New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Todd Haynes’ first documentary, “The Velvet Underground,” hones in on the emotional core of the iconic band. Haynes weaves together archival footage and recent interviews to create a heartfelt portrait of the band and its members. (Image courtesy of Apple TV+)

Review: The obsessive beauty of ‘The Velvet Underground’

Todd Haynes’ first documentary is an eccentric look at the avant-garde legends of rock ‘n’ roll.
Holden Lay, Staff Writer October 27, 2021

Todd Haynes’ latest film, “The Velvet Underground,” is a relentless charmer that stands out among the most personal of music documentaries because every second of it shows...

Faya Dayi was released on September 3rd, 2021. While the timeline of the movie is hard to track throughout, its film texture and focus have made it a well-functioning documentary. (Image courtesy of Janus Films)

‘Faya Dayi’ is a meditative journey to the khat farms of Ethiopia

Eschewing a throughline, Jessica Beshir’s feature documentary debut is one of particular structural and visual inventiveness.
Sebastian Zufelt, Staff Writer September 14, 2021

Home is the jumping-off point for an array of passionate thoughts, sparking opinions on a variety of subjects from youth culture to economics — too much for a quick conversation....

“Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal” on Netflix tells the story about one mans impact on higher education. Actors play out reenactments of events in the dramatic documentary. 
(Illustration by Renee Shohet)

‘Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal’ defies documentary conventions

The story of how one man single-handedly ruptured the American higher education system. “Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal” is now available to stream on Netflix.
Candace Patrick, Staff Writer April 30, 2021

Just over two years ago, the college admissions scandal — later coined “Operation Varsity Blues” — sparked an uproar throughout the public, especially amongst students...

Tina Turner is the star of Martin and Lindsays new documentary TINA. The film follows her compelling story from church choir member to legendary music icon. (Image via Wikimedia Commons)

‘TINA’ review: transforming trauma into triumph

T. J. Martin and Daniel Lindsay’s “TINA” sees Tina Turner reclaim her story in an empowering manner.
Sophia Carr, Staff Writer April 16, 2021

Before watching this film, I thought of Tina Turner’s hits, her commanding stage presence, and the domestic abuse she suffered by her former husband, band member and manager...

Originally released in 1991,“Thank You and Good Night” was restored by IndieCollect and acts as a love letter to Jan Oxenberg’s grandmother, Mae Joffe. Choosing to infuse the film with a childlike wonder, a sense of nostalgia blossoms that illustrates the beautiful dynamic between her existence as a child being attached to a notion of care bestowed by her grandmother (Photo Courtesy of Nico Chapin)

‘Thank You and Good Night,’ A Film Like No Other

Jan Oxenberg’s newest movie,“Thank You and Good Night”, acts as a love letter to the director’s grandmother as it grapples with themes of death and decay.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Film & TV Editor September 25, 2020

It is rare for a filmmaker to be present in every single frame of a film, to envelop themselves in every speck of celluloid and convey themselves in their own art; yet somehow...

“The Mole Agent” is a new non-fiction documentary by writer-director Maite Alberdi. The movie follows the protagonist who is hired by a private investigator to act as a mole in a retirement home. (Staff Illustration by Deborah Alalade)

‘The Mole Agent’ Is a Clever and Endearing Snapshot of Life in a Nursing Home

Beautiful and deceptively complex, this documentary film is an emotional examination of what it means to grow old.
Nicholas Pabon, Staff Writer September 16, 2020

“The Mole Agent,” directed by Chilean director Maite Alberdi, is one of those documentaries that makes you wonder whether it really is a documentary because of its dramatic...

“Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President,” a new documentary from director Mary Wharton, explores Carter’s friendships with some of the great musicians of the 1970s. The movie begins against the backdrop of Vietnam and Watergate, twin disasters that contributed to the largest drop in the public’s trust in government in the history of polling. (Staff Illustration by Chelsea Li)

Rock and Roll With President Carter in Mary Wharton’s Feature Debut

The new documentary “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President” tracks Carter’s lifelong friendships with the best musicians of his era.
Sam Gray, Contributing Writer September 9, 2020

Less than five minutes into the new documentary “Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President,” former President Jimmy Carter corrects the well-known story of Willie Nelson smoking...

Speaking on Life Within the Frame

Speaking on Life Within the Frame

A dance documentary featuring members of the Tisch Dance Class of 2020 as they offer their thoughts on a creative practice framed by the quarantine.

‘After the Murder of Albert Lima’ is a documentary following the story of a man trying to avenge the death of his father. (Via Doc NYC)

Documentary ‘After the Murder of Albert Lima’ Follows a Man Pursuing His Father’s Killer

"After the Murder of Albert Lima" has a near-impossible premise, and that’s what makes it incredible.
Nicholas Pabon, Contributing Writer November 19, 2019

Truth is stranger than fiction. “After the Murder of Albert Lima” is a documentary about a man named Paul Lima who spends the film seeking justice for his father Albert, who...

Honeyland, a documentary directed by Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, talks about a story of the last female wild beekeeper  Hatidze Muratova. (via Facebook)

Beekeeping Documentary ‘Honeyland’ Is Utterly Sublime

Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov’s “Honeyland” is a story about bees, honey and the human condition.
Nicholas Pabon, Contributing Writer November 14, 2019

“Honeyland” is a Macedonian documentary that follows the life of a beekeeper in the mountains of Macedonia, and what a picturesque life it is. The film is, in a word, gorgeous...

NYU alum Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang’s “One Child Nation” delves into China’s inhumane one-child-policy through heartrending personal interviews that reflect a tension between government policy and families. (via Amazon Studios)

‘One Child Nation’: Fighting for the Right to Choose

Propaganda is a powerful tool, and China abused it. NYU alumna Nanfu Wang reflects on the iron grip of China’s propaganda in her newest documentary.
Megan Chew, Contributing Writer November 11, 2019

As far as China is concerned, Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang’s documentary film “One Child Nation” does not exist. The film was wiped clean from any reporting platforms in...

Primarily set in an opera house, “Varda by Agnès,” is the renowned documentarian’s posthumous film that beautifully accounts – and transcends – her life and her career. (Photo Courtesy of Mk2 Films)

‘Varda by Agnès’: a Revolutionary Retrospective

Agnès Varda’s posthumous swan song is an inspirational love letter to the cinematic arts.
Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer, Contributing Writer November 11, 2019

Whether you remember her as a fierce documentarian, French New Wave pioneer, fervid feminist, installation-piece wizard or potato-lover, there’s no doubt AgnèsmVarda has etched...