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2011–2012 Contemporary Documentaries

2011–2012 Contemporary Documentaries
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Exit Through the Gift Shop
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Linwood Dunn Theater
1313 Vine Street
Hollywood, CA, 90028

Wednesday, March 21, at 7 p.m.

"Exit through the Gift Shop"

Exit through the Gift Shop

Directed by Banksy

Produced by Jaimie D'Cruz

In the world of guerrilla street art, a young videographer named Thierry Guetta attempts to document the work of some of the renegade movement’s best-known practitioners. When his intentions are questioned, however, by the artist known only as Banksy, the tables are turned as Banksy seizes control of the film and makes Guetta and his obsession its subject. 35mm. 87 mins.

Academy Award nominee: Documentary Feature

"Catfish"

Catfish

Directed by Ariel Schulman, Henry Joost

Produced by Andrew Jarecki, Marc Smerling, Joost, Schulman

In late 2007, filmmakers Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost sensed a story unfolding as they began to film the life of Ariel's brother, Nev. They had no idea that their project would lead to the most exhilarating and unsettling months of their lives. A reality thriller that is a shocking product of our times, "Catfish" is a story of love, deception and grace within a labyrinth of online intrigue. 35mm. 88 mins.

Producer Marc Smerling participated in a Q&A after the screening.

Wednesday, April 4, at 7 p.m.

"Poster Girl"

Poster Girl

Directed by Sara Nesson

Produced by Mitchell W. Block, Nesson

Former cheerleader and ARMY magazine cover subject Robynn Murray deals with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder following her return from Iraq. Digital. 38 mins.

Academy Award nominee: Documentary Short Subject

Producer Mitchell Block participated in a Q&A after the screening.

"Killing in the Name"

Killing in the Name

Directed by Jed Rothstein

Produced by Liz Garbus, Rory Kennedy, Rothstein

Since his wedding day, when a suicide bomber killed 27 members of his family, Ashraf has devoted his life to opposing terrorism within the Muslim community. Digital. 39 mins.

Academy Award nominee: Documentary Short Subject

Co–producer Jessica Van Garsse participated in a Q&A after the screening.

"Quest for Honor"

Quest for Honor

Directed by Mary Ann Smothers Bruni

Produced by Bruni, Lawrence Taub

In Iraqi Kurdistan, the practice of "honor killing" persists and is often condoned or ignored by local officials. Runak Faraj, the head of the Women's Media Center in Suleymaniyah, Iraq, searches for the truth behind the death of a widow at odds with her husband's family, while a second shooting injures a woman who has fled from her family to a safe house. Digital. 66 mins.

Producer/director Mary Ann Bruni participated in a Q&A after the screening.

Wednesday, April 18, at 7 p.m.

"Living for 32"

Directed by Kevin Breslin

Produced by Maria Cuomo Cole

A survivor of the shooting spree that claimed the lives of 32 of his classmates at Virginia Tech in 2007, Colin Goddard has resolved to live his life in a way that will honor the memory of those who died. Digital. 40 mins.

"One Thousand Pictures: RFK's Last Journey"

Produced by Jennifer Stoddart

When Robert F. Kennedy's funeral train traveled from New York to Washington following his 1968 assassination, thousands of people lined the route to pay tribute to him. Digital. 40 mins.

"This Way of Life"

Directed by Thomas Burstyn

Produced by Barbara Sumner Burstyn

Peter Ottley Karena and his wife, Colleen, live with their six children in the remote Ruahine Mountains of New Zealand. Their idyllic life is disrupted when men arrive claiming ownership of the family's house and land, which Peter's estranged father appears to have sold. Digital. 84 mins.

Wednesday, May 2, at 7 p.m.

"The Warriors of Qiugang"

Directed by Ruby Yang

Produced by Thomas Lennon, Yang

When a chemical company begins poisoning their air and water, the villagers of Qiugang, China, decide to fight for a safe environment for their home. Digital. 39 mins.

Academy Award nominee: Documentary Short Subject

"Gasland"

Directed by Josh Fox

Produced by Trish Adlesic, Fox, Molly Gandour

When Josh Fox is approached by a company wishing to drill for natural gas on his property, he begins a disturbing investigation into the environmental repercussions of the process. In region after region across the country, he documents evidence of serious pollution and contamination caused by drilling methods that have been exempted from the standards required by the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts. Digital. 107 mins.

Academy Award nominee: Documentary Feature

Editor Matthew Sanchez participated in a Q&A after the screening.

Wednesday, May 16, at 7 p.m.

"Genius Within: The Inner Life of Glenn Gould"

Directed by Michèle Hozer, Peter Raymont

Produced by Raymont

The life of celebrated Canadian pianist Glenn Gould is explored through his work and extensive interviews with both Gould and his closest friends. With a lively intelligence, a passion for privacy, and an often difficult personality, Gould became an international star who was known as much for his eccentricities as for his brilliant musicianship. 35mm. 106 mins.

"William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe"

Directed by Emily Kunstler, Sarah Kunstler

Produced by E. Kunstler, S. Kunstler, Jesse Moss, Susan Korda

Filmmakers Emily and Sarah Kunstler offer a portrait of their father, controversial defense attorney William Kunstler. From his days as a passionate advocate for the civil rights movement to his later career defending a series of accused murderers and terrorists, Kunstler earned a reputation as a fearless and often flamboyant presence in the courtroom. 35mm. 85 mins.

Wednesday, May 30, at 7 p.m.

"Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer"

Directed by Alex Gibney

Produced by Gibney, Jedd Wider, Todd Wider, Maiken Baird

Former New York governor Eliot Spitzer built his career as a crusading attorney general, leading investigations into the wrongdoings of the state's powerful financial institutions. His subsequent downfall came when his name appeared on the client list of an infamous call girl ring during an investigation that may have been engineered by his political enemies. 35mm. 117 mins.

Producers Jedd Wider and Todd Wider participated in a Q&A after the screening.

"Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work"

Directed by Ricki Stern

Co-directed by Annie Sundberg

Produced by Stern, Seth Keal, Sundberg

A look at a year in the life of the iconic comedian, including the struggles and thrills of life as a groundbreaking female performer. Follow her private dramas as Rivers fights to keep her career thriving in a business driven by youth and beauty. 35mm. 84 mins.