Each year, KBIA brings listeners our True/False Conversations which go inside the creative minds of the filmmakers screening films at the True/False Film Fest. This year, KBIA teamed up with film reviewers from "Vox Magazine" to produce reviews of eight of the feature films screening at the fest.
Those eight reviews are interspersed with excerpts of KBIA's interview with Stacey Woelfel, the director of the University of Missouri’s Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism, who shared his thoughts on the upcoming fest. You can listen to that entire special here:
Here is the extended version of our interview with Stacey Woelfel:
"Those Who Jump"
Directors Estephan Wagner and Moritz Siebert wanted to make a documentary about the Africa-to-Europe migrant experience for years, but they needed a collaborator. They found him in Abou Bakar Sidibé, a Malian man who had been living on Mount Gougourou in northern Morocco for more than a year trying unsuccessfully to make the crossing to Europe. Together, the three created "Les Sauteurs," or "Those Who Jump." Review by Niki Kottman.
"Thy Father's Chair"
Scenes of hoarding fill our television screens, but "Thy Father's Chair" is not your average hoarding story. The observational documentary follows a pair of adult Orthodox Jewish twins, who are forced to clean up their family's Brooklyn home after the death of their parents. As they dig through the clutter and garbage, the twins and the filmmakers delve into questions about faith, rules, pain and letting go. Review by Ryan Levi.
"Kate Plays Christine"
In "Kate Plays Christine," director Robert Greene, who also serves as the filmmaker-in-chief at Jonathan B. Murray Center for Documentary Journalism, tells the story of Christine Chubbuck, a Florida newswoman who killed herself live on television in 1974. To tell that story, Greene follows actress Kate Lyn Sheil as she prepares to portray Chubbuck. Review by Max Havey.
"Another Country"
"Another Country" provides a sobering look at the life of the residents of Ramingining, a small village in the northern part of Australia where aboriginal clans were forced to relocate by the Australian government. Through the narration of aboriginal actor David Gullpilil, the film condemns what government intervention policies have done to the aboriginal people. Director Molly Reynolds demonstrates the clash between the white Australian culture and the native aboriginal culture through the concepts of time, money and trash. Review by Max Havey.
"Sonita"
Sonita is a 14-year-old Afghan refugee living in Iran and dreaming of a life as a rapper -- she considers herself the spiritual daughter of Rihanna and Michael Jackson. But that dream is put in danger when Sonita's mother summons her home to sell her as a child bride. "Sonita" is this year's True Life Fund selection, which will donate money to Sonita's campaign against child marriage. Review by Katie Johns.
"The Bad Kids"
High school can be difficult, and for some students, traditional high schools don't work. This is the case for the students at Black Rock High School who serve as the subject of the film, "The Bad Kids." The film chronicles eleventh and twelfth graders who are looking for a second chance to complete their high school education. Review by Madison Feller.
"The Prison in Twelve Landscapes"
The United States incarcerates a higher percentage of its population than any other country in the world. In her documentary, "The Prison in Twelve Landscapes," Brett Story seeks to redefine both how and where the prison in America is viewed. Review by Sarah Kloepple.
"Between Sisters"
"Between Sisters" is an intimate family portrait of Teresa, 89, and her sister Ornella, 68, directed by Manu Gerosa, Ornella's son and Teresa's nephew. Teresa is in the grips of Alzheimer's and her younger sister is seeking a family secret that Teresa has never divulged. Review by Griffin Matis.
Go to VoxMagazine.com to see video reviews produced by the multimedia team at "Vox Magazine."
