Doc Spotlight

The Lakota’s century-long quest to reclaim the Black Hills is chronicled in filmmakers Jesse Short Bull and Laura Tomaselli’s searing portrait of resistance, written and narrated by acclaimed poet Layli Long Soldier. Part of Doc Spotlight

Director Davide Ferrario talks with Umberto Eco and friends about his life and his private library, which consists of more than 30,000 volumes of contemporary titles and 1,500 rare and ancient books. Part of Doc Spotlight

Filmmaker D. Smith passes the mic to four Black transgender sex workers in Atlanta and New York City — Daniella Carter, Koko Da Doll, Liyah Mitchell, and Dominique Silver — who unapologetically break down the walls of their profession. Part of Doc Spotlight

Diagnosed with Alzheimer’s eight years ago, a prominent political commentator and his wife struggle with the heartbreaking disease as the film chronicles the couple’s daily routine while they savor what they have left. Winner – Sundance Grand Jury Prize: World Cinema Documentary Competition. Part of Doc Spotlight

An inside look at the Elephant 6 Recording Co., the ’90s rock collective that launched Neutral Milk Hotel, The Olivia Tremor Control, The Apples in Stereo and more. Part of Doc Spotlight and Music City Mondays

Oscar-nominated Knoxville-based filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon reshapes the boundaries of documentary filmmaking in a spectacularly beautiful and deeply moving immersion into Central Appalachia where coal is not just a resource, but a way of life. Part of Doc Spotlight

French documentary titan Claire Simon observes the everyday operations of the gynecological ward in a public hospital in Paris. In the tradition of Frederick Wiseman, this stunning and poignant look at the spectrum — from birth to death — of women’s experiences within hospital walls is as relevant as it is revelatory. Part of Doc Spotlight

Newly restored, the seminal film on the history of the foot-stomping, toe-tapping music of Southwest Louisiana from master documentarian Les Blank and co-director Chris Strachwitz brims with tender affection for its subjects, the vitality of their marvelous music, and a generosity of spirit. Part of Doc Spotlight and Music City Mondays

With a blend of vivid animation, interviews and 18 minutes of surviving footage from the lost silent epic in which she plays herself, AURORA’S SUNRISE tells the true story of how a 14-year-old girl escaped the slaughter of the Armenian genocide and embarked upon an odyssey that took her to the heights of Hollywood stardom. Part of Doc Spotlight

Presented in conjunction with the Belcourt’s Doc Spotlight series, this seminar is for anyone interested in the documentary form. Documentary filmmaker and Vanderbilt cinema and media arts assistant professor Carmine Grimaldi will explore the trajectory of documentary film from the birth of cinema to contemporary trends. He’ll discuss documentary styles and practices and explore multiple ways of looking at documentary films, including some of the titles featured in the Doc Spotlight series. The seminar will challenge viewers to see documentaries in new ways, and send participants home with a list of films for recommended viewing.