Documentaries to watch
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- DirectorKristi JacobsonStarsMaury AllenDave AndersonYogi BerraThe '40s and '50s were a classic period in New York City nightlife, when the saloonkeeper was king and regular folks could drink with celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Jackie Gleason. In this documentary, Kristi Jacobson profiles her grandfather, the king of kings: Toots Shor of the eponymous restaurant and saloon, which was once the place to be seen in Manhattan.
- DirectorShari Springer BermanRobert PulciniStarsRaymond BilboolRonald ClintTommy GallagherIn 1995, Chasen's closed its doors after 60 years of serving chili to movie stars and visiting dignitaries, Presidents and the Pope. During its two final weeks, Chasen regulars (actors and producers), staff, and management sat for interviews. There's an Oscar party for 1500, footage and photos of famous diners, and time with Tommy Gallagher, the ebullient head waiter until retirement in 1994, his son Patrick, catering head Raymond Bilbool, general manager Ronnie Clint, hat check girl Val Schwab, ladies' room attendant Onetta Johnson, and foreign- born waiters, including Jaime. When he started in 1970, like other Latins, he wasn't allowed out of the kitchen. It's a family farewell.
- DirectorAndrew RossiStarsTony BennettMichael BloombergJoan CollinsAt the end of 2005, New York's famed restaurateur, Sirio Maccioni, closed Le Cirque, destination of the rich and famous. During 2006, he and his three sons, open a new Le Cirque, taking four months longer and $4 million more than planned. The film follows this process, the new restaurant's opening, and the emotional impact of two New York Times reviews over the next few months. Maccioni, in his 70s, seems tired, chained to his work for his sons's sake; then, the restaurant opens and his indefatigable charm returns. It's a roller coaster ride. At the film's end, Maccioni, with a small Gucci bag on his hip, receives communion in a church in his home town of Montecatini Italy.
- DirectorMichelle EsrickStarsDarrell HammondLarry LaskowskiLorne MichaelsChildhood trauma led to mental health struggles like flashbacks, self-harm, addiction; after decades, treatment helped uncover repressed memories, highlighting toxic stress impacts and stigma surrounding these issues.
- DirectorCristina CostantiniKareem TabschStarsWalter MercadoWilly AcostaLin-Manuel MirandaEvery day for decades, Walter Mercado — the iconic, gender non-conforming astrologer — mesmerized 120 million Latino viewers with his extravagance and positivity.
- DirectorJimmy ChinElizabeth Chai VasarhelyiStarsAlex HonnoldTommy CaldwellJimmy ChinAlex Honnold faces the biggest challenge of his career, climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. He pursues it Free Solo, which means climbing without a rope and alone.
- DirectorLauren GreenfieldStarsJaqueline SiegelDavid SiegelLorraine BarrettA documentary that follows a billionaire couple as they begin construction on a mansion inspired by Versailles. During the next two years, their empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic crisis.
- DirectorThomas BalmèsStarsBayarHattieMariA look at one year in the life of four babies from around the world, from Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo.