steve james documentary stevie update firefox

In part I see the film as an unintentional condemning of mentoring organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, but for that I also have to see equal issue with foster care and, well, a lot of documentary filmmaking. I presume co-editor William Haugse (with whom James shares an earlier editing Oscar nomination) must have been an enormous help at the steering wheel of this one. As we await the release of James’ latest nonfiction masterpiece, “The Interrupters” (out in NYC July 29), as well as what is being called retrospective of some of the filmmaker’s work (including this film, which screens at the IFC Center tonight as part of ), it’s a great time to get acquainted with an undervalued documentarian and what’s undoubtedly his most narratively and ethically complex achievement.Īt times it feels so personal, particularly on moral and visceral levels, that it’s amazing he was able to compile the doc with a clear head. However, I partly wish to recommend lesser known films requiring more attention, either than what they received to begin with or than they have had since. A more obvious and easy choice would be James’ “Hoop Dreams,” and certainly it deserves a discussion here in the future.

Less than ten years old, it might seem too new a film to be considered a “classic.” Docs tend to age a lot quicker than fiction films, though, with only a few years needed to determine if they’re permanent must-see works or momentary imperatives that quickly become outdated.

Yesterday I watched Steve James’ “Stevie” for the first time, and - oh yeah - this is the one. I’ve been wanting to start up a column on documentary classics for a while now but couldn’t decide what film to start with.

Steve james documentary stevie update firefox