'Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution' at the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards

At the end of 'My Octopus Teacher' wins Best Science/Nature Documentary and Best Cinematography at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards, I wished my readers happy Thanksgiving and told them to stay tuned, as "I'm taking a break from the Critics' Choice Awards for American Thanksgiving at least. I might return with one more winner after that, 'Crip Camp.'" It's Sunday, time for the regular weekly entertainment feature, so I'm fulfilling my promise to examine the last of the documentary winners from the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards.*

The Critics Choice Association listed the nominees and honors for "Crip Camp."

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution, Gunda, and Mr. SOUL! lead this year’s nominations with five each.

Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution is nominated for Best Documentary Feature, James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham for Best Director, Best Editing, Best Archival Documentary, and Best Historical/Biography Documentary. The film also received an honor for Judith Heumann for Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary.

I had high hopes for "Crip Camp," as I wrote in a comment on John Michael Greer's Dreamwidth that "Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution" is my personal favorite among Best Documentary Feature nominees..." It ended up winning no awards beyond Judith Heumann for Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary, which I found a bit disappointing. It could be worse; "Gunda" ended up with nothing at all. At least Mr. SOUL! won Best First Documentary Feature, so it didn't go away empty handed.

To see the trailer for "Crip Camp" along with more clips from the movie and an interview with the directors, watch the Factual America episode Crip Camp: Cradle of the Disability Rights Movement from Alamo Pictures.

Crip Camp was a unique summer camp for disabled teens that had an incredible impact on their lives.
...
In the 1970s Camp Jened was not just any old summer camp in the Catskills. Hippy values, the Grateful Dead, and pot-smoking shaped this utopia for teens with disabilities. Before long, a generation of a summer camp for kids with disabilities became a social movement that soon changed the world. We welcome Jim Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham, co-directors of the Netflix documentary Crip Camp, to the podcast. Jim and Nicole share their experiences making a documentary about one of the most compelling, previously untold stories of our time. In the process, we find out what it is like to work with executive producers Barack and Michelle Obama. Jim and Nicole also discuss the next items on the agenda in terms of disability rights.

“I had no mental model for imagining disability communities, and I didn’t have any mental model for thinking about wild, horny teenagers listening to Bob Dylan at a summer camp. It was just joyous.” - Nicole Newnham

This is a very political movie because it's about activists, so I'm surprised it wasn't nominated for Best Political Documentary, won by "Boys State." I plan on remedying that in my own way by shortlisting it for this year's Golden Coffee Cups for movies based on its nominations here. As for future nominations, I'm sure it will get them at the Cinema Eye Honors, various craft awards, the Independent Lens Awards, and the Emmy Awards, whether Creative Arts or News and Documentary. I'm not sure about it getting one of the five nominations for Documentary Feature at the Academy Awards for the reasons I mentioned in the comment at Greer's Dreamwidth regarding "Feels Good Man."

I would be very pleasantly surprised if it earns one of the five nominations for Documentary Feature at the Oscars. That will depend very much on the mood of the Documentary Branch of the Motion Picture Academy. They deliberately do not nominate documentaries that will earn votes from the entire academy as a whole that they don't agree is the very best. They also don't like documentaries made with archive footage. They also have political axes to grind.

"Crip Camp" might fall in the first category and definitely falls under the second. The third might work for or against it. After all, Barack and Michelle Obama produced it and their production company winning another Oscar in addition to the one for "American Factory" would send a message. I don't know if that would run afoul of another issue with the Motion Picture Academy's Documentary Branch: "The Documentary Branch normally does not [nominate] films by previous winners." So long as that applies to directors, not producers, it shouldn't stand in the way of "Crip Camp" earning a nomination. Neither Lebrecht nor Newnham have even been nominated for an Oscar, although Newnham has earned a News and Documentary Emmy Award for "Collisions." I wish them both good luck with this film.

