The title of Feras Fayyad’s documentary “Last Men in Aleppo’’ suggests heroism and disaster, as befits its subject. In 2015, Fayyad filmed members of the White Helmets, a Syrian group providing emergency assistance to the civilians caught in the middle while Bashar Al-Assad’s regime and Kurdish, Islamic State, and other rebel forces battled each other for control of the city.
Winner of the World Documentary Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, the film follows the volunteers as they try to save lives, at the risk of their own, amid the rubble, chaos, and carnage.
It is not easy viewing. “I’m 100 percent sure we will find his head on the roof,’’ a White Helmet says at one scene of destruction.
“Last men in Aleppo’’ can be seen on the PBS World Channel “POV’’ series on July 10 at 10 p.m.
Go to www.pbs.org/pov/lastmeninaleppo.
Appalachian addiction
The title of Sean Dunne’s mournful and moving documentary “Oxyana’’ (2013) is the nickname residents have given to the town of Oceana, a West Virginia community ravaged by oxycodone and other opioid substances. Another term — used by a hulking, scary but sad user/dealer — is “oxycuted’’: dying of an overdose.
Dunne presents compassionate, unflinching portraits of victims of the drugs — mostly young, some who are parents and some who are expecting a child (half the babies born there are already addicted). The users offer explanations for their problem (those squeamish about people shooting up or in the throes of addiction should beware) — poverty, exploitation from outsiders, boredom. Plus, the drugs are readily accessible — the label on one pill bottle prescribes 450 opioid tablets for a 30-day period.
A mournful, essential film, made more powerful by the haunting soundtrack from John McCauley (of the band Deer Tick) and Jonny Fritz.
“Oxyana’’ can be seen on the World Channel on July 11 at 8 p.m.
Go to worldchannel.org/programs/episode/arf-s5-509-oxyana.
Democracy endangered
How did we get to this point in our political history? West Newbury filmmaker Kevin Bowe spent nine months covering the 2016 New Hampshire primary to make sense of it all in his documentary “Democracy Through the Looking Glass.’’ In it he focuses on the media — their manipulations and distortions, their being themselves manipulated and denigrated — as a key factor in how we ended up in a “post-truth era.’’
“Democracy Through the Looking Glass’’ can be seen on July 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Regent Theatre, 7 Medford St., Arlington.
Go to regenttheatre.com.
Surf’s up!
The thought of dropping everything and going in search of the perfect wave is more appealing now than ever. Vicariously enjoy that ancient lifestyle with the Harvard Film Archive’s series The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun: Psychedelic Surf Films, 1966-1979 (July 13-Aug. 4). It starts off with a screening of Albert Falzon’s “Morning of the Earth’’ (1972), which follows the wanderings of a buff crew of surfers as they journey from Australia to Bali and Hawaii and surf wave after wave after wave. . . . It’s gorgeous and hypnotic, and you won’t even need a hit from whatever is in that bong they’re smoking.
“Morning of the Earth’’ screens on July 13 at 9 p.m. at the Harvard Film Archive, 24 Quincy St., Cambridge.
Go to hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/films/2017junaug/surf.html#morning.
PETER KEOUGH
Peter Keough can be reached at petervkeough@gmail.com.
