by Daniel Pecoraro, Staff Writer

One of the joys of being a MovieJawn contributor is getting introduced to films I may not have otherwise had the frame of mind or ability to see, and no genre fits more into that category than documentaries. I can’t think of a single occasion where a doc has been at my local theater, and–aside from the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which ironically is now mostly an art house cineplex that happens to host performances and weddings, and the Firehouse at DCTV on the Lower East Side–there really isn’t anywhere to see new (especially small) documentaries nearby. 

Which is why I’m especially looking forward to covering DOCNYC, New York’s annual celebration of documentary film at the IFC Center, SVA Theater, and Village East Cinema (and online) November 8–26. Tickets and festival info available here.

Here’s just a few of the films I’m most looking forward to seeing in the coming weeks:

If you like esoteric history:

The Lady Bird Diaries (dir. Dawn Porter)

I’m a sucker for films that are exclusively archival footage. I’m also fascinated by the trappings of the presidency, including the history of first ladies. And while I don’t have a “favorite” president–in part because every president since at least Theodore Roosevelt has been in one respect or another an imperial war criminal–I’m most fascinated by the LBJ administration. Therefore I’m absolutely in the target demographic for this feature, curating over a hundred hours of Lady Bird Johnson archival audio and video. (Screening 11/11 and 11/12 at the Village East, and online 11/12-11/26.)

Time Bomb Y2K (dir. Brian Becker and Marley McDonald)

I remember, as an anxious, precocious child (cf. my piece in the Spring 2023 issue of MovieJawn) with an early-tech-adopter streak, how nervous I was about Y2K and computers melting down. This 80-minute doc (again all-archival!) tells the story of the run-up to the new millennium. (Screening at IFC Center 11/15 and 11/16, and online 11/16-11/17.)

The Trials of Alan Dershowitz (dir. John Curtin)

Alan Dershowitz is an exceptionally weird dude, who has gotten even weirder as time has gone on with his connections to the Trumps and Jeffrey Epstein. While I’m a bit concerned that this documentary is a bit too close to the subject (one of the screenings will involve a Q&A between Dershowitz and director-producer-editor John Curtin), I’m always going to be interested in a portrait of a uniquely American life. (Screening at the Village East 11/9, IFC Center 11/10, and online 11/10-11/26.)

If you like film (and TV) on film:

A Disturbance in the Force (dir. Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak)

I’ve never seen the Star Wars Holiday Special, so I promise to at least get some enjoyment out of A Disturbance in the Force, featuring an array of fan perspectives on the Star Wars extended universe’s most infamous outputs. (Disturbance is screening at IFC Center 11/14 and 11/15, and online 11/15-11/26.)

Merchant Ivory (dir. Stephen Soucy)

I hate to admit this more, but I’ve never seen a film produced/directed by the duo of Ismail Merchant and James Ivory. I promise to rectify the latter after seeing this doc featuring the partnership in life and art that was Merchant Ivory. (Merchant Ivory is screening at the Village East 11/11 and 11/12 and online 11/12-11/26.)

Shari & Lamb Chop (dir. Lisa D’Apolito)

I did, however, watch a ton of Lamb Chop’s Play-Along (and the Charlie Horse Music Pizza spinoff), but I know little to nothing of creator and ventriloquist Shari Lewis beyond her being the hand inside the puppet-head. This doc (featuring a special appearance from Lamb Chop herself in the world premiere!) should hopefully clear that up. (Maybe it will also clear up the phenomenon of the Lamb Chop-licensed dog chew toys, which I don’t fully understand.) (Screening 11/11 at IFC Center, 11/14 at the Village East, and online 11/12-11/26.)