Director Jonathan Demme captures an intense live performance with Neil Young and friends at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, home of the Grand Ole Opry. Filmed during a challenging point in the singer's career after medical care, Neil Young: Heart of Gold exudes a palpable energy of renewal and urgency. A mix of brand-new material with older standouts like "The Needle and the Damage Done" and "Old Man," the songs transcend the screen, as does Young himself—especially inspired when joined by longtime band mates, friends, and collaborators such as Emmylou Harris. His running, onstage dialogue is so natural you feel a part of that time and space with him..."and it's fading now," to quote a new lyric. Demme's confident hand crafts a new documentary freedom where Young's creative musical spirit becomes everything you need to know about the man himself. In the end, four generations of fans can share a unique collaboration by two original artists drawn together periodically over time, sharing mediums and pushing audiences somewhere unexpected again
Premiered at the Sundance Film Festival
Official site: www.heartofgoldmovie.com /

Chechnya , having lost close to 25 percent of its population at the hands of the Russian government over the past 12 years, is familiar with the nefarious effects of genocide. Yet neither compassion nor common sense could stop a Chechen warlord and a group of armed terrorists from holding an entire school in the Russian town of Beslan hostage. In every Russian Federation school, citizens celebrate a holiday known as the Day of Knowledge, which falls on the first day of school. On September 1, 2004, at School Number One in Beslan, this tradition was deliberately exploited by heavily armed terrorists as an opportunity to seize the school and take 1,200 hostages. The world watched in disbelief as the horror of this act unfolded over the course of the next three days. The end result left hundreds of children and adults wounded or killed. In an incredibly ironic twist, a parent's own video camera was used by the Chechen terrorists to document the massacre. During the course of the siege, what is revealed on this unspeakable footage is the utter panic and desperation of the hostages. They are forced to endure bombs being wired over their heads, random shootings, and skyrocketing temperatures in a school gymnasium without any water. As days pass and the horror intensifies, anguished friends and family members hold vigil in the streets. The camera shows how the people's initial shock slowly turns to incoherent rage at the government's inability to rescue their loved ones. Narrated by Julia Roberts, Three Days In September combines guerilla footage and interviews with family members, soldiers, local politicians, school officials, and survivors to give viewers a riveting look into the crisis. This is a film that, once seen, is not easily forgotten.

Starting in 1964 with Seven Up, renowned director Michael Apted has explored the Jesuit maxim, “Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man.” The original concept was to interview 14 children from diverse backgrounds from all over England, asking them about their lives and their dreams for the future. Every seven years, Apted has been back to talk to the same subjects, examining the progression of their lives. From cab driver Tony to East End schoolmates Jackie, Lynn, and Susan and the heart-breaking Neil, we see, as they enter their 40's, how close these subjects are to realizing their ambitions. An extraordinary look at the structure of life in the 20th century, The Up Series is, according to Roger Ebert, "an inspired, almost noble use of the film medium. Apted penetrates to the central mystery of life."
For more information: www.dga.org/news/v27_3/feat_apted_up.php3