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Pg. 20 Your Stars

DOC NYC wraps 11th annual showcase

By NADINE MATTHEWS

Special to the AmNews

DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary film festival, just wrapped its eleventh annual showcase of the best in nonfiction filmmaking of the past year. See below for our picks of must-watch films, most of which are now or soon will be available on your various streaming or cable services.

“Sing, Freetown”

A brilliant chronicling of two creatives with vastly different personalities trying to collaborate on a play that holds overwhelming significance. One is Sierra Leone’s most famous expatriate, London-based journalist Sorius Samura. The other Charlie Haffner, Sorius’ one-time mentor and sometime hero. With a strong narrative bent, combining humor, suspense, drama, pathos, and hope, “Sing Freetown” is not your average documentary

“Attica”

A seminal event in New York state history was the overtaking of Attica State Prison by inmates in 1971. Told from the perspective of former inmates who participated in the uprising, and families of the guards who worked there, filmmaker Stanley Nelson’s compelling retelling is a must-see even with its many very hard to watch moments.

“Subject of Desire”

Using the 2018 Miss Black America Pageant as its entry point, “Subject of Desire” is an insightful, thoughtful argument about the ways that the idea of beauty has been weaponized against Black women and girls throughout history in order to deny them access to power.

“The Photograph”

Legendary Harlem Renaissance photographer James Van Der Zee perfected the art of capturing Black people and their lives with great dignity at a time when the world generally afforded them little. Told through the eyes of a man who found a photo of his beloved grandfather that was taken by the storied photographer, “The Photograph” is a thought-provoking travelogue through Harlem, a world unto its own.

“Bree Way: Promise, Witness, Remembrance”

Painter Amy Sherald asked Breonna Taylor’s fiance permission to use the engagement ring he never got to officially put on Taylor’s finger, in her portrait of the young woman tragically murdered in her bed by Kentucky police. Filmmaker Dawn Porter features Sherald and Taylor’s mother and other family members to paint a touching portrait of the people Taylor touched both when she lived as well as when she died.

“Kevin Garnett: Anything Is Possible”

You’ll smile until your cheeks hurt… then you’ll cry. A masterful study of the importance of teamwork, the skill involved in crafting team dynamics for success, and the limitless talent and charisma of Kevin Garnett, one the most authentic individuals to ever hit the hardwood. Featuring Doc Rivers, Bill Russell, Paul Pierce, Danny Ainge, Isaiah Thomas, and many more.

“The Rumba Kings”

A pleasing look at the growth of Congolese Rumba, as its namesake African country neared the official end of Belgium’s official colonial rule. The doc illustrates how the musical style instilled a much needed sense of pride to a people brutalized by the Belgian regime. A plethora of archival photos, insightful commentary from Congolese music journalists, and extensive footage of musical performances make this a rich and rewarding watch. playbook eerily similar to that used in D.C. after the election of Barack Obama, America’s first Black president. Washington improbably overcame his antagonists and went on to being one of America’s most widely celebrated political figures.

“Grandpa Was an Emperor”

Reggae legend Bob Marley, who had great respect for Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie, helped save the royal’s great-granddaughter’s life when she was a young girl. Now she takes us with her on a painful journey back in time as she recalls how a coup resulted in many members of her family, including her father, being executed and many others jailed for many years.

“The Slow Hustle”

Actress Sonja Sohn (The Wire) directed and co-produced this troubling look at how the Baltimore Police Department, and the city’s political machine, mishandled the investigation of the on-duty death of one of their own.

“Citizen Ashe”

Highlighting the importance of access in successful outcomes, “Citizen Ashe” is an engaging portrait of one of the most important and beloved figures in American sports history: Arthur Ashe, who literally grew up on a tennis court.

“Black and Missing”

Produced by journalist Soledad O’Brien, this four-episode series chronicles the work of the Black and Missing Foundation, created to address the neglectful manner in which media and law enforcement treat missing Black girls and women. Also retraces cases such Relisha Rudd, Tameka Houston, Pam Butler, and others, and the herculean efforts involved with getting them on the radars of mainstream media. Also features John Walsh, Glenn Kushner.

“Summer of Soul”

Produced by Questlove, most of the footage in this rousing documentary is over 50 yearsold. The Harlem Culture Festival put on a concert in Mt. Morris Park in 1969, at the same time as Woodstock, which took place some 100 miles away in upstate New York. While Woodstock became an iconic symbol of American music history, the Harlem Culture Festival was quickly pushed aside and forgotten until now. Featuring Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, Fifth Dimension, Gladys Knight and the Pips, and many other legendary American musicians, it is intercut with present-day commentary from some of the performers and attendees themselves. The footage of Mavis Staples and Mahalia Jackson singing “Precious Lord” will give you chills. An absolute must-see.

“Attica”

“Citizen Ashe”

(Image courtesy of DOC NYC)

By LINDA ARMSTRONG Special to the AmNews

There is nothing on Broadway like “freestyle love supreme,” playing at the Booth Theatre! I am so thrilled that it is back and bringing audiences the most unique theatrical experience. “freestyle love supreme”: improv at the highest level, is an audiences’ dream! Fantastic! It’s no wonder that this production received a Special Honor for the 2020 Tony Awards, a trophy which it gladly takes out and shows the audience.

