Sundance 2009: World Cinema Documentary Competition
Sundance 2009: World Cinema Documentary Competition
Afghan Star (above) / Afghanistan and U.K. (Director: Havana Marking)
After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, "Pop Idol" has come to television in Afghanistan — and millions are watching and voting for their favorite singer. This film follows the dramatic stories of four contestants as they risk their lives to sing. North American premiere
Big River Man / U.S. (Director: John Maringouin)
An overweight, wine-swilling Slovenian world record-holding endurance swimmer resolves to brave the mighty Amazon — in nothing but a Speedo. World premiere
Burma VJ / Denmark (Director: Anders Oestergaard)
In September 2007, Burmese journalists risking life imprisonment to report from inside their sealed-off country are suddenly thrown onto the global stage as their pocket-camera images of the Saffron Revolution make headlines everywhere. World premiere
The End of the Line / U.K. (Director: Rupert Murray)
Based on the book by journalist Charles Clover, the film reveals the devastating effects of global overfishing on fish stocks and the health of our oceans. World premiere
The Glass House / U.S. (Director: Hamid Rahmanian)
Follows four teenage girls striving to overcome drug addiction, abandonment and abuse by attending a rehabilitation center in Tehran, Iran. North American premiere
Kimjongilia / France and U.S. (Director: N.C. Heikin)
Defectors from North Korea finally speak out about the terrifying reality of their lives and escapes. World premiere
Let’s Make Money /Austria, China, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland and U.S. (Director: Erwin Wagenhofer)
From the factories of India to financial markets in Singapore to massive housing developments in Spain and offshore banks in New Jersey, the film reveals the complex and shocking workings of global money flow. World premiere
Nollywood Babylon / Canada (Directors: Ben Addelman, Samir Mallal)
Welcome to the wacky world of Nollywood, Nigeria’s bustling homegrown movie industry. U.S. premiere
Old Partner / South Korea (Director: Chung-ryoul Lee)
A humble octogenarian farmer lives out his final days with his spitfire wife and his loyal old ox in the Korean countryside. North American premiere
Prom Night in Mississippi / Canada (Director: Paul Saltzman)
When a small-town Mississippi high school resolves to hold its first integrated senior prom, strong emotions fly and traditions are challenged to their core. World premiere
The Queen and I (Drottningen och jag) / Sweden (Director: Nahid Persson Sarvestani)
Swedish filmmaker Sarvestani, an Iranian exile who helped overthrow the Shah’s regime in 1979, confronts her own assumptions and complex truths about Iran when she enters the life of the Shah’s widow. World premiere
Quest for Honor / Kurdistan and U.S. (Director: Mary Ann Bruni)
A former teacher and tireless activist works with local lawmen, Kurdish government agencies and her colleagues to investigate and eradicate honor killings in the tribal regions of Kurdistan. World premiere
Rough Aunties / U.K. (Director: Kim Longinotto)
Fearless, feisty and unwavering, the "Rough Aunties" protect and care for the abused, neglected and forgotten children of Durban, South Africa. North American premiere
Thriller in Manila / U.K. (Director: John Dower)
A tale of betrayal stoked by the racial politics of 1970s America, the film chronicles the most intense and bitter sporting rivalry to date: the 1975 final boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. North American premiere
Tibet in Song / U.S. (Director: Ngawang Choephel)
Through the story of Tibetan music, the film depicts the determined efforts of Tibetan people, in Tibet and in exile, to preserve their unique cultural identity. Choephel served six years of an 18-year prison sentence for filming in Tibet. World premiere
211:Anna / Italy (Directors: Paolo Serbandini, Giovanna Massimetti)
The story of Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian journalist and human-rights activist who risked her life to report the truth about the Chechen conflict and President Vladimir Putin. World premiere
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Tags: Afghan Star, Burma VJ, Documentaries, Film Festivals, Havana Marking, Prom Night in Mississippi, Quest for Honor, Sundance 2009, Sundance Film Festival, The Queen and I
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