They will need it to overcome the popular sentiment behind "My Octopus Teacher," should it be nominated. My entry about it went viral through other people sharing it on Facebook. Right now, it has 93 Facebook shares and 552 default and 557 raw page views. In addition, all the comments I've seen and received about "My Octopus Teacher" have been overwhelmingly positive in a way I almost never see. If both of those accurately reflect how the general public feel about the movie, then I think it will be a strong contender if it's nominated for an Oscar. Whether it will is another matter. As I indicated above, the Documentary Branch has issues!

That's it for the Sunday entertainment feature. Stay tuned for the final entry of the month. Should I follow tradition, it will be about Cyber Monday.

Today and WXYZ examine Small Business Saturday during the pandemic

Happy Small Business Saturday, a day I've been observing since 2011, the first year of this blog!* Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the day has added importance, as Today pointed out last week in Small Business Saturday Could Be The Lifeline Local Shops Need To Survive.

Due to the coronavirus epidemic, small businesses are struggling to keep their lights on — and Yelp says 60% of businesses that shut down during COVID-19 will remain permanently closed. As NBC’s Catie Beck reports for Weekend TODAY, Small Business Saturday could be the lifeline local shops and restaurants need to stay afloat.

I focus a lot on major retail and restaurant chains when I write my tales of the Retail Apocalypse, but permanently losing 60% of small business that shut down during the pandemic is at least as catastrophic; it's just that a national audience doesn't know the individual business like they do JCPenney, Sears, and KMart.

Today continued its coverage this morning with Best Ways To Shop Local On Small Business Saturday.

NBC News senior business correspondent Stephanie Ruhle joins Weekend TODAY with tips to shop on Small Business Saturday and support local businesses. One thing she suggests is buying gift cards for places like restaurants and yoga centers to be used later.

Stephanie Ruhle is right about the importance of small local businesses. When the current crisis is over, we will want them to be there when we need them.

That's the national story. Follow over the jump for the local one from WXYZ. I may have a national readership, but this is still a Metro Detroit-based blog.

JCPenney has been saved for now plus one-third of malls have closed since 2012, tales of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic for Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day

Happy Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day! As I have for the past two years, I am serving tales of the Retail Apocalypse. Since it's 2020, those stories come with a side dish of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first story is an update to Retail Archaeology updates two bankruptcies, JCPenney and Stein Mart, tales of the Retail Apocalypse and pandemic, in which I wrote "The answer to 'is JCPenney the next Sears?' is still yes. At least Sears and KMart avoided liquidation." So has JCPenney. Erik of Retail Archaeology informed his viewers of the possibility that could happen last month, when he asked Has JCPenney Been Saved?

Has JCPenney been saved? In this week's episode of Retail Archaeology we take a look at a closing JCPenney at the El Con Center (formerly the El Con Mall) in Tucson, AZ. The El Con Mall is a long dead mall and this JCPenney location is the last part of it that still exists.

Erik asked that question in late October. Almost three weeks later, the answer was yes — for now. Watch J.C. Penney rescue deal approved by judge from Reuters.

A U.S. judge approved a deal that will allow J.C. Penney to emerge from bankruptcy before the upcoming holiday season. The rescue deal is expected to save approximately 60,000 jobs[.]

That's good news, although I share Erik's concerns about whether the mall owners will do the same for other department store chains and if deals like this will make malls and department stores sink together. Only time will tell.

Speaking of malls in trouble, CNBC Television uploaded One third of malls gone in 2020 with 25% more to close in the next 3-5 years last night. Brookfield Properties, one of the buyers of JCPenney, figures prominently.

Retail analyst Anthony Chukumba says malls will have to learn to adapt or suffer permanent closures. With the convenience of Amazon, Etsy, and online shopping, mall owners are being forced to get creative. Frank Holland joins Shep Smith to discuss the struggles that face American malls.

When I did the math, 25% of 1000 malls is 750 malls. That means that the number of malls in the U.S. will be half of the 1,500 in 2012 by 2025. Wow! Looks like I will be busy writing about the retail apocalypse for years to come.

That's it for this year's Black Friday/Buy Nothing Day. Stay tuned for Small Business Saturday.

Samantha Bee wishes her viewers 'A Very COVID Thanksgiving'

Happy American Thanksgiving!* Like everything else during 2020, the holiday has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Samantha Bee's show last week reflected that reality by wishing her viewers A Very COVID Thanksgiving.

