'The Space Race': A Revelatory Exploration of NASA’s Black Astronauts
From National Geographic Documentary Films comes The Space Race, a revelatory exploration into the historical accomplishments of Black NASA astronauts. Directed by Lisa Cortés (The Apollo, Little Richard) and Emmy-Award winner Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, The Space Race is a compelling portrait of the National heroes whose service, up until now, has been absent from mainstream history. Now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.
Space exploration wasn’t encouraged in ethnic communities back in the 1960s. The mindset that was birthed from racial segregation and discrimination was especially not welcoming to Black Americans looking to get into the scientific fields but that didn't stop Ed Dwight, Guion Bluford, Charles Bolden, and Victor Glover from pursuing their dreams of becoming astronauts. In an attempt to combat the social injustice at the time, President John F. Kennedy announced that Captain Edward Dwight would carry the title of the country's "First Negro Astronaut.” This news was met with both applause and criticism and, unfortunately, those who were skeptical that the optics were just smoke and mirrors were proved right. In the film, Captain Dwight frustratingly admits that he believes his hiring was for political and propaganda purposes, not moral progress. America needed a positive PR spin, and he was their chosen target.
Fast forward through decades and cultural strides, The Space Race uses archival footage and current-day interviews to show the side of history that wasn't written in textbooks. Special attention is dedicated to Ron McNair, the only Black astronaut aboard the Challenger Mission, who died along with six others when the spacecraft infamously exploded just seconds after takeoff. Regrettably, we will never know the full potential of his impact on future generations but despite his untimely passing, Ron is cited as an inspiration among his peers. Ron represented hope and ability for many people, specifically within the Black community.
The Space Race thrives when we hear the men reminisce in detail about their time spent in outer space. One describes Earth as being so small that his crew circled it every 90 minutes. Another speaks of his amazement to see the countries from that high, noting there were no lines or divides that we are accustomed to seeing on maps. If only everyone could co-exist with that mentality, that we are all equal and not bound to imaginary borders or tier systems. It's a message that extends far beyond space and one that will hopefully resonate with audiences to infinity and beyond.
This review originally ran on June 13, 2023, during the Tribeca Film Festival
'My Dead Dad': Honoring a Loved One with a Unique Sendoff
A daughter fulfills a very unique postmortem request from her father in the affecting short documentary, My Dead Dad. While the title alone may elicit the assumption that this is a somber film, directors Erik Osterholm and Abby Ellis capture the celebratory aspect of honoring a loved one, and the result is an unforgettable and touching reflection on individuality and commitment to family.
Christopher Gray was an eccentric man. A former streetscape journalist for the New York Times, Chris spent most of his time looking at old buildings in the city, usually trying to convince his daughter Olivia to accompany him. Before his untimely passing at just 66 years old, Chris had made it clear in his will that he didn't want a traditional burial or cremation. His dying wish was that his skeletal remains would be reassembled and displayed in his high school's science lab. Unconventional? Sure. Crazy? Absolutely, but that didn't stop Olivia from finding the joy and humor in following through with her late dad's final request.
The film begins at the point in the story when Olivia comes face to face, or rather, face to skull, with the skeletal remains of her dad propped up on a rolling tripod. Enlisting her aunt to accompany her, Olivia embarks on a road trip to bring her dad home, stopping at tourist spots to document the adventure with her dad one last time.
Running just 25 minutes long, My Dead Dad is a darkly comedic family drama that offers an unexpected outlook on how we view death. Olivia undergoes such a unique and uncommon experience with such grace, and the filmmaking team does a commendable job capturing this moment. The triumphant score is sure to spark an emotional flurry within the audience, as we're left to reflect on the relationships we have with the loved ones in our lives.
Kulanen Ikyo Debuts Track from Netflix's 'The Black Book'
The Nigerian film The Black Book made history when it was released on Netflix in late September 2023. Within two days, it quickly reached 5.6 million views and landed at #3 on Netflix's worldwide film charts. The success was music to composer Kulanen Ikyo's ears. Known for his creativity within the burgeoning Nigerian film industry, Kulanen's experimental score is the emotional heartbeat of the film. The 33-track album is available on Friday, February 9th, on digital platforms here.
The Black Book, which is currently streaming on Netflix, is a crime thriller that details the heroic actions of a father seeking revenge. After his son is framed for kidnapping, a former gang member turned religious deacon takes justice into his own hands by fighting a corrupt police force to avenge his innocent son. According to online reports, The Black Book's $1,000,000 production budget marks the largest amount ever spent on a Nollywood (aka the Nigerian Hollywood) film.
