IN DEPTH: Part One of the 2009 Academy Documentary Short List

Let's get one thing out of the way.  There will be no outraged commentary this year.  For one, we've tried to swear that kind of thing off after last year's debacle and our subsequent response.  For another, despite the numerous flaws in the Academy's process (and Lord knows they are legion), it's not a terrible shortlist this year, despite some high profile omissions.

In fact, the Academy, through no fault of its own, managed to include veterans (Errol Morris, Werner Herzog, Steve James & Peter Gilbert, Stacy Peralta) as well as first timers (Ellen Kuras, Jeremiah Zagar) and still found room for the two front-runners (James Marsh's MAN ON WIRE and Carl Deal & Tia Lessin's TROUBLE THE WATER).  This despite a process that made it ever increasingly simple to qualify for Academy eligibility.

Here is our annual in-depth look at the 15 films that have been shortlisted by the Motion Picture Academy in the Best Documentary Feature category and the facts and figures behind them. 

THE NEW RULES

There was, as usual, a lot of talk going into this year's Oscar season about the new Academy eligibility rules.  In this case (as opposed to the last few years), the rules were loosened to allow films to qualify more easily - and this (along with a glance at some of the heretofore unheard of titles that were suddenly in contention) made some wonder if this year's Shortlist might be strewn with a bunch of films that most had never heard of.  

This turned out to be unfounded as 14 of the 15 films (BLESSED IS THE MATCH being the exception) made a dent either at one of the year's top festivals or in theatrical release. 

That doesn't mean that the new rules actually work.  After all, five of the year's highest profile films - YOUNG@HEART, WALTZ WITH BASHIR, STANDED (all nominated by the IDA), UP THE YANGTZE and SURFWISE were ineligible for this year's awards.

LAST HURRAH FOR MATT DENTLER

While SXSW has long been a launching pad for successful docs, this year 3 of the films on the list premiered this March in Austin - AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOOR, IN A DREAM and THEY KILLED SISTER DOROTHY a nice going-away present to departed SXSW programming chief Matt Dentler.  That compares favorably to returning (and usual) champ Sundance, which premiered 6 films (up from five in 2006 & 2007).  Toronto 2007 first screened two of the films, with one each for Silverdocs, Tribeca, Berlin and the Toronto Jewish Film Festival.

SNUBBED

Through the year, many Oscar prognosicators speculated that Marina Zenovich's ROMAN POLANSKI: WANTED AND DESIRED, a Sundance award winner acquired by HBO, would be a certain shortlister (this despite the Academy's long tendancy to overlook celebrity pics, music or otherwise). 

The other big surprise is the absence of RELIGULOUS, which is hands down the top box office nonfiction of the year, a stat that usually gets a film shortlisted and ultimately nominated.

Lots of other disappointments, including Margaret Brown's THE ORDER OF MYTHS and Nanette Burstein's AMERICAN TEEN, which leads us to...

NO LOVE FOR THE LADIES

Two years ago, women filmmakers dominated the shortlist.  This year, just two films (the aforementioned BLESSED IS THE MATCH and PRAY THE DEVIL BACK TO HELL) were credited solely to a female filmmaker.  Last year, only one film had that distinction.  (TROUBLE THE WATER and THE BETRAYAL have one woman sharing credit with a man, although Ellen Kuras gets the primary credit on THE BETRAYAL.)  Brown, Burstein and Zenovich are among the filmmakers missing from this year's list.

THE 2007 SHORTLIST - PART THE FIRST

This year, we'll be splitting what is always a pretty gargantuan task into 3 parts, so starting off - and in alphabetical order - here are the first five films from this year's Shortlist:

AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOOR

Directed by Steve James & Peter Gilbert
IMDb page
Rotten Tomatoes page - 100% (9 of 9)

Festival premiere - SXSW
Additional festivals of note - Full Frame, Hot Docs, BritDoc
Festival laurels - Inspiration Award, Full Frame

Cinema Eye Eligible? - Yes
IDA Nomination -
Gotham Nomination - No

Distribution: Produced by IFC, aired on the network in May
Theatrical gross to date -

Sample review:
"(T)he confluence of (subject Carroll Pickett's) crisis of conscience with old-fashioned, investigative journalism allows the film to examine questions about justice and morality without seeming didactic.
- Loren King, Chicago Tribune

Our thoughts:
"Gilbert and James fill the frame with Pickett's weathered face, to the point where one senses the emotion that remains bottled up inside from the smallest glance.  It's heartbreaking when, later in the film, Pickett's wife wonders aloud whether that these audio records (which fill several boxes, such is the frequency of Pickett's task) are essentially his tears."

Notes:
Famously shunned by the Academy for their landmark HOOP DREAMS, James was shortlisted several years ago for his very personal STEVIE.  A slight surprise only because it was unclear whether the film's IFC broadcast would jeopardize its eligibility.  Although made for TV, reflects IFC's desire to make back theatrical-quality docs.  The network's previous strong contender in this category - Kirby Dick's THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED - never advanced to the shortlist.

Trailer:

THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)

Directed by Ellen Kuras, Co-directed by Thavisouk Phrasavath

IMDb page
Rotten Tomatoes page - 100% (6 of 6)

Festival premiere - Sundance
Additional festivals of note - Berlin, Full Frame, Hot Docs, Silverdocs, IDFA
Festival laurels - Spectrum Award, Full Frame

Cinema Eye Eligible? - Yes
IDA Nomination - No
Gotham Nomination - No

Distribution: Cinema Guild.  Will air on PBS' P.O.V.

