Antisemitism. 120+ min. Icarus Films. In French, English & Hebrew w/English subtitles. 2020. DVD UPC 5456500376. $29.99.

Director Ilan Ziv’s harrowing film gives a complete history of the prejudices against Jewish people in France. Using a trove of archival photographs and film, interviews with survivors and academics, the documentary is absolutely unflinching as it tells of the centuries of disturbing patterns of racism in France. Ziv clinically combines the personal and historical for a broad vision of hatred that remains. Documentaries such as this one might be difficult at times to watch, but they are necessary. To understand and break the cycle of racism, we must bear witness. Including a catalogue of horrible examples of the worst of human behavior, larger concepts are explored of the “other” that exists around the world in the current climate of divisiveness. VERDICT An educational and frightening look at sustained anti-Jewish prejudice in France.

Great Mammoth Mystery. 55+ min. PBS. 2022. DVD UPC 4188704625. $24.99.

Sir David Attenborough hosts this PBS Nova production set in southern England near London as a pair of amateur fossil hunters discover a remarkable find of mammoth bones buried in the soil. Soon, the land is crawling with academics and students, digging in the mud, attempting to find more bones. As the title suggests, there’s a mystery: What happened to the mammoths, and why are they in this remote field? The scientists and producers attempt to find out. Including visual effects and lots of speculation, the documentary does an effective job of blending the current and the distant past in attempting to find answers. VERDICT For anyone interested in a short dose of prehistoric life on Earth.

Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time. 126+ min. IFC Films. 2021. DVD UPC 1438114669. $27.99.

Director Robert B. Weide (Curb Your Enthusiasm) started filming this documentary when he was only 23—nearly 40 years ago. As a tribute to his longtime friend Kurt Vonnegut (1922–2007), Weide finally finished his labor of love in 2021. It is a boisterous, ruminative tribute to the beloved, influential author of Slaughterhouse-Five and many other works. An interesting side element is how Weide is part of the film’s story as his relationship changes with Vonnegut over the decades. Weide’s presence complicates the filming process, but it adds to Vonnegut’s depth with a layer that a regular documentarian might not have access to. The film doesn’t shy away from the darker moments and aspects of Vonnegut’s personal life. VERDICT An intimate portrait of a legendary writer.

Thirst for Justice. 58+ min. Bullfrog Films. 2019. DVD UPC 9487457712. $99 with limited PPR.

When Janene Yazzie begins to suspect that contaminated water was the cause of her ovarian cancer, she begins a search for answers. This documentary follows Yazzie as she journeys to other U.S. communities that are fighting for access to clean water. Whether in an inner-city neighborhood or on Navajo land, contaminated water is causing health problems for residents all over the United States. The film also utilizes certain Indigenous traditions connected to the sacredness of water with fascinating insight into ceremonies and teachings. Along the way, viewers meet water activists and other advocates who are fighting for access to clean water for all, no matter their economic status, location, or race. VERDICT Director Leanna Hosea’s documentary is a bit low-key but will still leave viewers simmering with anger that there are groups of U.S. Americans without access to clean water.