There were several films at Tribeca this year that piqued my personal interest as M.O.T. (Member Of the Tribe).  The first was PARTLY PRIVATE  , Danae Elon’s exploration of male circumcision.  While pregnant with a boy, Elon must confront her Algerian-Jewish husband’s strong preference for circumcising their future son, a belief which clashes with her own misgivings as a secular Jew.  What ensues is a trip around the world, questioning different cultural histories and views on the matter.  Particularly entertaining is her visit to Turkey where boys are circumcised at the age of 8 in the equivalent of a bridal banquet hall while wearing regal costumes.  Clowns, roller coasters and big screen televisions serve to entertain the kids in what would otherwise be quite an awful day.  After watching this film, all I can say is that I hope if I am ever pregnant – it’s a girl.

Beadie Finzie’s ONLY WHEN I DANCE is a moving portrait of two Brazilian teenagers who struggle to break out of their lives of poverty by using dance as their vehicle.  Beautifully shot, this captivating story shows the sacrifices their hard-working families must make to help them achieve their dreams of dancing abroad. 

The team behind SHADOW BILLIONAIRE – director Alexis Manya Spraic and producer Sasha Alpert – a documentary about the mysterious disappearance of the very wealthy DHL shareholder Larry L. Hillblom.

On Sunday afternoon, The Nation Institute hosted a reception for THE FIXER: THE TAKING OF AJMAL NAQSHBANDI, following its screening at Tribeca and a panel discussion with director Ian Olds, film subject Christian Parenti, New Yorker writer George Packer, and former fixer Naqeeb Sherzad. The film does an excellent job shedding light on the process of war-time reporting.  The reception was held fittingly at the Half King bar, known as a foreign correspondent hang-out.  Hamilton Fish, head of the Nation Institute (and occasional documentary producer), presided over a crowd of journalists, filmmakers and human rights activists.

Marshall Curry’s RACING DREAMS was a delightful surprise.  I don’t think there is a subject I care less about than NASCAR racing, so I approached this film with a dose of skepticism.  Yet from the moment the film started, the next 95 minutes raced by as I became swept up in the film’s characters.  Curry’s film is about more than racing (which I admit I have a higher appreciation for after watching the film).  He also captures the fleeting transition from childhood to the teenage years in all its awkward glory.  He was joined by the film’s three subjects for the Q&A – who unanimously agreed that he did an excellent job showing what it was like for them.