New docs streaming on Netflix

Still from "October Country"

A couple of months ago, I blogged about great documentaries streaming on Netflix.  Since then, Netflix has added a few more of my favorite non-fiction flicks:

October Country: October Country is a beautifully rendered portrait of an American family struggling for stability while haunted by the ghosts of war, teen pregnancy, foster care and child abuse. A collaboration between filmmaker Michael Palmieri and photographer and family member Donal Mosher, this vibrant and penetrating documentary examines the forces that unsettle the working poor and the violence that lurks beneath the surface of American life (Summary from film website).

**Read my Q&A with the Directors during the 2009 Silverdocs Film Festival.

A Film Unfinished: At the end of WWII, 60 minutes of raw film, having sat undisturbed in an East German archive, was discovered. Shot by the Nazis in Warsaw in May 1942, and labeled simply “Ghetto,” this footage quickly became a resource for historians seeking an authentic record of the Warsaw Ghetto. However, the later discovery of a long-missing reel, inclusive of multiple takes and cameraman staging scenes, complicated earlier readings of the footage.  A FILM UNFINISHED presents the raw footage in its entirety, carefully noting fictionalized sequences (including a staged dinner party) falsely showing “the good life” enjoyed by Jewish urbanites, and probes deep into the making of a now-infamous Nazi propaganda film (Summary from film website).

**Read my review of the film.

The Betrayal: Filmed over 23 years, The Betrayal is the Academy Award-nominated directorial debut of renowned cinematographer Ellen Kuras in a unique collaboration with the film’s subject and co-director, Thavisouk (“Thavi”) Phrasavath. After the U.S. government waged a secret war in Laos during the Vietnam War, Thavi’s father and thousands of other Laotians who had fought alongside American forces were abandoned and left to face imprisonment or execution. Hoping to find safety, Thavi’s family made a harrowing escape to America, where they discovered a different kind of war. Weaving ancient prophecy with personal testimony and stunning imagery, The Betrayal is a story of survival and the resilient bonds of family (Summary by PBS).

March of the Penguins: Experience a journey like no other on the planet—one that spans hundreds of miles across a frozen continent. Braving icy winds, freezing temperatures and starvation, this is the incredible true story of a family’s quest to bring new life into the world (Summary by National Geographic).

There are many more great documentaries on Netflix which I have yet to see or yet to find thanks to Netflix’s knack for burying movies in their coffers. But I’ll post again with more recommendations. Stay tuned!