Obama, COVID-19 doccies from HBO now streaming on Showmax

Obama, COVID-19 doccies from HBO now streaming on ShowmaxYour next binge? Watch Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union' and the 2021 SXSW Audience Award winner In The Same Breath' on Showmax.

by Erene Roux

08-09-2021

in SA TV and Film

Image: Supplied

You can now catch HBO's critically acclaimed Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, 2021 SXSW Audience Award winner In The Same Breath and so much more critically acclaimed documentaries on Showmax.

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OBAMA: IN PURSUIT OF A MORE PERFECT UNION | Stream now

HBO's Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union chronicles the personal and political journey of President Barack Obama as America grapples with its racial history.

Directed by seven-time Emmy winner Peter Kunhardt and executive produced by The New Yorker s Jelani Cobb, the three-part docuseries has a 91% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with RogerEbert.com calling it a comprehensive and compelling analysis Kunhardt's film brightly illuminates how essential the discussion of Obama's handling of race is to American culture as a whole, especially when it was no accident that every president before him was a white man.

Timed to coincide with the former president's 60th birthday, Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union features the likes of politician Jesse Jackson, professors Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cornel West, political consultant David Axelrod, authors Michael Eric Dyson and Ta-Nehisi Coates, journalists Laura Washington and Michele Norris, reverends Alvin Love and Jeremiah Wright, speechwriter Jon Favreau and New Yorker editor David Remnick. Interspersed with Obama's own speeches and news interviews, the series begins with his childhood and takes us through his perspective as the son of a white mother from Kansas and an African father, his spiritual formation by a generation of Black leaders, and his hopes for a more inclusive America.

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But, as Los Angeles Times, says, HBO's new documentary goes places the Obama media machine might not have It ultimately sets itself apart by taking a deeper look at the multitude of issues that surfaced after America finally chose its first Black president.

IN THE SAME BREATH | Stream now

Winner of the Festival Favourites Audience Award at SXSW 2021, the HBO feature documentary In The Same Breath illustrates the devastating toll from widespread misinformation in the earliest days of the Covid-19 pandemic. As Vox says, It's hard to imagine any pandemic documentary being better than In the Same Breath a chilling, truly absorbing film with big implications for the future.

Directed by four-time Emmy nominee and 2020 MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Nanfu Wang (One Child Nation), who was born in China and now lives in the United States, the documentary explores the early confusion and parallel campaigns by authorities to try to contain the virus as well as shape the public narrative through misinformation, resulting in a devastating impact on citizens of both countries.

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In The Same Breath is at #39 on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the Best Movies of 2021 So Far, with a 96% critics rating. As the critics consensus says, Gripping and clear-eyed, In the Same Breath captures history as it's being written and governmental failures as they amplify worldwide tragedy.

PAINTING WITH JOHN S1 | Stream now

I was hoping this show would be educational, but I really don't know what the f*ck I'm doing, says John Lurie, co-founder of musical group The Lounge Lizards.

Painting With John, a new unscripted series written, directed by and starring John, is part meditative tutorial, part fireside chat. Each episode has John at his worktable at his home in the Caribbean, honing his watercolour techniques and sharing what he's learned about life. With images of Lurie's paintings, his original music and his point of view all rolled into one, the series strikes an irreverent tone while reminding us to prioritise some time every day for creativity, fun and a bit of mischief.

Painting With John is at #17 on Rotten Tomatoes list of the Best TV Of 2021 So Far, with a 100% critics rating. As the critic's consensus there says, A celebration of art and life through the eyes of a delightful curmudgeon, Painting with John is a surprising, intimate feat of TV joy.

The Playlist called Painting With John is the most profoundly captivating narrative of 2021 so far and Los Angeles Times dubbed the show HBO at its most worthwhile so it's no surprise that the network has already ordered a second season. My hope is to make a TV show where people see it and say, I have no idea what I just saw, but I couldn't stop watching it and it was wonderful,' says John. I think I can get there in season two.

EVERYTHING ON SHOWMAX IN SEPTEMBER 2021

To see everything on Showmax in September 2021, including The White Lotus, 2021 Emmy nominee Gangs of London, 2021 Oscar winner Minari and nominee Tenet, and Flatland, the South African film that opened the Berlin Panorama, click here. Please note this release schedule is subject to change.

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