Pompeii New York, Part 1: Pier Caresses

Rikers

2016 · ★ 6

This film from Bill Moyers is the first documentary to focus exclusively on people formerly detained in New York City’s notorious Rikers Island Jail. They tell their compelling stories direct to the camera, revealing the violent arc of the Rikers experience – from the trauma of entry to extortion and control by inmates, to oppressive corrections officers, violence and solitary confinement.

Woman on Fire

2016 · ★ 1

Woman on Fire follows Brooke Guinan, the first openly transgender firefighter in New York City. A character-driven documentary, the film follows Brooke as she sets out to challenge perceptions of what it means to be transgender in America today.

Malcolm X

1992 · ★ 7.6

A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.

The Boy Who Found Gold

2016 · ★ 10

William Hart McNichols is a world renowned artist, heralded by Time magazine as "among the most famous creators of Christian iconic images in the world". As a young Catholic priest from 1983-1990 he was immersed in a life-altering journey working as a chaplain at St. Vincent's AIDS hospice in New York city. It was during this time that he became an early pioneer for LGBT rights within the Catholic church. "The Boy Who Found Gold" is a cinematic journey into the art and spirit of William Hart McNichols. The film follows his colorful life as he crosses paths with presidents, popes, martyrs, and parishioners, finding an insightful lesson with each encounter. McNichols' message as a priest, artist and man speaks to the most powerful element of the human spirit: Mercy.

Genius

2016 · ★ 6.5

New York in the 1920s. Max Perkins, a literary editor is the first to sign such subsequent literary greats as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. When a sprawling, chaotic 1,000-page manuscript by an unknown writer falls into his hands, Perkins is convinced he has discovered a literary genius.

Ran

1985 · ★ 8

Shakespeare's King Lear is reimagined as a singular historical epic set in sixteenth-century Japan where an aging warlord divides his kingdom between his three sons.

Pleasure Piers

Documentary about piers in the United Kingdom.

Reindeer Queer

2024

Straddling the line between documentary and fiction, the film follows the journey of a filmmaker in search of answers to the questions left by the death of his great friend. If in the past Reindeer Queer sounded pejorative to both of them, today it is synonymous with resistance and the possibility of being exactly who you are.

The Man Who Shot New York

2019

The life and work of American photographer Harold Feinstein, whose work garnered critical and commercial success. In his 2015 obituary the New York Times declared him “one of the most accomplished recorders of the American experience.” Howard Greenberg says Feinstein “ occupies high ground in the pantheon of street photography” yet, most people, have never heard of him. A prodigious talent, Feinstein photographed life in all its forms, when and where he wished. Whether this was as a draftee in the Korean War, in a Bebop infused Manhattan loft or rural hippy enclave in upstate NY, Harold’s 35mm black and white photographs captured the essence of life with a with a uniquely humanist eye. The re-discovery of Feinstein’s vast and diverse body of work came in his final years and the film meets him then; in his early 80s and with a zen-like appreciation for the life he lived.

Whiteley

2017

A visual journey into the life and legacy of one of Australia's most celebrated artists, Brett Whiteley.

The First Wave

2021 · ★ 6.6

When Covid-19 hit New York City in 2020, filmmaker Matthew Heineman gained unique access to one of New York’s hardest-hit hospital systems. The resulting film focuses on the doctors, nurses, and patients on the frontlines during the “first wave” from March to June 2020. Their distinct storylines each serve as a microcosm to understand how the city persevered through the worst pandemic in a century

This Is the Bowery

1941 · ★ 6.8

In this somewhat whitewashed documentary on Manhattan's Bowery a newcomer to the area takes his first step toward redemption after a meal, bed, and inspiring talk.