As Thanksgiving approaches, coronavirus cases across America are skyrocketing–because pandemics don't take holidays off! In order to keep our families safe, it’s time to start thinking about giving them the gift of “staying home” this holiday season. This is pt. 1 of 2.

While Part 1 looks back at the news I covered in 11 million COVID-19 diagnoses in U.S., another vaccine announcement, and Michigan 'pauses' to slow the pandemic, second update for November 2020, Part 2 looks ahead, so it's more timely and more optimistic.


My comment on the vaccine news is the same as it was for the past two pandemic updates, "I see a second light down the tunnel that isn't an oncoming train. Unfortunately, the first light definitely is a locomotive bearing down on us. We have to do our best to dodge it until the vaccines become available in the spring."

For an encore, I present Quarantine Questions: Thanksgiving Edition!

The holidays are upon us and correspondent Allana Harkin wants to make sure that the only thing you’ll be giving your family this year is thanks, not COVID.

Thank you, Sam and Allana! Happy Thanksgiving to you and stay safe!


*I make the distinction because I also celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving. Besides, Bee is originally Canadian, so I think it's appropriate. Speaking of which, the cartoon is from the Toronto Star.  More Canadian content!

'My Octopus Teacher' wins Best Science/Nature Documentary and Best Cinematography at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards

For the last winning film at the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards that I will examine before Thanksgiving, I'm examining "My Octopus Teacher," a double winner. Watch My Octopus Teacher | Official Trailer | Netflix to see what the movie is about.

A filmmaker forges an unusual friendship with an octopus living in a South African kelp forest, learning as the animal shares the mysteries of her world.

That's a beautifully photographed and moving tease of the movie, which shows why it won two awards and was nominated for two more. To watch the acceptance of its first award, watch BEST SCIENCE/NATURE DOCUMENTARY - My Octopus Teacher.

Winner of the 5th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Science/Nature Documentary: MY OCTOPUS TEACHER.

That's Pippa Ehrlich, the film's director, accepting the award, and that looks like one of the flanks of Table Mountain above Cape Town, South Africa, behind her. We'll see more of Ehrlich later in this post. In the meantime, watch BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY - Roger Horrocks, My Octopus Teacher for the acceptance of the other award.

Winner of the 5th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Cinematography: Roger Horrocks, MY OCTOPUS TEACHER.

In addition to winning these two awards, "My Octopus Teacher" earned nominations for Best Documentary and Best Narration. That's more than either "David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet" or "I Am Greta" did, so I expect great things for this documentary at the various craft awards, Environmental Media Association Awards, Creative Arts Emmy Awards, and News and Documentary Emmy Awards. Honestly, I would be happy with any field of nominees at any of these awards that includes all three.

I promised to show more of Ehrlich. The following interview from South Africa's Expresso Show Filmmaker Talks About Award Winning ‘My Octopus Teacher’ Documentary certainly does that, pun intended.


Congratulations to Netflix, Ehrlich, Horrocks, and Craig Foster for these wins and nominations!

I'm taking a break from the Critics' Choice Awards for American Thanksgiving at least. I might return with one more winner after that, "Crip Camp." Stay tuned and an early happy American Thanksgiving to my readers!

David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, and Jane Goodall recognized for films about the environment at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards

I didn't say which winner at the three winners at the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards I would cover next in yesterday's entry about "The Way I See It" winning Best Score because I hadn't decided yet. When I woke up today, I decided I would focus on winning films about climate, biodiversity, and sustainability. It helped that I saw the image above, as two of the three people depicted, David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg, won awards for their work and appearances in documentaries about the environment last week, while Jane Goodall was the subject of a nominated documentary.* I begin with Sir David Attenborough, who won BEST NARRATION for "David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet."

Winner of the 5th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Narration: DAVID ATTENBOROUGH: A LIFE ON OUR PLANET.

It's too bad Sir David couldn't accept the award himself, but it sets him up well for next year's Emmy Awards, where "A Life on our Planet" should be eligible. If he wins, he can add that Emmy to the ones for "Blue Planet II," "Our Planet," and "Seven Worlds, One Planet." I also think the documentary itself will be a strong contender at next year's Environmental Media Association Awards for documentary film.

