The Wolfpack
June 18, 6 PM, $12, E Street Cinema
The premise: Six brothers spent much of their upbringing locked up in a four-bedroom, public housing complex apartment in Manhattan, banned from venturing outdoors by their domineering father. They found refuge in movies, which became their way to connect with the outside world.
The Look of Silence
June 18, 6:30 PM, $12, E Street Cinema
June 20, 2 PM, $12, AFI Silver Theatre
The premise: Joshua Oppenheimer’s 2012 film, The Act of Killing, took a look at the anti-communist executions of 1965 and 1966 in Indonesia, when an estimated 500,000 people were killed. Oppenheimer had the killers reenact their actions, resulting in twisted, surreal reproductions of the killings. (The film was nominated for an Academy Award.) Now Oppenheimer is back with a sequel: The Look of Silence, described as “horrifically gripping” as the first by the Guardian.
Cartel Land
June 18, 3:15 PM, $10, AFI Silver Theatre
June 19, 8:30 PM, $12, E Street Cinema
The premise: A doctor in Michoacán leads an uprising against a vicious drug cartel. In Arizona, an American veteran bands together with a group to stop drug violence from crossing the border. Filmmaker Matthew Heineman gets incredible access for a tale about vigilantism, justice, and danger.
India’s Daughter
June 28, 2:30 PM, $10, E Street Cinema
The premise: Director Leslee Udwin made headlines back in March, when a court in Delhi issued an injunction against her film, reasoning its content could “cause a public outcry.” Udwin interviews someone convicted in the 2012 Delhi gang rape and includes shocking statements from the rapists’ defense lawyer, which shed light on the complexities of India’s rape culture.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
June 18, 4 PM, $10, AFI Silver Theatre
June 20, 6 PM, $12, E Street Cinema
The premise: The Black Panthers provides an intimate look into the black nationalist group that armed itself and challenged policy brutality back in the ’60s and ’70s. Through interviews with leaders, members, and supporters, the doc explains how the party came to be–and what eventually led to its downfall.
The film’s director, Stanley Nelson, will be honored at the 2015 AFI-Docs Guggenheim Symposium at the William G. McGowan Theater on June 19.
AFI-Docs takes place across multiple locations in the DC area from June 17 to 21. Check out the entire schedule here.
