HBO2 SETS DOCUMENTARY LINEUP FOR THE SECOND HALF OF 2011
Presentations Include Oscar(R) Winner STRANGERS NO MORE And
Kim Longinotto's PINK SARIS
LOS ANGELES, July 28, 2011 - HBO2 has scheduled a wide-ranging lineup of provocative documentaries for the second half of 2011. Among the films to be featured are Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon's STRANGERS NO MORE, this year's Oscar(R) winner for Best Documentary Short, and the Oscar(R) nominees KILLING IN THE NAME, SUN COME UP and POSTER GIRL, as well PINK SARIS, the latest work from critically acclaimed filmmaker Kim Longionotto.
Upcoming HBO2 documentaries include (in chronological order):
KILLING IN THE NAME (Sept. 14), Oscar(R)-nominated this year in the Best Documentary Short category, tells the story of Muslim Ashraf Al-Khaled's quest to uncover the true cost of terrorism. After his wedding was bombed in 2005 by a suicide bomber, killing 27 family members, Al-Khaled vowed to break the silence in the Muslim community on this taboo subject. Featuring riveting and honest discussions with such individuals as an Al-Qaeda recruiter, an Islamic militant behind one of the world's worst terrorist attacks, and young boys at a madrassa who are ready to fulfill the duty of jihad, the thought-provoking film travels the world to see if one man can speak truth to terror, and begin to turn the global tide. Directed by Matthew Justus; produced by Rory Kennedy and Liz Garbus.
POSITION AMONG THE STARS (Sept. 28) is the latest film of Leonard Retel Helmrich, who has followed an Indonesian family living in the slums of Jakarta for 12 years. As in his two previous award-winning documentaries, this new work shines a light on the underlying patterns of life in Indonesia, exploring crucial issues in the fast-changing country: conflict between religions, the growing difference between rich and poor, gambling addiction, the generation gap and corruption. A World Cinema Special Jury Prize Winner at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and winner of Best Feature Documentary at the 2010 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.
SUN COME UP (Oct. 12), Oscar(R)-nominated this year in the Best Documentary Short category, chronicles the relocation of the Carteret Islanders, a peaceful community living on a remote island chain in the South Pacific Ocean, and now some of the world's first environmental refugees. When rising seas threaten their survival, the islanders face the painful necessity of leaving their beloved land in search of a new home. The film follows them to nearby Bougainville, where they hope to find land suitable for their relocation. Directed by Jennifer Redfearn.
POSTER GIRL (Nov. 9), Oscar(R)-nominated this year in the Best Documentary Short category, is an intimate portrait of Robynn Murray, a typical American teen from a military family who was a cheerleader one year and a cover subject of Army magazine the next. The film follows her as she battles post-traumatic stress disorder and the other challenges faced by many returning vets. Directed by Sara Nesson.
STRANGERS NO MORE (Nov.), this year's Oscar(R) winner for Best Documentary Short, visits an exceptional school in the heart of Tel Aviv, where children from 48 countries and diverse backgrounds come together to learn. The film follows several students at Bialik-Rogozin School, many of whom have fled poverty, political adversity and even genocide, as they struggle to acclimate to life in a new land, while slowly opening up to share their stories of hardship and tragedy. Directed by Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon (the Oscar(R) nominees "Rehearsing a Dream," which debuted on CINEMAX, and "Chimps: So Like Us," which debuted on HBO).
THE SOUND OF MUMBAI: A MUSICAL (Dec.) is an upbeat look at a band of tenacious, musically inclined Indian street children recruited to perform a one-time-only concert with members of the city's elite Bombay Chamber Orchestra. The youngsters rehearse the timeless classics from "The Sound of Music" and prepare to perform before a sold-out crowd of 1,000 at Mumbai's National Centre for the Performing Arts, which is usually closed to the city's lower classes. With so many hopes and dreams riding on this single event, the stakes are high for all involved. Directed by Sarah McCarthy.
PINK SARIS (Dec.), Kim Longinotto's (CINEMAX's "The Day I Will Never Forget") latest foray into the lives of extraordinary women, follows the unlikely political activists of Northern India's Gulabi Gang and their fearless leader, Sampat Pal. Married as a young girl into a family where she was often beaten, she fought back, leaving her in-laws and eventually becoming famous as a champion for beleaguered women throughout Uttar Pradesh.
THE BENGALI DETECTIVE (Dec.) profiles Rajesh Ji, who, along with his band of helpers, works to solve crimes in the colorful and densely populated city of Kolkata, India, where many citizens have lost trust in the authorities and turn to private detectives for help. The film reveals how Ji follows his dreams of being a professional dancer when not engaged in his challenging job. An official selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Philip Cox.
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