Documentary Archives - The Culture Mom

12Feb

#HeNamedMeMalala To Premiere on National Georgaphic

Last year I wrote about Malala Yousafzai, an amazing young woman. Her story is so inspirational. Named for an Afghan folk heroine, the activist Pakistani teenager was shot in the face and left for dead by the Taliban in 2012 — but recovered and went on to speak out about the gross injustices in girls’ education in her country and around the world, winning the Nobel Peace Prize along the way. The Malala Fund, which she co-founded with her father Ziauddin Yousafzai, is building schools in Jordan, Pakistan and Lebanon. I was so inspired by the film made Read More

31May

Review: HBO Doc’s Haunting THE LION’S MOUTH OPENS

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"I will better serve the world if I don't have it." These are the words expressed by actress/filmmaker Marianna Palka. She is referring to Huntington’s disease, an incurable hereditary degenerative brain disorder which she watched her father die a painful death from as a young mam In the acclaimed short documentary premiering tomorrow on HBO, THE LION’S MOUTH OPENS, Palka gathers her friends to find out if she has inherited Huntington’s disease. Several other family members got it, including her sister, so the potential for her is quite high. Read More

04Sep

Joan Rivers: A Comedic Pioneer is Gone

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A world without Joan Rivers. Who can imagine? I grew up with her, as I'm sure you did. She was responsible for so much. She made us laugh. She was a true pioneer. She spoke out for what she believed in. She celebrated life and helped us get through hard times, using her as our example. Tonight while reading tributes from her Hollywood colleagues, I stumbled across "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work," on Netflix. a documentary made in 2010 that saluted her life and career.Her career spanned 4 decades and she paved the way for female comediennes, but she had Read More

14Sep

Don’t Divorce Me! (An HBO Doc That Can Help Families)

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Yesterday I had the opportunity to screen a new documentary called DON'T DIVORCE ME! a new documentary airing on HBO next week. I was instantly intrigued by the invitation, given the fact that I have newly divorced friends with young children and am the daughter of a divorced couple. My own parents divorced when I was much older than the young children shown in this film, but I have always thought about the profound impact divorce can have on children. I see it on my friend's young children and I was curious to see how one could produce a sensitive, Read More

14Jun

Review: Strangers No More, an Oscar Winning Documentary

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I saw the most amazing documentary last night called Strangers No More. My neighbor across the street told me about the film yesterday and I thought I would never make it. It was to start at 7pm. When my husband walked in at 6:55, I ran out the door. This was a film that I knew I had to see. I remember when it won the Oscar for documentary short last year, and it got my attention then. I also love when there are documentaries and quality films playing locally, and the JCC in Scarsdale is a hop, skip and a jump away. The film is about a Read More