Cinemacy is excited to premiere “Greetings Mr. Paul” from The Black Book (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), below:
In "Greetings Mr. Paul," Kulanen draws inspiration from his Nigerian roots, crafting bold cinematic soundscapes that incorporate both African musical traditions and symphonic elements. The track starts slow before transforming into the recognizable theme of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." A smooth electric guitar plucks the notes of the anthemic song while the larger piece begins to swell with triumphant horns and drums. It's a powerful work that reflects the tension of the story and brings it to life in stunning detail.
Says Kulanen of working on the film, "As a composer, connecting with the production team to understand the vision is essential. The director's bold proclamation in a CNN interview and the cinematographer Yinka Edward's aspiration to scale up hinted at the need for grandeur. So, I aimed for a sound that matched the narrative's magnitude - big, with resonating percussion and brass. Delving into dark tones at times aligned with the film's trajectory while embracing emotional peaks became a pivotal part of the composition."
"Collaborating with [director] Editi Effiong was genuinely intriguing." he went on to say. "Editi's desire for emotionally charged moments and raw grit in specific scenes set the tone for our exploration. Composing the score for The Black Book was both challenging and exciting. We created a score that, hopefully, complements the film's storyline and resonates with viewers even after the movie ends."
Award-winning composer Kulanen Ikyo grew up in Nigeria and always knew he wanted to make music. He would find random objects around his house, like an empty can and a wood baton, and turn them into instruments. He earned a degree in physics from the University of Jos but continued on the path of film scoring, attending the Film Scoring Academy of Europe. His past work includes contributions to critically acclaimed films such as Lionheart and October 1, which earned him the Africa Magic Viewers Choice Award in 2015.
'Earth Protectors': An Environmental Artist's Rallying Cry
What a luxury it is to "believe" in climate change. As we see in director Anne de Carbuccia's social issue documentary Earth Protectors, this global crisis shouldn't be viewed as a choice to accept, but rather a genuine threat that can't be stopped unless we first acknowledge its existence. Using art as a vessel to show both the beauty and havoc that exists in our current climate, Earth Protectors is a call to action that begs us to pay attention to the very real cries of the planet.
Filmmaker, artist, and activist Anne de Carbuccia travels the world to capture the effects of man-made devastation on our natural habitats. She creates what she calls "time shrines" by photographing various props, like a skull and an hourglass, resting in various environments. The photographs are harrowing and bold, serving as a reminder of what we have to lose if we don't immediately attempt to put an end to climate change. While it's interesting to see the artistic process of creating these installations, the documentary's bigger focus is geared toward the local people and communities she meets along the way. As we follow Anne through different countries, terrains, and biospheres, we're introduced to people whose livelihoods depend on protecting the planet, and get a firsthand account of their heroic efforts and commitment to saving our natural resources.
Beautiful drone shots and wall-to-wall music aid in portraying the film's gigantic scope. From the top of the Himalayas to diving at the ocean's depth, the visuals that come out of Earth Protectors are breathtaking. Equally as stunning for starkly different reasons are the miles of deforestation and tons of trash that Anne and the various film subjects comment on. "Are we going to be remembered for trash?" is one heartbreaking sentiment expressed after confirming that 8-10 million tons of garbage enter the ocean every year. Although the statistics are bleak in many circumstances, interviews with various subjects, whom Anne calls the "Earth Protectors," inspire tangible action steps that offer optimism instead of pure existential dread.
Staying true to the ethos of the film, the carbon footprint of Earth Protectors was reduced by using a skeleton crew that included only vital roles required for filming. To further combat their environmental impact, the filmmakers also pledged to complete a reforestation project. Inspiring in both their execution and proactiveness, the team behind Earth Protectors has set a glowing precedent for future filmmakers to consider.
While the subject matter is not new as far as documentary filmmaking goes, Earth Protectors is a compelling and urgent call to action that deserves as big of an audience as possible. If you liked Nat Geo's The Territory, this film is for you.
Sundance: 'Handling the Undead': This Supernatural Horror Nearly Flatlines
Norwegian director Thea Hvistendahl reunites former The Worst Person in the World co-stars in her feature-length directorial debut, Handling the Undead. Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielson Lie star in this visually bountiful character study that explores the liminal state between life and death. Adapted from the book of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist, Handling the Undead is an untraditional horror film that, unfortunately, never truly hits its stride due to prioritizing general aesthetics over character analysis.
It's summertime in Oslo, and three families go about their day as if it were any other. There is a palpable tension in the dynamic between Anna (Reinsve) and her father Mahler (Bjørn Sundquist), their coldness leads us to assume there are conversations that need to be hashed out but rather, have been avoided. In another part of town, David (Lie) and his wife Eva (Bahar Pars) prepare for a date night, leaving the kids at home for some alone time. The third simultaneous storyline we encounter is of Elisabet (Olga Damani), a single older woman who lives alone. All three families receive the shock of their lives when, unexpectedly, a supernatural event occurs and resurrects their deceased loved ones from the grave.