To learn more about the film, watch the Factual America episode A Life on Our Planet: Sir David Attenborough's Witness Statement from Alamo Pictures.

Join us as we discuss the new Netflix Documentary, David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet.
...
Sir David Attenborough is a broadcast legend. And probably no individual has seen more of the Earth's wilderness in his illustrious nearly 70-year career. That makes him the perfect witness to the devastating changes afflicting our planet.

In David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet (2020), which premiered on Netflix, co-director Keith Scholey of Silverback Films and producer Colin Butfield of the World Wildlife Fund bring us Sir David's witness statement. In the process, they also provide us with simple solutions to saving our planet before it is too late.

"The things that are happening to this world are unnecessary. Not getting out of the problem is unnecessary. So make sure that your voice is heard, so that we solve it." - Keith Scholey

I've been impressed with Alamo Pictures' Factual America series since I included one of their videos in 'Closed for Storm' — the story of Six Flags New Orleans on the 15th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This episode demonstrates the series' continued quality.

Follow over the jump to read about "I Am Greta" and "Jane Goodall: The Hope." The subject of the first was named Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary and the second was nominated for Best First Documentary.

'The Way I See It' wins Best Score at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards

I ended 'MLK/FBI,' 'St. Louis Superman,' and 'Mr. SOUL!' all winners at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards by telling my readers "I should have more about the Critics' Choice Documentary winners tomorrow, probably about Best Score winner 'The Way I See It.' Stay tuned." I begin today's post with THE WAY I SEE IT - Official Trailer.

From the Academy Award-winning producer of FREE SOLO and based on the #1 NY Times Best-Seller by Pete Souza, Chief White House Photographer for Barack Obama, @The Way I See It is in theaters September 18th.

Based on the New York Times #1 bestseller comes The Way I See It, an unprecedented look behind the scenes of two of the most iconic Presidents in American History, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, as seen through the eyes of renowned photographer Pete Souza. As Official White House Photographer, Souza was an eyewitness to the unique and tremendous responsibilities of being the most powerful person on Earth. The movie reveals how Souza transforms from a respected photojournalist to a searing commentator on the issues we face as a country and a people.

People often say "I wish I were a fly on the wall" when something happened behind closed doors. Pete Souza was that fly on the wall during both the Reagan and Obama administrations, so he knew and he has a valuable perspective that I'm glad this documentary shared.

Now for the award. Watch BEST SCORE - Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts and Buck Sanders, The Way I See It for the acceptance speech.

Winner of the 5th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Score: Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts and Buck Sanders, THE WAY I SEE IT.

Congratulations to Marco Beltrami, Brandon Roberts and Buck Sanders for winning Best Score and to Pete Souza for being honored with Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary. Also, congratulations to director Dawn Porter and her producers, including Evan Hayes, the producer of "Free Solo," and Laura Dern, on earning one of the nominations for Best Political Documentary. I expect they will see more nominations, particularly at the News and Documentary Emmy Awards, as this was shown in MSNBC last month and is streaming on Peacock in addition to being shown in theaters. Good luck, you deserve it!

Since this award was for the music, let's listen to Leadership Qualities.

The soundtrack to @Focus Features THE WAY I SEE IT features two new songs by @Aloe Blacc and score by Marco Beltrami, Buck Sanders & Brandon Roberts.

And now, a bonus track, The Future by Aloe Blacc.


Click here for the full playlist.

Once again, congratulations!

'MLK/FBI,' 'St. Louis Superman,' and 'Mr. SOUL!' all winners at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards

Image from Heartland Film Festival on Facebook.
After examining the COVID-19 pandemic in yesterday's entry about "Totally Under Control, it's time to return to winners about the ongoing civil rights struggle in the U.S., which was the theme of "John Lewis: Good Trouble," the winner of Best Historical/Biographical Documentary at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards. Since today is Sunday, the day I usually post an entertainment feature, I'm going to make up for posting about Saturday Night Live and America Recycles Day on Sundays this month by showcasing three winners at the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards sharing a common theme, "MLK/FBI," "St. Louis Superman," and "Mr. SOUL!"*

I begin with BEST ARCHIVAL DOCUMENTARY - MLK/FBI.

