- by Molly Cottee Tantum
- The Playlist
“How could you place a human over God?”
Such is the reasoning for enduring the generational abuse at the hands of self-professed prophet Warren Jeffs, who led a secretive polygamous sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Flds). Netflix’s true crime docuseries “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey,” streaming June 8, analyzes the radical arm of the Mormon Church of the Latter-Day Saints, with Jeff at the helm of an abusive polygamist child-marrying branch.
Jeff accumulated 78 wives — 24 of which were underage girls — over the course of his religious dictatorship. “Keep Sweet” interviews survivors and former wives of Jeff, including one woman who wed him at age 14.
“Young girls were like a commodity owned by the church,” a commentator says in the trailer.
Another adds, “The more the wives, the more children you have, the higher in heaven you will be.”
In 2008, federal law enforcement raided Jeff’s...
Such is the reasoning for enduring the generational abuse at the hands of self-professed prophet Warren Jeffs, who led a secretive polygamous sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Flds). Netflix’s true crime docuseries “Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey,” streaming June 8, analyzes the radical arm of the Mormon Church of the Latter-Day Saints, with Jeff at the helm of an abusive polygamist child-marrying branch.
Jeff accumulated 78 wives — 24 of which were underage girls — over the course of his religious dictatorship. “Keep Sweet” interviews survivors and former wives of Jeff, including one woman who wed him at age 14.
“Young girls were like a commodity owned by the church,” a commentator says in the trailer.
Another adds, “The more the wives, the more children you have, the higher in heaven you will be.”
In 2008, federal law enforcement raided Jeff’s...
- 5/26/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Netflix will dig into West Texas’ infamous Yearning for Zion Ranch and polygamist cult leader Warren Jeffs in the upcoming docuseries Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey.
In 2008, federal authorities raided the ranch, where Jeffs — as head and self-proclaimed prophet of the secretive sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints — amassed 78 wives, 24 of whom were underage. Over 400 children were also taken into custody, with law enforcement agents finding evidence of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse.
The four-part docuseries was directed by Rachel Dretzin, who previously helmed the documentary Who Killed Malcolm X,...
In 2008, federal authorities raided the ranch, where Jeffs — as head and self-proclaimed prophet of the secretive sect of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints — amassed 78 wives, 24 of whom were underage. Over 400 children were also taken into custody, with law enforcement agents finding evidence of sexual, physical, and psychological abuse.
The four-part docuseries was directed by Rachel Dretzin, who previously helmed the documentary Who Killed Malcolm X,...
- 5/26/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Memorial services will be announced at later date.
Updated With Academy Statement: Diane Weyermann, Participant chief content officer and a longtime champion of documentaries who was a driving force behind An Inconvenient Truth and American Factory, has died. She was 66.
Weyermann passed away from cancer on Thursday (October 14) in New York. Participant said she had “long been the engine behind the company’s documentary film and television slate”, adding that her work “defined the company” since it was founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll.
“In the very earliest days of Participant, I was incredibly lucky to have Diane agree to run our newfound documentary department,...
Updated With Academy Statement: Diane Weyermann, Participant chief content officer and a longtime champion of documentaries who was a driving force behind An Inconvenient Truth and American Factory, has died. She was 66.
Weyermann passed away from cancer on Thursday (October 14) in New York. Participant said she had “long been the engine behind the company’s documentary film and television slate”, adding that her work “defined the company” since it was founded in 2004 by Jeff Skoll.
“In the very earliest days of Participant, I was incredibly lucky to have Diane agree to run our newfound documentary department,...
- 10/15/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Diane Weyermann, the longtime Chief Content Officer at Participant who also produced or exec produced dozens of films including Oscar winners An Inconvenient Truth and Citizenfour, died today of cancer in New York, the company said. She was 66.
Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery
A two-time Emmy nominee, including one this year for David Byrne’s American Utopia, Weyermann long had been the engine behind Participant’s documentary film and television slate.
“In the very earliest days of Participant, I was incredibly lucky to have Diane agree to run our newfound documentary department, including our first documentary, ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’” said Jeff Skoll, who founded Participant in 2004. “From day 1, Diane brought a passion to her work and cared deeply about the battles we helped fight over the issues portrayed in each film. Over 17 years together, she was a champion in every way, through strategic, industry, and emerging global challenges.
Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery
A two-time Emmy nominee, including one this year for David Byrne’s American Utopia, Weyermann long had been the engine behind Participant’s documentary film and television slate.
