More suggestions for interesting, very recent documentary work:
 
I just saw "Carmen Miranda - Bananas Is My Business" at the Chicago
International Film Festival -- it's an intriguing new doc by Brazilian
filmmakers Helena Solberg that looks at Carmen Miranda's success in the US
in the 40's as not only a cultural but a political phenomenon. You could
probably call the festival to find out who distributes it.
 
"Leona's Sister Gerri" by Jane Gillooly very movingly tells the personal
story behind the police photo of an anonymous woman who had died from a
botched abortion. It's available through New Day Films.
 
"Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media" by Mark Achbar and
Peter Wintonick is a terrif doc. that focuses on Chomsky's analysis of mass
media. It is stylistically quite innovative and doesn't rely on the typical
"talking heads" format that so many docs seem to do.  I think you can get
it from Zeitgeist in New York.
 
A documentary that I was involved in a bit and that I can recommend highly is:
"When Billy Broke His Head... And Other Tales of Wonder" by disabled
journalist Billy Golfus and Chicago producer David Simpson.  It's an
irreverent "road movie" of sorts about disability issues and civil rights
-- aside from its message, I also think that it tells its story with a
great sense of humor! (it won a prize at Sundance this year and was aired
on PBS in May.)  You can get it through Fanlight Productions (800)
937-4113.
 
 
Ines Sommer
School of the Art Inst./Chicago
 
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