Winner of the 5th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Archival Documentary: MLK/FBI.

Congratulations to Sam Pollard, Ben Hedin, Brian Becker, and Laura Tomaselli for this award and for the film's nomination for Best Political Documentary, where it competed against fellow winners "Totally Under Control," "John Lewis: Good Trouble," "Boys State," and "The Way I See It," which won Best Score, as well as nominees "All In: The Fight for Democracy" and "The Social Dilemma."

To see why this film won, watch MLK/FBI - Official Trailer from IFC Films.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered today as an American hero: a bridge-builder, a shrewd political tactician, and a moral leader. Yet throughout his history-altering political career, he was often treated by U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies like an enemy of the state. In this virtuosic documentary, award-winning editor and director Sam Pollard (Editor, 4 LITTLE GIRLS, MO’ BETTER BLUES; Director/Producer, EYEZ ON THE PRIZE, SAMMY DAVIS, JR.: I’VE GOTTA BE ME) lays out a detailed account of the FBI surveillance that dogged King’s activism throughout the ’50s and ’60s, fueled by the racist and red-baiting paranoia of J. Edgar Hoover. In crafting a rich archival tapestry, featuring some revelatory restored footage of King, Pollard urges us to remember that true American progress is always hard-won.

I've heard all this before, but I think it helps to have it all compiled in one place along with updated information. I'm not sure about the documentary's award prospects beyond a likely Cinema Eye Honors nomination. While it has been played at quite a few film fesivals, its official release date is January 15, 2021, so I'm not sure if it will qualify for the Academy Awards. I also don't know if it's going to streaming by the end of the 2020-2021 television season, which would make it eligible for a Creative Arts Emmy Award next September. Maybe if it shows on Independent Lens by the end of next year it would qualify for a News and Documentary Emmy Award in September or October 2022. Yes, it would take that long.

Follow over the jump for the other two winners.

'Totally Under Control' about the Trump Administration's response to the pandemic wins Best Editing at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards

I foreshadowed my choice of film to write about today in a footnote to 'John Lewis: Good Trouble' wins Best Historical/Biographical Documentary at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards.

I wrote the following in my comment on Kek has apparently spoken at John Michael Greer's Dreamwidth.

Three years ago, the Documentary Branch nominated "Icarus," a very anti-Russian sports documentary, in the wake of Trump's victory, and it won. The academy membership didn't have an anti-Trump nominee to vote for, so they jumped on the anti-Putin one. That's why I think that "Totally Under Control" about the administration's response to the pandemic, might actually have a chance at being nominated this year. The Documentary Branch normally does not renominate films by previous winners, which Alex Gibney is, having won for "Taxi to the Dark Side," regardless of merit, as they want to spread the recognition around, but they might just do that this year to signal their anti-Trump sentiment. If they don't nominate "Totally Under Control," they would very likely nominate "John Lewis: Good Trouble" about a critic of Trump instead.

"Totally Under Control" won a Critics' Choice Documentary Award as well, so I will write about it, too.

Watch Totally Under Control - Official Trailer from Madman Films to see why I wrote that comment and have now recycled it twice.

An in-depth look at how the United States government handled the response to the #COVID19 outbreak during the early months of the pandemic.

On January 20th, 2020 the US and South Korea both discovered their first cases of COVID-19. However, 9 months later, the novel #Coronavirus has claimed the lives of over 200,000 Americans and caused staggering economic damage, while in South Korea, there were no significant lockdowns and, in an urbanized population of 51 million, only 344 lives have been lost. Where did we go wrong? As the presidential election nears, Americans are increasingly enraged by a lack of clear leadership, endemic political corruption and left to wonder how did the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world manage to fail so thoroughly in its response to a global pandemic?

