Though documentaries are becoming increasingly popular as a distrust of mainstream media grows, quality screenings of recent work can be elusive even for us city-dwellers. If you’re lucky enough to be in Manhattan over break, consider switching off MTV and heading downtown to watch some first-rate cinema verité at the Gucci Tribeca Documentary series. Screenings run from January 8-10 and the tickets are only $8. Six of the fifteen documentaries under consideration for Oscar nomination will be screened: At the Death House Door, The Garden, I.O.U.S.A., Man on Wire, Pray the Devil Back to Hell, and They Killed Sister Dorothy. All of the screenings will feature appearances by the filmmakers and will be followed by Q & As.

Of particular interest is Man on Wire. This film, a hybrid of actual and restaged footage, pieces together the story of a fiery Frenchman who spent an hour dancing on a wire illegally rigged between New York’s twin towers in 1974. It has already accrued a host of accolades, including Grand Jury Prize: World Cinema Documentary at Sundance. Perhaps even more impressively, it has garnered a percect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

And we can all probably learn something from I.O.U.S.A., a non-partisan film that tries to make sense of the current economic crisis through footage of the “Fiscal Wake-up Tour” and interviews of experts, including Prezbo’s friend Warren Buffet.
Another reason to make the trip downtown: the proceeds from ticket sales go towards grants for filmmakers working on documentaries of social significance. Check out www.tribecacinemas.com for more information on the series, including a full schedule.