At the show I attended, the audience—full of both first-timers and repeat participants—were there in full voice, shouting out words and headline suggestions based on the categories given by the actors. What’s so incredible about this production is that every show is absolutely different from the next, and the audience is literally a part of the show as the cast, on-thespot, makes up freestyle songs, raps and scenes based on their suggestions.

At the performance I attended, the “freestyle love supreme” cast, which is always switching, consisted of some of the most skilled, versatile actors, singers and overall performers you will ever encounter: Aneesa Folds aka Young Nees; Anthony Veneziale aka Two-Touch; Christopher Jackson aka C-Jack; Chris Sullivan aka Shockwave (the master of human-made beats and sound effects); and Andrew Bancroft aka Jelly Donut. It should be noted that Christopher Jackson, Anthony Veneziale and Chris Sullivan are founding members and, in fact, Veneziale conceived of the idea and created it with the assistance of Thomas Kail and LinManuel Miranda and the production is directed by Thomas Kail.

There is such a cohesion of talent on that stage; it’s one of the stunning elements of this production and every audience gets to feel and experience it. Before the show starts, audience members are given a barcode and asked to text a word that they want to see included in a scene. Those words are put on paper and pulled from a bucket and given life on stage. Then the audience was asked to shout out their least favorite things. The audience was very vocal, and the actors choose three subjects to improv around: Anti-vaxxers, Supply Chains and Pop Quizzes. It was brilliant and side-holding-laughter funny as Jelly Donut did sporadic raps about Anti-Vaxxers, Two-Touch did Supply Chains and Young Nees took on the trauma of Pop-Quizzes for young kids in school. The audience was overwhelmed with the humor, joy and spontaneity of the geniuses before us. It was great! Two-Touch then invited the audience to think back to when they were younger and give a headline for something that happened that they wished they could do over. In the balcony, a student named Alexander was thrown a mic and shared his story of woe in his school cafeteria. Two-Touch asked him questions and got all the details of what happened to him. It was the day he came to lunch late, missed the seat at the table he normally sat at and went to another table where the boys were acting as WWE wrestlers. Before you knew it, he was wrestling with them and in the end of it put into a headlock and wound up chipping his tooth on the table, as he banged it trying

to escape the headlock. Well, you can’t imagine the creativity on that stage that not only portrayed his story to improv perfection, but then did a scenario in which Alexander was given a second chance and the group changed his decision in a particularly hilarious way and deescalated the toxic masculinity of he and his two friends and helped them to realize that they needed a therapist. Then, after getting therapy, each boy was able to grow into a productive, sensitive successful man. You can’t imagine how entertaining this all was for the audience.

Next, a student from Barnard College named Caroline shared a story about her day before coming to the theater and they improved her story from the time she was woken up at 10 a.m. by her mother Linda, to hearing about her best friend’s sexual escapades, to her watching a football game she didn’t understand between Columbia and Penn State at Columbia Homecoming, and then getting the train to the theater. What was great was that

the story already was funny as Caroline was telling it and Two-Touch was reacting to what she said. But when the ensemble did improv for everything from start to finish and included spins on her mother Linda, that was ridiculously hilarious. Oh my God, we couldn’t stop laughing.

On the last call for words, the audience, completely loving being a vital part of the production shot up their hands. This time, my best friend Denese’s word was chosen, “Yes.” And Young Nees, who has an incredibly, powerful, beautiful voice, started to sing about the word Yes and talk about real things that happened in her personal life. She sang of being a shy girl with social anxiety and her mother pushing her to participate. She auditioned for the Chorus of New York City and got in. She performed with them in Japan, Switzerland and many other places. She sang of her parents telling her of the joy she could bring others. Her story and voice touched the audience deeply. C-Jack took to the microphone and he asked whether people were feeling good sitting in these seats, and how sitting there opened you to the person next to you. He asked if people felt blessed to be there and many other positive questions that the audience answered Yes to. The energy in the theater was off the charts. Two-Touch also told inspiring personal stories of his childhood during the show. Throughout the show Shockwave provided countless amazing beats and sound effects. At the performance I attended, Richard Baskin Jr. made his outstanding Broadway debut as the conductor of the live on-stage band.

This production is something that should always be on Broadway because improv is the roots of the theater, and long may it reign! It was amazing how these actors would not only create something out of one word, or a headline, or a storyline, but also incorporate sharing personal truths in their lives with the audience. Every moment at “freestyle love supreme” was one the audience will definitely cherish. Unfortunately, the show is playing a limited engagement through Jan. 2, 2022.

You have got to head over to the Booth Theatre on West 45th Street and experience this improv treasure for yourself. Just come with words and ideas, who knows?

For more info, visit www.freestylelovesupreme.com.

(L to R) Chris Sullivan, Wayne Brady, Anthony Veneziale, Aneesa Folds, and Kurt Crowley (on keyboard) in ”Freestyle Love Supreme” at the Booth Theatre

(L to R) Tarik Davis, Aneesa Folds, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and James Monroe Iglehart in “Freestyle Love Supreme” at the Booth Theatre