Academy Award-winning filmmaker #AlexGibney, directing with Ophelia Harutyunyan and Suzanne Hillinger, interrogates this question and its devastating implications in Totally Under Control. With damning testimony from public health officials and hard investigative reporting, Gibney exposes a system-wide collapse caused by a profound dereliction of Presidential leadership.

It will be a generation before we know the full extent of the damage wrought by this pandemic, but Totally Under Control will stand as the definitive account of the Trump administration’s incompetence, corruption and denial in the face of this global pandemic.

Wow! Even though I've seen the news footage in real time, putting it all together along with the interviews gave it a extra impact that it didn't have when I first watched it. I can see why it earned two awards and three other nominations at the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards.

Speaking of which, watch BEST EDITING - Lindy Jankura, Alexis Johnson and Alex Keipper, Totally Under Control for the editors' acceptance speeches.

Winner of the 5th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Editing: Lindy Jankura, Alexis Johnson and Alex Keipper, TOTALLY UNDER CONTROL.

Now I'm wondering who was behind the coronavirus Minnie Mouse. That written, congratulations on winning this award and Dr. Rick Bright being named one of this year's Most Compelling Living Subjects of a Documentary and earning nominations for Best Score, Best Narration, and Best Political Documentary. I think "Totally Under Control" has more nominations and awards coming, even if the Documentary Branch of the Motion Picture Academy has issues that might prevent it from nominating the film for an Oscar. Both the Cinema Eye Honors and Independent Lens are likely to nominate it as a movie. Also, since it was available on Apple TV and is now streaming on Hulu, it should be a lock for one or more Emmy nominations, either at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards or the News and Documentary Emmy Awards. I'm looking forward to them.

I'm not done with this movie. Follow over the jump for two interviews of Gibney and the other directors.

'John Lewis: Good Trouble' wins Best Historical/Biographical Documentary at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards

I closed 'Boys State' wins Best Political Documentary at the 2020 Critics' Choice Documentary Awards with my plan for today.

"John Lewis: Good Trouble"...lost to "Boys State" for Best Political Documentary, but won Best Historical/Biographical Documentary. I plan on writing about it tomorrow. Stay tuned.

I had been looking forward to this award since July, when I wrote "I'm looking forward to its nominations at the Critics' Choice Documentary Awards and Academy Awards." The first part came true, as "John Lewis: Good Trouble" earned nominations for Best Director and Best Political Documentary, which I thought it would win, in addition to its award for Best Historical/Biographical Documentary. Watch BEST HISTORICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL DOCUMENTARY - John Lewis: Good Trouble for the acceptance speech.

Winner of the 5th Annual Critics Choice Documentary Award for Best Historical/Biographical Documentary: JOHN LEWIS: GOOD TROUBLE.

Congratulations on your movie's first award. May it be the first of many to come!

I was prescient when I wrote "it's already on my shortlist for the Golden Coffee Cups." Because of this win and its other nominations, it officially qualifies according to the criteria I announced in April, being nominated at either or both of the Academy Awards and Critics' Choice Documentary Awards.* It joins "Boys State" and a list of other winners and nominees that have now qualified for the shortlist that I plan on covering over the weekend and early next week. Stay tuned.

*I should probably also add Cinema Eye Honors Awards, US to that list of shortlist-qualifying awards. As for the documentary's chances at the Oscars, I wrote the following in my comment on Kek has apparently spoken at John Michael Greer's Dreamwidth.

Three years ago, the Documentary Branch nominated "Icarus," a very anti-Russian sports documentary, in the wake of Trump's victory, and it won. The academy membership didn't have an anti-Trump nominee to vote for, so they jumped on the anti-Putin one. That's why I think that "Totally Under Control" about the administration's response to the pandemic, might actually have a chance at being nominated this year. The Documentary Branch normally does not renominate films by previous winners, which Alex Gibney is, having won for "Taxi to the Dark Side," regardless of merit, as they want to spread the recognition around, but they might just do that this year to signal their anti-Trump sentiment. If they don't nominate "Totally Under Control," they would very likely nominate "John Lewis: Good Trouble" about a critic of Trump instead.

"Totally Under Control" won a Critics' Choice Documentary Award as well, so I will write about it, too.