• By Mabel Pais

STRIPPED FOR PARTS: AMERICAN JOURNALISM ON THE BRINK

Director: Rick Goldsmith; USA; 2023; 100m

‘Stripped for Parts: American Journalism on the Brink’ is the story of one secretive hedge fund that is plundering America’s newspapers and the journalists who are fighting back. Investigative reporter Julie Reynolds, Denver Post editorialist Chuck Plunkett and a handful of others, backed by the NewsGuild union, go toe-to-toe with the faceless Alden Global Capital in a battle to save and rebuild local journalism across America.

Who will control the future of America’s news ecosystem: Wall Street billionaires concerned only with profit, or those who see journalism as an essential public service and the lifeblood of our democracy?

Opening date: Check listings at strippedforpartsfilm.com/screenings

BLACK BOX DIARIES

Based on the International Bestseller

Director: Shiori Ito; 2024; Japan/USA/UK; Japanese w/English subs; 103m

‘BLACK BOX DIARIES’ follows director and journalist Shiori Ito’s courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. Unfolding like a thriller and combining secret investigative recordings, vérité shooting and emotional first-person video, Shiori’s quest becomes a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country’s desperately outdated judicial and societal systems.

From the director, Shiroi Ito, ”I pushed myself to the limit in shooting this documentary. Upon revisiting the hotel where I was raped, I felt the damage I was doing to myself might be too much. But at the same time, my desire to change society and tell this story kept me alive. Now, four years after winning the civil case, I can with more objectivity watch the scenes of my breaking down, passing moments of joy and normalcy, and absurd comedy in my novice investigator techniques – and to conceive how they can come together to form our film.”

“A black box is defined as a system whose internal workings are hidden or not readily understood. Japan is a land of black boxes, and I learned what happens in this society when you start opening them. Our film is not about seeking criminal justice against my perpetrator or about politics of the left and right. Rather, it is the story of one woman’s experience – my black box, laid open for all to see.”

Opening date: October 25 at Film Forum, New York.

ZURAWSKI V TEXAS

Directors: Maisie Crow (Jackson) and Abbie Perrault; USA; 98m

In an election year where the battle over reproductive healthcare rights is at the heart of America’s political discourse, Zurawski v Texas reveals a historic courtroom challenge led by women demanding change. At the forefront is Amanda Zurawski, who suffered septic shock when doctors, constrained by restrictive abortion laws, refused to provide her with necessary medical care, leaving her ability to have children compromised. Amanda’s story is not unique. Samantha Casiano, a mother of four, faced the devastating loss of her daughter, who was diagnosed with a fatal condition in utero. Forced to carry her baby to term, Samantha endured the heartbreak of her child’s near-immediate death. Lawyer Molly Duane leads the legal fight against a Texas law so oppressive that it has made doctors fearful of acting, even when their patients’ lives are at risk. Among these doctors is Austin Dennard, a plaintiff in the case who had to travel out of state to obtain her own abortion after learning that her pregnancy had a fatal diagnosis and a miscarriage was inevitable.

These deeply personal stories form the emotional core of Zurawski v Texas, a documentary that uncovers the traumatic consequences of restrictive healthcare legislation.

Opening date: October 25. Check local listings.

MY NAME IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK

Director: Mark Cousins; 2022; Doc; Eng; 120m

A century after the debut of Alfred Hitchcock’s first feature, he remains one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. But how does his vast body of work and legacy hold up in today’s world?

Mark Cousins, the award-winning filmmaker, tackles this question and looks at the auteur with a new and radical approach: through the use of his own voice. As Hitchcock rewatches his films, we are taken on an odyssey through his vast career – his vivid silent films, the legendary films of the 1950s and 60s and his later works – in playful and revealing ways.

Opening date: Open in theaters in New York & Los Angeles, October 25.

NOCTURNES

2024 World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Craft – Sundance Film Festival

Directors: Anirban Dutta & Anupama Srinivasan; 2024; India, USA; Hindi, English, Bugun; 83m

In the dark of night, two curious observers, ecologist Mansi with local observer Bicki, shine a light on a secret universe – the nighttime lives of moths. Together, these scientists are on an expedition to decode these nocturnal creatures in a remote ecological “hot spot” on the border of India and Bhutan. The result transports audiences to a rarely-seen place and captures through rapturous visuals the stunning biodiversity of our natural world. Featuring unforgettable immersive sound design that won a Special Award for Craft at Sundance, ‘NOCTURNES’ urges us all to look more closely at the hidden interconnections of nature and the whispered consequences of a changing climate.

Opening Date: October 25. Check local listings. 

(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, Cuisine, Health & Wellness, Business, and Education)