Sample review:
"More than two decades in the making, this heartfelt debut docu feature by veteran cinematographer Ellen Kuras brings an affecting personal dimension to a sprawling sociopolitical narrative, intimately detailing how the agendas designed to advance the interests of nations can destroy individual lives."
- Scott Foundas, Variety

Notes:
The first nonfiction feature for indie film stalwart Kuras was greatly talked about when it premiered in Park City, not just for what many took for granted would be beautiful images from the acclaimed DP.  Audiences were inspired by the 23-years-in-the-making, emotional tale of one man's life (the co-director Phrasavath) amidst the Laotian refugees of the Vietnam war.

Trailer:

BLESSED IS THE MATCH: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF HANNAH SENESH

Directed by Roberta Grossman
IMDb page
Rotten Tomatoes page - No

Festival premiere - Toronto Jewish Film Festival

Cinema Eye Eligible? - No
IDA Nomination - No
Gotham Nomination - No

Distribution: Appears to be self-distributed

Notes:
Filling the annual slot of the film that seemingly comes out of nowhere is, not surprisingly, also this year's Holocaust documentary on the shortlist.  The film was featured in the memorable NY Times article from late August titled "Documentaries Court the Academy, Not Viewers" which led to strong responses from Toronto Film Festival programmer Thom Powers as well as from these parts.  In that article, director Grossman said, "I didn't advertise, I didn't seek reviews.  My goal for this run was to qualify for the Academy Awards, period."

The film's opening scene:

ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD

Directed by Werner Herzog
IMDb page
Rotten Tomatoes page - 93% (67 out of 72)

Festival premiere - Toronto 2007
Additional festivals of note - IDFA, Full Frame, Silverdocs

Cinema Eye Eligible? - Yes
IDA Nomination - Yes, Career Achievement Award for Herzog
Gotham Nomination - Yes, Best Documentary Feature

Distribution: THINKFilm
Theatrical gross to date -$944,933

Sample review:
"That great eccentric poet of cinema Werner Herzog (GRIZZLY MAN, THE WHITE DIAMOND) trains his cameras on Antarctica and finds visual splendor and seductive danger on the frozen continent, from those who dive below the sea to penguins who consider prostitution. Herzog gets inside the minds and hearts of the people who live there and study its mysteries. Herzog is one of a kind. His new doc is an event you watch in awe as you marvel at its wonders."
- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Notes:
Surprisingly left off the shortlist for GRIZZLY MAN, Herzog now seems to be one of the frontrunners for an Oscar nomination for ENCOUNTERS.  If so, it would be his first - in fiction or nonfiction.  There's been a newfound appreciation in the documentary establishment for Herzog since the GRIZZLY snub and this year's IDA career award is yet one more sign that Herzog's stock is rising amongst that crowd.  The film may also be remembered as one of the last successes of THINKFilm, which released the film successfully in the midst of financial and corporate turmoil.

Trailer:

FUEL

Directed by Joshua Tickell
IMDb page
Rotten Tomatoes page - 100% (9 of 9)

Festival premiere - Sundance
Additional festivals of note - Full Frame, Hot Docs, BritDoc
Festival laurels - Audience Award, Sundance

Cinema Eye Eligible? - Not currently.
IDA Nomination - No
Gotham Nomination - No

Distribution: Currently on a tour of selected theaters .
Theatrical gross to date - Not reported.

Sample review:
"Fields of Fuel isn't one of your artsy documentaries, but the clear, concise way in which Tickell presents the information and its relevance given the situation with the oil supply, the war in Iraq, and prices at the gas pump, seem to resonate with audiences."
- Kim Voynar, Cinematical

Notes:
Tickell was an activist before he was a filmmaker.  The founder of the Biodiesel America Organization, he has written two books and was one of the first proponents of vegetable oil for fueling diesel cars.  His film, which screened at Sundance as FIELDS OF FUEL, is equally activist in nature and features interviews with numerous celebrities and politicians.  It's the big green doc in this year's race and that may be of interest to the folks to honored the teachy INCONVENIENT TRUTH.

Trailer:

Ten more documentary features, including frontrunners MAN ON WIRE and TROUBLE THE WATER coming soon in part 2 & part 3 of our IN DEPTH look at this year's documentary feature race.

Comments

[Scott]

First off, I want to say how blown away I was when I saw "At The Death House Door" at Southby. It was the first time I've happily stood up to give the filmmakers a standing ovation, and of the seven films on this list that I've seen, I think it is easily the best. That said, I agreed with you last year that the films made for TV shouldn't have been included on the shortlist. Is it hypocritical to look the other way on this one simply because Steve James directed it?

[Thom Powers]

Let's give credit to Andrea Meditch from Discovery Films who was the exec producer for both ENCOUNTERS AT THE END OF THE WORLD and MAN ON WIRE. It's a shame that Discovery folded that division in this year of their greatest success.

[James McNally]

Thanks, AJ, for breaking down the rules for us, and providing such in-depth coverage of the contenders. I am curious why Up the Yangtze wasn't eligible, though.

[Dentler]

Thanks for the shout-out. But, really, history books will only remember the final five. Go Steve & Peter! Go Jeremiah! Go Daniel!