. Website by. American Street Kid was born out of writer-director Michael Leoni's brush with a homeless teenager and the play he wrote about it. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Independent Films, Documentary & Film Festivals. With these interviews of people from all over and in every situation, the movie finally becomes engrossing. Opens with Evocative MAGUY MARIN: TIME TO ACT, Arena Cinelounge Sunset – First Theater in LA to Re-Open with BABYTEETH, FOR SAMA, TRUE JUSTICE, APOLLO 11 Among Winners of Peabody Awards 2020, St. Louis’ Robert Classic French Film Fest 2020 to Run Virtually, French LGBT Rights Mini-Series PROUD Opens Virtually on June 19, IDFA 2020 Sets November Dates for Return to Cinemas, Pitch Black Indie Comedy BLACK MAGIC FOR WHITE BOYS Drops on July 3rd, American Black Film Festival 2020 Goes Virtual, Atlantics: A Ghost Love Story (ATLANTIQUE) (2019), Portrait of a Lady On Fire (PORTRAIT DE LA JEUNE FILLE EN FEU) (2019), TIGHTROPE: AMERICANS REACHING FOR HOPE (2019). They quickly find themselves at the heart of a much bigger story about those who fall through the cracks of America, destroyed by poverty, addiction, suicide and homelessness. Plus, much to my frustration, despite initial hints (seeming unintentional), Loock never dispels the idea behind the abhorrent phrase, “pull yourself up by the bootstraps.” With origins dating back to 1834, the term was never intended to be an aspirational ideal or to describe a self-starter. If you have been impacted by a death from drugs or suicide, this movie lets you know you are not alone. Tightrope: Americans Reaching For Hope is, at nearly two hours, a bit too long, and some of the more subtle ideas present in American society that keep people down are not explored enough. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn return to Nick’s hometown to find out what really happened. They are joined by their film production partners at Show of Force, Maro Chermayeff (Founder) and Joshua Bennett (EVP) who adapted the project into a documentary premiering at DOC NYC. Even with its flaws, that alone is a reason to watch. By TIGHTROPE: AMERICANS REACHING FOR HOPE. Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope directed by Viva Van Loock. Visit our full length Privacy Policy to get informed on our policies regarding the collection, use and disclosure of information we receive from users. The new documentary Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope follows Pulitzer Prize winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn on a deeply personal journey examining some of the most crucial challenges facing Americans today. But after those first few minutes, with the emphasis on Kristof’s school pals and neighbors, the film feels dry. Your email address will not be published. After realizing that nearly a quarter of the kids on his childhood school bus have died—Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn find themselves at the heart of a much bigger story about those who fall through the cracks in America, destroyed by poverty, addiction, suicide and homelessness. Journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, who have been married since 1988, get very personal in Viva Van Loock’s Tightrope: Americans Reaching For Hope. Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope directed by Viva Van Loock will have its World Premiere at DOC NYC. One of the most important books I've read on the state of our disunion.” —Tara Westover, author of Educated “Tightrope is a heroic, harrowing, and at times tender, look at the high wire act that is survival for too many people today.Kristof and WuDunn know there are no easy solutions here, but that doesn’t … ‘s opening sets the stage well, offering the somber, reflective tone of the movie. So, he travels the country interviewing people who were addicted to drugs and are attempting to stay clean, folks living in hotels despite having a job, and social workers/concerned citizens who wish to help those in need. Kristof wants to know how his friends fell through the cracks of society and how many more people these issues affect. "…does allow the focus to be on the power of the stories being told...", Your email address will not be published. IT MUST BE HEAVEN and THE FACTORY Win at 1st CineCina Film Festival -THE ROAD, 332 Short Films Selected for 2020 Palm Springs International ShortFest, CNN Acquires Documentary JIMMY CARTER ROCK & ROLL PRESIDENT, 2020 Dance on Camera Festival Goes Online, Announces Lineup. Amer. Show of Force LLC. In-depth movie review, featured posts, and advertisements. Photo courtesy of Lynsey Addario / Provided by The 2050 Group with permission. NICHOLAS KRISTOF: The reason we chose the title “Tightrope,” it goes to your issue that there are absolutely people who managed to cross the tightrope, and bravo to them. Tightrope‘s opening sets the stage well, offering the somber, reflective tone of the movie. At DOC NYC, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn discuss their upcoming book Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope. Documentary Short BURNING OJAI: OUR FIRE STORY on 2017 California Wildfires Debuts October 28 on HBO, Inspiring Documentary SAUL & RUBY'S HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR BAND Sets November Release Date, BORN TO BE, A Look at the Pioneering Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine & Surgery, Premieres in November on Film Forum's Virtual Cinema, THE MEANING OF HITLER, A Provocative Look of Hitler’s Legacy in the 21st Century World Premieres, at DOC NYC 2020, HBO Documentary Series THE VOW to Return in 2021 with 2nd Season of New Episodes. Journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, who have been married since 1988, get very personal in Viva Van Loock’s Tightrope: Americans Reaching For Hope.The germ of the documentary’s idea began when Kristof, “the moral conscience of journalism,” realized that 25% of his childhood friends from school in Yamhill, Oregon, have died from drug abuse, suicide, or reckless acts … No matter the cause, the small town of Kristof’s childhood is hard to invest in.
Loock shoots the movie in a very traditional, interviewer-interviewee talking heads style. If you have been impacted by a death from drugs or suicide, this movie lets you know you are not alone. WORLD PREMIERE How did the idea of “rugged individualism” become a curse for everyday Americans?
The new documentary Tightrope: Americans Reaching for Hope follows Pulitzer Prize winning journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn on a deeply personal journey examining some of the most crucial challenges facing Americans today. The germ of the documentary’s idea began when Kristof, “the moral conscience of journalism,” realized that 25% of his childhood friends from school in Yamhill, Oregon, have died from drug abuse, suicide, or reckless acts derived from seemingly hopeless situations.
In this boots-on-the-ground, intensely personal journey across our country, they find inequality is killing tens of thousands of Americans every year. 117 min. Maybe it is because the journalist already knows these people so well?