The supernatural horror is subtle and the reactions from those affected by the strange events are eerily quiet. It's not necessarily an awkward silence but more an act of restraint. This non-stereotypical outburst makes Handling the Undead feel more arthouse-leaning than traditional horror. Composer Peter Raeburn does a great job of filling the void with atmospheric tension in his sweeping, piercing score. Taking advantage of Oslo's beautiful landscapes and sense of organic surroundings, Handling the Undead is also a respite for the eyes. It's almost dreamlike in its ability to capture a specific mood, thanks to the phenomenal work of cinematographer Pål Ulvik Rokseth. His use of colors and shadow play adds further meaning to the bizarre situation that the three central families find themselves in, which they process with both skepticism and delusional happiness.
The film's weakness comes from the underdevelopment of every character's backstory prior to the day of the event. Seemingly an intentional dismissal by the director, it is difficult to contextualize the emotions of the characters throughout this traumatic experience because we don't know them, so we are left to assume too many things. Unfortunately, the lingering questions about who these characters are can distract from the artful construction of the world that Thea Hvistendahl has built through methodical camera movements and the strong, highly sensitive performances from the lead cast.
Despite the contextual deficiency, Handling the Undead excels in world-building. It leaves the viewer with a lingering sense of unease while artfully juxtaposing against visual beauty. Before its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, NEON had acquired Handling the Undead and has set a theatrical release in Norway for Friday, February 8, 2024.
'Scrambled' Is a Fresh Comedy About Female Anxiety and Fertility
Now streaming on:
In the new comedy, Scrambled, multi-hyphenate Leah McKendrick takes the taboo out of fertility treatments. Poking fun at the pressure that single women in their mid-30s face from society to get married and start a family, Scrambled is a provocative and confident feminist film that puts the power back into the hands–or wombs–of women.
McKendrick (who also wrote and directed the film) plays Nellie, a single, 34-year-old recurring bridesmaid and aspiring celebrity jewelry designer who struggles with feelings of not-enoughness. She is at the age where all her friends are either getting married or pregnant or reaching some other traditional milestone that comes with a stereotypical relationship. Still wounded from a past breakup, Nellie's prospects in the love department are slim to none.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ3T3Yr6B54&ab_channel=LionsgateMovies
After a one-night stand goes wrong, Nellie considers freezing her eggs to take some of the pressure off of society's imaginary timeline for single ladies. Throughout her fertility treatment, which lasts roughly a couple of weeks, Nellie embarks on a chaotic journey through emotional peaks and valleys. What follows is a comically layered personal exploration of being single, including visits from ex-boyfriends of the past, putting on faux smiles during friends' baby showers, and barely surviving family dinners when her dad asks when he can expect grandchildren.
Leah McKendrick has been candid about how the themes of Scrambled were birthed from her real-life experience, which should give audiences an even more delicate lens through which to view the film. Addressing myths, taboos, and the "danger zone" of being a woman in her mid-thirties, McKendrick dodges societal expectations and creates a truly empowering film about developing a newborn sense of ownership over her bodily autonomy.
"I don't even know if I want kids! I've seen Euphoria," is one of Nellie's many sharp comebacks that give the film its adult cheekiness. The witty script paired with the magnetism of McKendrick's performance is a winning combination. So if you're sick of conventional films about fertility and want something original from the point of view of someone who's lived it, Scrambled is for you.
1h 37m. Rated R for sexual content, nudity, language throughout, and some drug use.
Sundance: 'Daughters' Finds Joy in the Face of Heartbreak
A Father-Daughter dance is a rite of passage for many young girls. I remember my first dance, a cowboy-themed event sponsored by my Brownie troop. I may have only been five or six years old, but that special memory has stuck with me all these years later. In co-directors Natalie Rae and Angela Patton's touching documentary Daughters, four young girls reunite with their incarcerated fathers as they prepare for their first Daddy-Daughter Dance, held in the gymnasium of a Washington, D.C., jail. As a viewer, be prepared to feel a wide range of emotions, from compassion and joy to heartbreak and sorrow. Daughters is a sentimental love letter to the irreplaceable bond between parent and child.
