PBS – Brent Marchant

‘Le Guin’ documentary presents an ode to a visionary author

Various fields of artistic expression often go through radical conversions as a result of the visionary works of a handful – or sometimes even just one – maverick figure. Through the singular works of these individuals, entire genres are frequently transformed. In filmmaking, for example, the name Stanley Kubrick comes to mind. In music, it’s the Beatles. And, in science fiction literature, many often cite the writings of author Ursula K. Le Guin,

Brent Marchant2022-07-10T19:15:14+00:00June 2nd, 2022|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Movie Reviews|

‘Cured’ chronicles a remarkable breakthrough

Imagine being saddled with a label that was anything but true. What’s more, imagine being cruelly persecuted for that erroneous characterization, subjected to emotional and even physical abuse, making life unbearable. Prejudice, discrimination and harassment are nearly constant companions, and such treatment is often inflicted by one’s nearest and dearest, including family members. If it’s possible to picture that, then you have an idea what it might have been like for members of a patently and unfairly disrespected minority community that did nothing to earn or deserve such disgrace.

Brent Marchant2021-09-22T00:07:48+00:00September 4th, 2021|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Movie Reviews|

‘The Neutral Ground’ exposes an obscured truth

“The Neutral Ground” (2021). Cast: CJ Hunt (narrator and interviewer), Mitch Landrieu, Jason Williams, Christy Coleman, Michael “Quess” Moore, Malcolm Suber, Angela Kinlaw, Thomas Taylor, Karen Cox, Ashley Rogers, Dr. Ibrahima Seck, Abdul Aziz, Luther Gray, Freddi Evans, Dread Scott, Mr. Hunt, Darcy McKinnon. Archive Footage: Pierre McGraw, Donald Trump, David Duke. Director: CJ Hunt. Web site. Trailer. Movie. When the truth remains hidden, it’s difficult to move forward and make progress in resolving thorny social issues. But, when it’s intentionally buried under a barrage of myths and lies designed to purposely obscure it, that makes the effort considerably more daunting. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, though, as chronicled in the satirical and emotionally charged new documentary, “The Neutral Ground.” [...]

Brent Marchant2021-08-23T12:01:48+00:00July 12th, 2021|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Movie Reviews|

Wrapping Up the 2021 AFI DOCS Festival

With the 2021 American Film Institute Documentary Film Festival (AFI DOCS) now in the books, it’s time to sum up the 12 offerings that I screened, some of which will be released in theaters, online and on television on the very near future. A number of excellent films are coming out of this festival, and I encourage viewers to catch them when available.

Brent Marchant2021-07-28T22:40:14+00:00June 29th, 2021|Movie Reviews|

Tune in for Mission Unstoppable

Those who naively cling to the idea that government abuses of power, particularly when it comes to racial, social or ethnic profiling, can’t happen here need to rethink those notions. To find out more, tune in for a special edition of Mission Unstoppable on Tuesday October 15 at 1:40 pm ET, when host Frankie Picasso and yours truly will interview journalist and filmmaker Assia Boundaoui about her stunning new production, “The Feeling of Being Watched.” The film, which has been playing in limited theatrical engagements and in special screenings at film festivals and community centers, will air Monday October 14 on the PBS series POV and will thereafter be available for streaming on the POV web site. For more about [...]

Brent Marchant2019-11-18T13:45:03+00:00October 14th, 2019|Announcements, Documentary, Media Appearances, Movie Discussion|

This Week in Movies with Meaning

Reviews of "Judy" and "Joker," as well as a broadcast preview, are all in the latest Movies with Meaning post on the web site of The Good Media Network, available by clicking here.

Brent Marchant2019-11-05T03:03:23+00:00October 13th, 2019|Action-Adventure, Announcements, Documentary, Drama, Media Appearances, Movie Reviews, Web Posts|

‘The Feeling of Being Watched’ examines the perils of privacy protection

“The Feeling of Being Watched” (2018). Cast: Interviews, Current Footage and Re-creations: Assia Boundaoui, Rabia Boundaoui, Christina Abraham, Iman Boundaoui, Nouha Boundaoui, Oussama Boundaoui, Sohib Boundaoui, Monica Eva Foster (voice), Daron Hagen (voice), Jen Marlowe (voice). Archive Footage: Donald Trump, Peter Jennings, Nacer Boundaoui, Robert Wright Jr. Director: Assia Boundaoui. Screenplay: Assia Boundaoui. Web site. Trailer. Many of us likely believe that our personal privacy is a right that we’ve lost. Due to increasingly intrusive surveillance of virtually every aspect of our lives by government agencies, we’ve often come to feel that our personal spaces and individual lives are no longer our own. And, because of explanations like national security and waging the war on terror, those measures have thus [...]

Brent Marchant2019-08-07T06:47:11+00:00July 8th, 2019|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Movie Reviews|

‘Neighbor’ showcases the spirit of kindness and compassion

“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” (2018). Cast: Interview Footage: Joanne Rogers, James Rogers, John Rogers, François Scarborough Clemmons, Yo-Yo Ma, Elizabeth Seamans, Margy Whitmer, Davis Newell, Joe Negri. Archive Footage: Fred Rogers, Robert Kennedy, Tom Snyder, Christa McAuliffe, John O. Pastore, Betty Aberlin. Director: Morgan Neville. Web site. Trailer. Showing a little kindness goes a long way, especially to those in need of compassion, nurturing and support. This is particularly true when it comes to young ones, who often struggle with the fundamental task of trying to understand how the world works, an increasingly challenging task in an ever-more complicated reality. For 30 years, an unlikely television personality undertook that very task, giving attention, encouragement, wisdom and support to those [...]

Brent Marchant2018-06-27T17:52:11+00:00June 14th, 2018|Conscious Creation, Documentary, Movie Reviews|