“In the very earliest days of Participant, I was incredibly lucky to have Diane agree to run our newfound documentary department, including our first documentary, ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’” said Jeff Skoll, who founded Participant in 2004. “From day 1, Diane brought a passion to her work and cared deeply about the battles we helped fight over the issues portrayed in each film. Over 17 years together, she was a champion in every way, through strategic, industry, and emerging global challenges.
- 10/15/2021
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO has gone into production on two new docuseries from Issa Rae and the Duplass brothers, respectively.
From Rae, “Seen & Heard” is a two-part documentary that explores “the history of Black television seen through the eyes of trailblazers who wrote, produced, created and starred in groundbreaking series of the past and present.”
From Mark and Jay Duplass, “The Lady and the Dale” is a docueseries that explores an “audacious 1970s auto scam centered around a mysterious entrepreneur.”
“Seen & Heard” is described as offering “cultural commentary about representation in black storytelling and feature interviews with actors, showrunners, writers, celebrities and other notable influencers as well as verité-driven segments and inventive use of archival material. The featured participants will reflect on their own experiences watching African Americans represented on television yesterday and today, while sharing insights into their current creative endeavors, personal experiences, and inspiration, providing a window into the larger evolution...
From Rae, “Seen & Heard” is a two-part documentary that explores “the history of Black television seen through the eyes of trailblazers who wrote, produced, created and starred in groundbreaking series of the past and present.”
From Mark and Jay Duplass, “The Lady and the Dale” is a docueseries that explores an “audacious 1970s auto scam centered around a mysterious entrepreneur.”
“Seen & Heard” is described as offering “cultural commentary about representation in black storytelling and feature interviews with actors, showrunners, writers, celebrities and other notable influencers as well as verité-driven segments and inventive use of archival material. The featured participants will reflect on their own experiences watching African Americans represented on television yesterday and today, while sharing insights into their current creative endeavors, personal experiences, and inspiration, providing a window into the larger evolution...
- 8/5/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
Insecure star Issae Rae is to exec produce a two-part documentary for HBO exploring the history of black television.
Seen & Heard, which is currently in production, will look at the issue through the eyes of those who wrote, produced, created and starred in groundbreaking series of the past and present.
It will be directed and produced by Phil Bertelsen, who directed Netflix’s six-part doc series Who Killed Malcolm X?
Per HBO, the documentary will offer cultural commentary about representation in black storytelling and feature interviews with actors, showrunners, writers and celebrities as well as verité-driven segments and inventive use of archival material. The featured participants will reflect on their own experiences watching African Americans represented on television yesterday and today, while sharing insights into their current creative endeavors, personal experiences, and inspiration, providing a window into the larger evolution of Black storytellers across television history.
Rae exec produces alongside...
Seen & Heard, which is currently in production, will look at the issue through the eyes of those who wrote, produced, created and starred in groundbreaking series of the past and present.
It will be directed and produced by Phil Bertelsen, who directed Netflix’s six-part doc series Who Killed Malcolm X?
Per HBO, the documentary will offer cultural commentary about representation in black storytelling and feature interviews with actors, showrunners, writers and celebrities as well as verité-driven segments and inventive use of archival material. The featured participants will reflect on their own experiences watching African Americans represented on television yesterday and today, while sharing insights into their current creative endeavors, personal experiences, and inspiration, providing a window into the larger evolution of Black storytellers across television history.
Rae exec produces alongside...
- 8/5/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Issa Rae has found her latest project at HBO.
The “Insecure” creator and star is set to executive produce a two-part documentary called “Seen & Heard” on the history of Black television from the perspective of those who wrote, produced, created and starred in series of the past and present.
“Who Killed Malcolm X?’ helmer Phil Bertelsen is on board to direct the doc which will feature interviews with actors, showrunners, writers, and celebrities sharing their experiences of watching African Americans represented on TV and succeeding in their own creative endeavors. The doc will also incorporate archival material and verité-driven segments.
“Black people have such a rich, but often unacknowledged history in Hollywood,” said Rae. “We have defined American culture and influenced generations time and time again across the globe. I’m honored to pair with Ark Media to center and celebrate the achievements of those who paved a way for...
The “Insecure” creator and star is set to executive produce a two-part documentary called “Seen & Heard” on the history of Black television from the perspective of those who wrote, produced, created and starred in series of the past and present.
“Who Killed Malcolm X?’ helmer Phil Bertelsen is on board to direct the doc which will feature interviews with actors, showrunners, writers, and celebrities sharing their experiences of watching African Americans represented on TV and succeeding in their own creative endeavors. The doc will also incorporate archival material and verité-driven segments.
“Black people have such a rich, but often unacknowledged history in Hollywood,” said Rae. “We have defined American culture and influenced generations time and time again across the globe. I’m honored to pair with Ark Media to center and celebrate the achievements of those who paved a way for...
