Reviews
17 Blocks (2019)
Mesmerizing, tragic and hopeful
Rothbart's second documentary is gripping and inspiring. No one tells a story like he can. The fact that much of the footage was recorded and documented by the family itself makes it extraordinary. Saw it tonight as part of the Woodstock Film Festival, where it was extremely well-received.
The License (2009)
Brilliant!
I showed this video to a graduate school class I taught last semester entitled Oppression, Diversity, and the Struggle for Human Rights. It framed the dilemma of denying basic rights to an oppressed group, and paved the way for an excellent class discussion later. It is short, amusing, and highly effective. A young heterosexual couple applies for a marriage license, and are subjected to all manner of antiquated and outrageous customs before the clerk will issue a license: first she issues a chastity belt to the bride-to-be. Then she has the woman carried off to be deflowered by City officials. Once it is discovered that the bride is no longer a virgin, the clerk insists that she be stoned to death, and offers a stone to the fiancé so that he may cast the first stone. The moral: not all traditions are worth preserving!
Viva Baseball! (2005)
A baseball movie so good it brought tears to my eyes!
I adored this film -- only happened on the last thirty minutes of it on Spike TV in September '05. What I wouldn't give to be able to see it again in its entirety! I guess I would have to travel to the Dominican Film Festival to see it. Will someone please put it on TV again, or release it commercially to theaters? I am a Spanish teacher, and each Spring I like to teach a lesson on the important contributions made by Latinos to the game of baseball. I have the book by Samuel Regalado of the same name, but would love to be able to have my students view this moving and beautiful cinematic tribute to the great players of Hispanic heritage. It really makes clear the tremendous determination and spirit these players exhibited to overcome the obstacles of prejudice, culture and language shock and achieve greatness.