“Documentary storytellers help us make sense of the tumultuous times we’re living in with artistry, humor and inspiring characters”- Director of Programming Basil Tsiokos

By Mabel Pais

NEW YORK (TIP): “2017’s DOC NYC line-up gives audiences fresh insight into high profile figures and shines a light on lesser-known individuals who leave a big impression,” said Director of Programming Basil Tsiokos who led the program selection in collaboration with Artistic Director Thom Powers and Executive Director Raphaela Neihausen.  “Documentary storytellers help us make sense of the tumultuous times we’re living in with artistry, humor and inspiring characters,” he added.

DOC NYC, America’s largest documentary festival, announced the full lineup for its eighth edition run in mid-November at the IFC Center in Greenwich Village, Chelsea’s SVA Theatre and Cinepolis Chelsea. The 2017 festival included 111 feature-length documentaries among over 250 films and events overall.  Included were 23 world premieres and 23 U.S. premieres, with more than 350 doc makers and special guests in person to present their films or participate on panels.

Special Events included

Opening Night Film, the NYC premiere of Greg Barker’s The Final Year, accompanied by members of the Obama administration, which opened the festival.  Greg Barker gives an unprecedented look at the shaping of US foreign policy by following key members of outgoing US President Barack Obama’s administration.

Closing Night Film, the NYC premiere of Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars, directed by Lili Fini Zanuck, with the acclaimed musician in attendance; an intimate, revealing musical odyssey on the life and career of guitar virtuoso Eric Clapton, told by those who have known him best.

Centerpiece Film, the world premiere of Far From the Tree, director Rachel Dretzin’s adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book; an adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book examining how parents face their children’s extreme differences, challenging ideas of “normalcy;” and, the NYC premiere of Wormwood, an ambitious new project from Errol Morris exploring the 1953 death of a CIA agent.

The South Asian Showcase

Centerstage, an 8-title section focused on performing and performers, presented the world premiere of THE PROBLEM WITH APU (World Premiere) by director Michael Melamedoff.

Hari Kondabolu, south Asian-American stand-up comedian, has had a nemesis for nearly his entire life, someone who has plagued him since he was a child, subjecting him to ridicule and racist comments: Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, better known as the Indian owner of the Kwik-E-Mart on The Simpsons.

For Hari, Apu represents an outdated and offensive South Asian stereotype, made worse by being voiced by a white man, Hank Azaria. Hari sets out on a comedic quest to confront Azaria and make sense of the long-lasting cultural impact of his troublesome character. (USA, 49 min.)

ARMED WITH FAITH (North American Premiere) by award winning director-producer Geeta Gandbhir and director-producer-cinematographer Asad Faruqi and executive producer Perri Peltz is a suspenseful portrait of the men of the Pakistani Bomb Disposal Unit, who risk their own lives every day to combat homegrown and international terrorism.

ARMED WITH FAITH follows three men of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bomb Disposal Unit (KPK BDU) to the front lines of the war in Northwest Pakistan. The lawless tribal area bordering Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province — considered the gateway for terrorists from neighboring Afghanistan, is the backdrop of the film. The battle for control of this porous border area remains critical to the stability of Pakistan and global security. Should Pakistan, a nuclear power, fall into the hands of terrorists, the entire world is at risk.  The men of the KPK BDU unit defuse terrorist-planted bombs in the region, often using just their bare hands.  ARMED WITH FAITH gets up close and personal with two bomb technicians and their commander as they defend their homeland from terrorists spurred by the war in Afghanistan and drone strikes in the region. Ironically, the KPK BDU battle men who look like them, speak their language, share their religion, and even come from their villages. Through the stories of these men, viewers will have unprecedented access to the legacy of devastation caused by the American-led war that has afflicted this region for nearly 15 years and claimed over 50,000 civilian lives.  (USA, 74 min., in Pashto and English).

ASK THE SEXPERT by Vaishali Sinha (NYC Premiere)

A lighthearted look at India’s Dan Savage, Dr. Mahinder Watsa, a 93-year-old retired gynecologist.  It is a feature length documentary about Dr. Mahinder Watsa, a highly popular 93-year-old sex advice columnist for the daily newspaper Mumbai Mirror in Mumbai. Despite sex being a taboo topic in India, the column’s brand of non-moralistic advice and humor has emboldened many to write in with their questions. The columnist gains popularity even while a ban on comprehensive sex education in schools is adopted by approximately a third of India’s states.

Is he a hero of progress or an enemy of traditional values? (USA, 81 min., in Hindi and English)

LOVESICK (World Premiere) by directors Ann S. Kim and Priya Giri Desai

In India, where marriage is a must but AIDS carries a stigma, Dr. Suniti Solomon serves as matchmaker for her HIV-positive patients.

In India, where marriage is a must but AIDS carries a stigma, what are HIV-positive people to do? Dr. Suniti Solomon, who discovered India’s first case of HIV, has an answer for her HIV-positive patients: matchmaking. Directors Ann S. Kim and Priya Giri Desai follow the trailblazing doctor at home and in her office as she methodically looks for the perfect matches for patients Manu and Karthik. With compassion, humor and hope, Lovesick is an intimate story about the universal desire for love. (USA, 74 min., in Tamil, Hindi and English)

INSHA’ALLAH DEMOCRACY (North American Premiere) directed by Mohammed Ali Naqvi who is about to vote in Pakistan for the first time. When Mo was 19, General Pervez Musharraf staged a coup d’etat that saw him in power until his exile in 2007. With the country growing increasingly unstable and sectarian, Mo faces a difficult choice: should he back a religious hardliner who may persecute minorities like himself or support the secular liberal platform of returning ex-dictator Musharraf who is running for President? Gaining remarkable access to the charismatic Musharraf, Mo questions if democracy is truly possible in Pakistan. (Pakistan/USA, 82 min., in Urdu and English).

(Mabel Pais is a freelance writer.  She writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Health and Wellness, and Spirituality)