- 8/5/2020
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: On a day when Boeing announced disastrous financial results and the need to cut 16,000 jobs or 10% of its work force because of billions in losses from the pandemic and the Boeing 737 Max crashes that killed 346 passengers, Participant has set a feature documentary that will re-team the filmmaking duo of Emmy Award-winner Rachel Dretzin and Oscar nominee and Emmy-winner Barak Goodman. Producing the film is Don Edkins, whose son, World Bank employee Max Thabiso Edkins, was tragically killed in the March 20, 2019 crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, one of the Boeing 737 Max aircrafts.
The untitled film focuses on the twin tragedies of the Boeing 737 Max air disasters in 2018 and 2019 that prompted criminal and civil scrutiny and laid bare an appalling lack of oversight and quality controls by the manufacturer. Participant will finance the project, which Dretzin and Goodman will direct and produce through their company Ark Media. Participant’s Jeff Skoll...
The untitled film focuses on the twin tragedies of the Boeing 737 Max air disasters in 2018 and 2019 that prompted criminal and civil scrutiny and laid bare an appalling lack of oversight and quality controls by the manufacturer. Participant will finance the project, which Dretzin and Goodman will direct and produce through their company Ark Media. Participant’s Jeff Skoll...
- 4/29/2020
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Diane Weyermann, a 14-year veteran at Participant Media, has been promoted to the role of chief content officer, the company’s CEO David Linde announced Thursday at the kickoff of the Toronto International Film Festival.
Weyermann, who previously oversaw Participant’s documentary film and television slate, including executive producing films such as “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Citizenfour,” will work closely with Linde in shaping Participant’s film and TV content in the newly created position.
Weyermann will continue to focus on documentary film and television, alongside department senior vice presidents, Elise Pearlstein (film) and Miura Kite (TV), while collaborating with Linde and the company’s newly announced heads of narrative film, Robert Kessel and Anikah McLaren, on future narrative content.
Also Read: Participant Media's Jonathan King Will Step Down to Segue Into Independent Production
The news comes as part of a restructuring after the departure of Jonathan King, the company...
Weyermann, who previously oversaw Participant’s documentary film and television slate, including executive producing films such as “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Citizenfour,” will work closely with Linde in shaping Participant’s film and TV content in the newly created position.
Weyermann will continue to focus on documentary film and television, alongside department senior vice presidents, Elise Pearlstein (film) and Miura Kite (TV), while collaborating with Linde and the company’s newly announced heads of narrative film, Robert Kessel and Anikah McLaren, on future narrative content.
Also Read: Participant Media's Jonathan King Will Step Down to Segue Into Independent Production
The news comes as part of a restructuring after the departure of Jonathan King, the company...
- 9/5/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Director Rachel Dretzin's winning documentary Far From the Tree is a challenging, uplifting and absorbing observation into the indelible mindset of the family structure--mainly concentrating on the emotional and psychological dynamics of familial relationships and how the disconnection of parents and their "unique" offspring cope with existing obstacles. Wonderfully contemplative, sensitive, eye-opening and impactful Far From the Tree skillfully delves into the contrasting theory that "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" sentiment to reflect how parents and their children are one in the same is not always necessarily the case. Dretzin's comprehensive 93-minute narrative sets out to reveal its subject matter's truths that they live under the umbrella of love, affection, frustration, disillusionment, cynicism, hope and the conquering of human heartache. Thoroughly gripping in warmth and insight, Far...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 8/16/2018
- Screen Anarchy
As the Summer movie season winds down, one type of film not usually known for hitting theatres this time of year seems to be finding an appreciative and big audience. Of course the major box office news has been dominated by action films, particularly the superhero flicks from Avengers: Infinity War to Incredibles 2. That’s really no big shock. But another surprise story of these warm months is the respectable (for these low budgets) grosses of several documentary feature films. Sure some of the bigger hits focus on entertainment figures like Fred Rogers and Whitney Huston, but a few have caused a stir over their compelling family stories, like the heart-wrenching Three Identical Strangers. Now comes another feature doc about family, no make that families. That’s because it’s part of a sub-genre of documentaries that are also anthologies. Multi-story movies have been a staple for many years,...
- 8/10/2018
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Greenwich Entertainment tell-all documentary Scotty And The Secret History of Hollywood lured crowds to the Arclight in Los Angeles in its opening weekend, grossing $30,941, which gives it bragging rights as the year’s second-highest opening per theater average for a documentary this year after the launch of Neon’s Three Identical Strangers ($34,301 opening weekend PTA). The title easily scored the weekend’s best PTA among all releases.
