New York photographer Bert Stern’s first and only documentary is sort of the granddaddy of modern musical documentaries. Shot in 1958, the film takes us to the legendary Newport Jazz Festival where performers like Thelonius Monk, Louis Armstrong, Mahalia Jackson, George Shearing and more command the stage. A beautiful film and an amazing time capsule.
I Like To Watch
The WIld Parrots of Telegraph Hill
This intimate documentary is as much a character study as it is a nature film. The titular subjects are a flock of escaped pet parrots who have taken up residence in urban San Francisco. The real subject, however, is sensitive, semi-homeless "dharma bum" Mark Bittner, who has made it his life’s mission to care for and to study these unusual birds. It’s amazing to watch the personalities that emerge from these animals—avian and otherwise. The birds are, by turns, comical, sad, romantic, grumpy, joyous and more. The same can be said of Bittner. An emotional, funny and terribly warm film.
