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This month, explore films that document the endless quest for perfection and the necessary sacrifices that range from the everyday to the life-changing. On the tennis court, in a dance competition, in the kitchen of a Los Angeles diner or on the stage at Madison Square Garden, achievement can take many compelling forms.
This month’s selection includes:
Venus and Serena
Few siblings have dominated a sport to the level of the Williams sisters. Venus and Serena explores the binds, tensions, struggles and successes of two of the most powerful tennis players the game has ever known.
Jig
The 40th Irish Dancing World Championships is the goal for a host of young competitors from all over the world. Tracing the routes of ten dancers as they battle injury, doubt, money troubles and bad luck, Jig is an uplifting and moving account of what it takes to reach perfection.
City of Gold
Jonathan Gold is a Pulitzer Prize–winning restaurant critic, and his guide to the hidden gems of the Los Angeles culinary scene is an authoritative account of how storytelling and food can open a gateway to culture and understanding.
Shut Up and Play the Hits
LCD Soundsystem’s final show was a momentous occasion in modern popular music. Taking place over 48 hours, Shut Up and Play the Hits follows band leader James Murphy before, during and after the concert, exploring his decision to end his band at the peak of its popularity.
A Walk into the Sea
Esther B Robinson’s documentary about her uncle Danny Williams, Andy Warhol’s collaborator and lover, and a filmmaker in his own right, delivers an incisive account of life in Warhol’s legendary Factory and delves into Williams’ mysterious disappearance at the age of 27.