Other limited releases were more tepid. Sony Classics opened Marc Turtletaub’s Puzzle in five locations, grossing $63,364 for a decent $12,673 PTA, while Well Go USA bowed Detective Dee And The Four Heavenly Kings in 31 theaters, taking in $132,000. The Captain by writer-director Robert Schwentke from Music Box Films had an exclusive weekend run, grossing $8,279 and Abramorama opened 93Queen also in a single theater for $7,257 in the three day.
Blindspotting from Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate expanded to 532 runs in its second frame, grossing $1.325M. Bleecker...
Other limited releases were more tepid. Sony Classics opened Marc Turtletaub’s Puzzle in five locations, grossing $63,364 for a decent $12,673 PTA, while Well Go USA bowed Detective Dee And The Four Heavenly Kings in 31 theaters, taking in $132,000. The Captain by writer-director Robert Schwentke from Music Box Films had an exclusive weekend run, grossing $8,279 and Abramorama opened 93Queen also in a single theater for $7,257 in the three day.
Blindspotting from Summit Entertainment/Lionsgate expanded to 532 runs in its second frame, grossing $1.325M. Bleecker...
- 7/29/2018
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline Film + TV
As someone who is not a parent, never wanted to be a parent, and still says a silent prayer of “thank heaven that’s not me” every time I walk by a mom or dad struggling with a stroller, Rachel Dretzin’s Far From the Tree — based on Andrew Solomon’s NY Times bestseller Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity — at first glance seemed far from making my must-watch-docs list. Which is precisely how I know it’s as good as it is. When I finally got around to catching it on screener recently, Dretzin’s film — […]...
- 7/20/2018
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
As someone who is not a parent, never wanted to be a parent, and still says a silent prayer of “thank heaven that’s not me” every time I walk by a mom or dad struggling with a stroller, Rachel Dretzin’s Far From the Tree — based on Andrew Solomon’s NY Times bestseller Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity — at first glance seemed far from making my must-watch-docs list. Which is precisely how I know it’s as good as it is. When I finally got around to catching it on screener recently, Dretzin’s film — […]...
- 7/20/2018
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Let’s say you’re pregnant. It’s quite possibly the happiest and most anxiety-inducing time of your life. And then the doctor delivers the news: Your baby will be born with Down syndrome, deafness, or dwarfism. How do you react? Or maybe you’ve been a proud parent for years, and somewhere along the way, when your child reaches age 2 or 12 or 20, you learn that he has autism, identifies as transgender, or has been arrested for murder.
For centuries of human existence, such surprises have been greeted with horror by some parents, who have been known to surrender, institutionalize, or even disown their children on account of these culturally shameful differences — often the very things that make them special. Wrestling with what he perceived as a lack of love from his mother and father in reaction to his own homosexuality, Columbia University psychology professor Andrew Solomon wrote “Far From the Tree,...
For centuries of human existence, such surprises have been greeted with horror by some parents, who have been known to surrender, institutionalize, or even disown their children on account of these culturally shameful differences — often the very things that make them special. Wrestling with what he perceived as a lack of love from his mother and father in reaction to his own homosexuality, Columbia University psychology professor Andrew Solomon wrote “Far From the Tree,...
- 7/20/2018
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Inspired by Andrew Solomon’s best-selling novel and perhaps a quote the begins Roger Ebert’s autobiography Life Itself (“…movies are like a machine that generates empathy”), Rachel Dretzin’s Far from the Tree tells seven distinct stories of families and individuals grappling with disability, emotional trauma, and, ultimately, how to be happy. The film explores new stories inspired by those documented by Solomon, who grew up obsessed with Emily Dickens and opera. He went through attempts to cure himself of gay attractions via sexual surrogacy, eventually coming out, leading to marriage and an unconventional family situation. (His extended Lgbt family includes six parents of four children.)
Some of these passages could inspire their own engaging feature film, including the stories of Loini, Leah, and Joe, three little people who come together at an annual conference. Loini searches for love, meaning, and her place in the world while Joe and Leah find each other,...
Some of these passages could inspire their own engaging feature film, including the stories of Loini, Leah, and Joe, three little people who come together at an annual conference. Loini searches for love, meaning, and her place in the world while Joe and Leah find each other,...
- 5/3/2018
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
After taking readers inside the lives of hundreds of families of children battling differences and disabilities with his 2012 bestselling book Far from the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity, author Andrew Solomon is narrowing the scope of his work for a feature film adaptation.
In the upcoming documentary Far from the Tree, Solomon focuses on six families accommodating children with a wide variety of physical, mental and social differences and disabilities. Watch the first trailer for the film — exclusive to People — above.
