What We’re Watching at AFS Doc Days

Each year, Austin Film Society brings the best of nonfiction cinema from across the world to our city for the annual Doc Days film festival. The headliners this year offer a little bit of everything: from environmental scandals and political battles in U.S. schools to vignettes of life in Argentina, the Arctic Circle and beyond.

Ahead of this year’s fest, which runs from May 1 to 4 at the AFS Cinema, take a look at five documentaries our writers can’t wait to catch.

Middletown

Middletown exists at the intersection of teenage idealism, 1990s nostalgia, and investigative journalism. This is the newest film from co-directors (and married couple) Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss, whose previous works, Boys State and Girls State, each gave fascinating glimpses into the teenage psyche; Middletown adds depth by bringing in the now-adults to reflect on the documentaries they made at Middletown High School. — Kathryn Bailey

Mistress Dispeller

There’s something deeply compelling to me about a documentary with a narrow focus: a single person, a particular relationship, a moment in time. Combined with the phrase “high-stakes intrigue,” you couldn’t keep me out of the theater if you tried. — remus jackson

SABBATH QUEEN

Intertwining identity with religion seems like a dubious feat, but Amichai Lau-Levie’s quest is one I am intrigued by. I hope to find some catharsis from this picture! — Manny Madera

Seeds

I caught Seeds at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and found it to be a profoundly moving elegy for Black farmers in the American South. Black-and-white imagery paired with a haunting soundscape make Brittany Shyne’s directorial debut one to catch. — Alix Mammina

WHERE THE TREES BEAR MEAT

If there is any melancholy to rural life and identity, I will be the first in line to commit to its portrayal. I’m curious to know whether Gauchos hold up in the 21st century or if their legend is, at long last, DOA. — Manny Madera