Daughters is a tenderly told observational film that follows 5-year-old Aubrey, 10-year-old Santana, 11-year-old Ja'Ana, and 15-year-old Raziah as they navigate the complex emotions of meeting their absentee fathers, face to face, for the first time in years. The "Date with Dad" program, conceived by co-director Angela Patton, has been established to connect incarcerated men with their children and allow these fathers the opportunity to re-commit their loyalty, love, and long-term devotion to their families. The men who participate in this program commit to a 10-week program, led by a life coach who specializes in fatherhood counseling. Over those 10 weeks, while their daughters are simultaneously anticipating this reunification, the men learn about the importance of stability in a child's life, and the "Date with Dad" event gives them a first step in fostering a brand new relationship.
Everyone who participates in this documentary, which took over eight years to complete, deserves recognition for putting their vulnerability on full display. There are many moments throughout the film that will have you reaching for tissues, a few standouts for me include when the men trade their jumpsuits for dress suits, and relying on the older inmates to teach them how to tie a tie. Outside the prison walls, the young girls get their nails done and slip into princess-like dresses, some even embellished with little tiaras. Of course, the dance and the countdown toward saying goodbye were so emotional that I almost had to pause and collect myself. It will be a rare audience member who can get through these poignant father-daughter scenes with a dry eye.
Rae, an award-winning director with a focus on women’s rights, and Patton, the CEO of Girls For A Change, are the momentum behind capturing the Daddy Daughter Dance as they navigate this unique and intimate experience with respect and compassion. The four girls who are at the center of the film handle themselves with an empathetic maturity that is both admirable and astonishing to witness. They are wise beyond their years, some more skeptical about their father's promises, but one thing they have in common is the hope that this is the start of a life-changing evolution and that one day soon, their fathers will come home.
Shot in cinema vérité style, Daughters is a devastatingly poignant film about the importance of commitment within a family, even when the odds are stacked against you. It reveals a bittersweet reality that many families experience, complete with dynamic emotions and a quiet optimism, reminding us that love can prevail from prison walls.
Daughters won both the Festival Favorite Award and the U.S. Documentary Audience Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.
Sundance: 'Skywalkers: A Love Story': Feel the Adrenaline Rush
It's a bird! It's a plane! Nope, it's two Russian influencers taking selfies on some of the highest buildings in the world. In Emmy and Peabody-winning filmmaker Jeff Zimbalist's stomach-churning documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story, human perseverance and ability are pushed to jaw-dropping heights. Premiering in the U.S. Documentary Competition at the Sundance Film Festival, Zimbalist follows the careers of two daredevils who attempt to scale the tallest skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in the hopes of resuscitating their internet notoriety and building back the trust that had been dwindling within their rocky relationship. In an early acquisition from the festival, Netflix bought the distribution rights (and we're hoping that they give it the big screen experience it desperately deserves).
The premise sounds both risky and ridiculous but after watching Russian rooftoppers Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus are clearly in their element as they pose and take pictures among the clouds. The beauty of this image seems to outshine the worry of how they made it happen. Angela and Ivan started as competitors in the niche community of "rooftoppers" but after an opportunity to collaborate on a brand deal presented itself, the duo quickly became inseparable.
Angela, the daughter of two circus performers, always knew that her path was going to be an unusual one. She loved using her body as expressionist art and took to Instagram to share her death-defying stunts. Ivan, in a similar fashion, much to his parent's concern, found the lawlessness of rooftopping exhilarating. Angela and Ivan's shared outlook on life as extreme athletes, learning to deal with the ever-present risk that follows them, became the building blocks for a truly special relationship. Constantly facing life-or-death situations, they understand the necessity of maintaining a strong foundation of trust if they are to make it out of these stunts alive. This culminates in one of the biggest tests of their trust, endurance, and rooftopping skills as they take on the infamous Malaysian skyscraper, despite the many roadblocks that nearly derail the attempt and sabotage their careers.
Using vertie footage shot by cinematographers Renato Borrayo Serrano and Pablo Rojas, as well as Ivan and Angela themselves, Skywalkers: A Love Story puts audiences front and center to witness one of the most daring acts ever attempted by a human being. Similar in its anxiety-inducing qualities to last year's The Deepest Breath, Skywalkers has no shortage of "Hold your breath" moments which all culminate in a heart-pounding pinnacle stunt. Those with a fear of heights would be better off skipping this film altogether, as there is more time spent in the air (sans a safety net) than on land.
The events that make up the film are all highly illegal and the film does its due diligence by placing a "Do not attempt at home" warning at the onset, but those with an adventurous side are hard-pressed to imagine the guts it would take to scale a building for some Instagram likes. The "why" may not resonate with many, but there is absolutely no denying that this film is a stunning achievement. Skywalkers: A Love Story is a mesmerizing tour de force guaranteed to give full-body chills to anyone who dares to watch it.
Skywalkers: A Love Story was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize: Documentary at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.