“Seeing one’s most cherished work translated into another medium can be exhilarating like almost nothing else,...
In the upcoming documentary Far from the Tree, Solomon focuses on six families accommodating children with a wide variety of physical, mental and social differences and disabilities. Watch the first trailer for the film — exclusive to People — above.
“Seeing one’s most cherished work translated into another medium can be exhilarating like almost nothing else,...
- 4/25/2018
- by Mike Miller
- PEOPLE.com
Claire Danes, Jeff Daniels, Ethan Hawke and Rachel Weisz are heading to New Jersey for the seventh annual Montclair Film Festival.
Kicking off on April 26 with Rachel Dretzin’s “Far From the Tree,” the 11-day fest will feature 77 feature films, 94 shorts and 13 special events including panels, master classes and public parties.
Highlights include favorites from the Sundance Film Festival, the Toronto Intl. Film Festival and highly anticipated projects premiering this month at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Sundance hits including Hawke’s music biopic “Blaze,” Brett Haley’s “Hearts Beat Loud” and Morgan Neville’s docu “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” will all screen at Miff. The regional fest will also host Sam Pollard’s “Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me,” Kate Novack’s “The Gospel According to Andre,” and Sebastian Lelio’s “Disobedience” starring Weisz and Rachel McAdams. All three films made their world premiere at Tiff in September.
Kicking off on April 26 with Rachel Dretzin’s “Far From the Tree,” the 11-day fest will feature 77 feature films, 94 shorts and 13 special events including panels, master classes and public parties.
Highlights include favorites from the Sundance Film Festival, the Toronto Intl. Film Festival and highly anticipated projects premiering this month at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Sundance hits including Hawke’s music biopic “Blaze,” Brett Haley’s “Hearts Beat Loud” and Morgan Neville’s docu “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” will all screen at Miff. The regional fest will also host Sam Pollard’s “Sammy Davis Jr.: I’ve Gotta Be Me,” Kate Novack’s “The Gospel According to Andre,” and Sebastian Lelio’s “Disobedience” starring Weisz and Rachel McAdams. All three films made their world premiere at Tiff in September.
- 4/5/2018
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Family isn’t always what you thought it might be. Sometimes, parents welcome children into the world who bring with them challenges that bring a new context to the relationship between fathers and mothers, and their sons or daughters. That idea is explored in the upcoming documentary “Far From The Tree,” which will be making its world premiere at Doc NYC.
Directed by Rachel Dretzin, and based on Andrew Solomon‘s book “Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity,” the documentary explores the unique family ties that are formed when children bring a entirely new experience into the world of their parents.
Continue reading ‘Far From The Tree’ Clip: Discover The True Nature Of Family [Doc NYC Exclusive] at The Playlist.
Directed by Rachel Dretzin, and based on Andrew Solomon‘s book “Far From the Tree: Parents, Children and the Search for Identity,” the documentary explores the unique family ties that are formed when children bring a entirely new experience into the world of their parents.
Continue reading ‘Far From The Tree’ Clip: Discover The True Nature Of Family [Doc NYC Exclusive] at The Playlist.
- 11/1/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The Final Year Photo: Courtesy of Doc NYC
The line-up for the eighth Doc NYC film festival has been announced. The festival, which runs from November 9 to 16 in Manhattan, will feature 23 world premieres, with more than 350 filmmakers and special guests expected in person to present their films or participate on panels.
The festival will open with The Final Year - Greg Barker's documentary about the final year of president Barack Obama's foreign policy administration - and close with musical profile Eric Clapton: Life In 12 Bars, with the guitarist and songwriter in attendance.
The Centerpiece Film, will be the world premiere of Far From the Tree, director Rachel Dretzin’s adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book about parental love in many forms.
World premieres at the festival include A Murder in Mansfield, by Barbara Kopple (Miss Sharon Jones!), which explores the impact of a 1989 murder on a family; Maynard,...
The line-up for the eighth Doc NYC film festival has been announced. The festival, which runs from November 9 to 16 in Manhattan, will feature 23 world premieres, with more than 350 filmmakers and special guests expected in person to present their films or participate on panels.
The festival will open with The Final Year - Greg Barker's documentary about the final year of president Barack Obama's foreign policy administration - and close with musical profile Eric Clapton: Life In 12 Bars, with the guitarist and songwriter in attendance.
The Centerpiece Film, will be the world premiere of Far From the Tree, director Rachel Dretzin’s adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book about parental love in many forms.
World premieres at the festival include A Murder in Mansfield, by Barbara Kopple (Miss Sharon Jones!), which explores the impact of a 1989 murder on a family; Maynard,...
- 10/12/2017
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.