Docs to Watch

Troublemakers, Dissenters and Harry & Meghan No images? [Click here]( ID=167008;size=700x180;setID=556349;uid={EMAIL}7187892;click=docs_to_watch_top ID=167008;size=600x111;setID=523775;uid={EMAIL}7187892;click=docs_to_watch_top [- - -] [TheWrap - SUMMER TV WATCH LIST] Week of December 12 – 18 Stories of fighting back are at the core of this week’s Docs to Watch newsletter, which features profiles of activists in Chicago, opposition leaders in Russia, and a married couple in California with a super complicated relationship to his side of the family. [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Let the Little Light Shine”(premiering Dec. 12 on PBS) [Let the Little Light Shine] Photo: PBS POV When one of the highest-performing elementary schools in Chicago’s South Side is faced with being converted into a glitzy high school, the local community battles to save the institution. This study in compassion and gentrification was co-director by Chicago-based documentary legend Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”). [[REVIEW](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” (in select theaters) [All the Beauty and the Bloodshed] Photo: Neon Oscar-winning documentarian Laura Poitras (2014’s Edward Snowden film “Citizenfour”) tells the story of bold, fearless photographer Nan Goldin, whose life and times could fill up a dozen movies. But this one also features a searing investigation into the philanthropic, if very icky, Sackler family and the opioid crisis. [[INTERVIEW](] ID=167008;size=300x250;setID=523778;uid={EMAIL}7187892;click=docs_to_watch_medium [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Navalny”(streaming on HBO Max) Photo: HBO Max Former Russian presidential candidate Alexei Navalny, the victim of a 2020 nerve-gas poisoning, currently sits in a maximum security penal colony in his home country. His great crime was challenging the authority of Vladimir Putin, according to director Daniel Roher’s docu-thriller – a film which, by virtue of its publicity and acclaim, may well help keep Navalny alive. [[INTERVIEW](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song” (available on streaming services) [hallelujah-doc-leonard-cohen 1200x675] Photo: Sony Pictures Classics The legendary Canadian singer-poet Leonard Cohen died in 2016, but directors Daniel Geller and Dayna Goldfine resurrect the soul of the man via his most covered song, “Hallelujah.” And though the film focuses on that single haunting tune, it’s also a full celebration of Cohen’s entire life and career. [[INTERVIEW](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Harry & Meghan”(Netflix, streaming now) [harry-and-meghan] Photo: Netflix The highly anticipated six-part series has finally arrived (the second batch of three eps debut on Dec. 15), offering viewers an up-close portrait of the royal couple as they decide to step back from the duties of the British monarchy. Directed by the veteran documentarian Liz Garbus (“What Happened, Miss Simone?,” “All In: The Fight for Democracy”). [[REVIEW](] [- - -] [Premiere of the week] “Good Night Oppy” (streaming now on Amazon Prime) Director Ryan White offers a character portrait of the Mars rover Opportunity, told with photo-realistic scenes set on the Red Planet’s dusty surface. [[INTERVIEW](] “All That Breathes” (available in select theaters) The goings-on at a bird hospital in Delhi, India, are explored with a wry sense of humor and cinematic lyricism. A winner of prizes at both the Sundance and Cannes film festivals this year. [[INTERVIEW](] “Nothing Compares”(available on streaming services) Sinead O’Connor’s voice is a beautiful as her life is complex, and both are delved into it first-time director Kathryn Ferguson’s acclaimed music doc. [[REVIEW](] [- - -] [Update your profile]( | [View our privacy policy]( | [Unsubscribe]( Sent from: TheWrap | 1808 Stanford Street | Santa Monica, CA, 90404 | attn: Email Coordinator [TheWrap]( ID=167008;size=600x111;setID=523777;uid={EMAIL}7187892;click=docs_to_watch_top ID=167008;size=700x180;setID=556350;uid={EMAIL}7187892;click=docs_to_watch_bottom This email was sent to {EMAIL}. If you are no longer interested you can [unsubscribe instantly](.