Four extraordinary documentaries will screen from 23 May at Cinema Nouveau Rosebank Mall in Johannesburg; Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria; Gateway in Durban; and at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
West of Memphis
Directed by Amy Berg, West of Memphis portrays the desperate fight to stop the State of Arkansas from killing of Damien Echols, one of three teenagers convicted of the 1993 murders of three, eight-year-old boys: Christopher Byers, Steven Branch and Michael Moore. In the small town of West Memphis, Echols along with Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin, were arrested and imprisoned for over 18 years, despite a large number of supporters who protested their innocence. The film is produced by Peter Jackson and Damien Echols.
Watch the trailer.
West of Memphis features at Cinema Nouveau on Friday, 23 May.
Miners Shot Down
The shocking account of the deaths of 34 striking miners at Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine in South Africa’s North West province in August 2012 is told through real footage in Miners Shot Down. Renowned South African documentary filmmaker, Rehad Desai of Uhuru Productions captures the events which led to the country’s first post-colonial massacre.
Watch the trailer.
Miners Shot Down features at Cinema Nouveau on Friday, 30 May.
Tim’s Vermeer
Tim’s Vermeer tells the story of a 17th century Dutch master painter Johannes Vermeer, who created photo-realistic artworks, 150 years before the invention of photography. Texas-based inventor Tim Jenison believes that Vermeer used optical devices such as mirrors, camera obscura and lenses in his works to achieve this effect. As research Jenison decides to recreate The Music Lesson from scratch.
Watch the trailer.
Tim’s Vermeer features at Cinema Nouveau on Friday, 06 June.
The Armstrong Lie
Following on cycling legend Lance Armstrong’s confession on The Oprah Winfrey Show, The Armstrong Lie follows the athlete’s rise and ultimate fall from grace. The film features the most talked about doping scandals in the history of sport, which erupted in headlines around the world.
Watch the trailer.
The Armstrong Lie features at Cinema Nouveau on Friday, 13 June.
Visit the Ster-Kinekor website for more information.
