City So Real
- Will Miller
- Resavoir
- Jeffrey Skoll
- Diane Weyermann
- Alex Kotlowitz
- Gordon Quinn
- Betsy Steinberg
- Jolene Pinder
- Zak Piper
- Steve James
- Jackson James
- Steve James
- David E. Simpson
- Steve James
- Participant
- Kartemquin Films
City So Real is an American documentary miniseries directed by Steve James, revolving around the 2019 mayoral election in Chicago, Illinois, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and social upheaval following the murder of George Floyd. It consists of 5 episodes and premiered on October 29, 2020, on National Geographic.[1]
Premise
The series follows the 2019 mayoral election in Chicago, exploring corruption within the city, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and social upheaval following the murder of George Floyd.[2][3]
Episodes
No. | Title [4] | Directed by | Original air date | U.S. viewers (millions) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | "Welcome to Chicago" | Steve James | October 29, 2020 (2020-10-29) | N/A |
2 | "Blood Sport" | Steve James | October 29, 2020 (2020-10-29) | N/A |
3 | "With All Due Respect to the Candidate" | Steve James | October 29, 2020 (2020-10-29) | N/A |
4 | "If You Want to Break the Machine" | Steve James | October 29, 2020 (2020-10-29) | N/A |
5 | "You Gotta Make It or You Gotta Take It" | Steve James | October 29, 2020 (2020-10-29) | N/A |
Release
The series, originally just four episodes, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2020.[5][6][7][8][9] In August 2020, National Geographic acquired distribution rights to the series.[10]
Reception
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds an approval rating of 100% based on 13 reviews, with an average rating of 9.38/10.[11] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 93 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[12]
Accolades
Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | Gotham Awards | Breakthrough Nonfiction Series | City So Real | Nominated | [13] |
IDA Documentary Awards | Best Multi-Part Documentary | Steve James, Zak Piper, Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Betsy Steinberg, and Jolene Pinder | Nominated | [14] | |
Independent Spirit Awards | Best New Non-Scripted or Documentary Series | City So Real | Nominated | [15] | |
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series | Diane Weyermann, Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Jolene Pinder, Steve James, and Zak Piper | Nominated | [16][17] | |
Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program | Jackson James and Steve James ("Blood Sport") | Nominated | |||
TCA Awards | Outstanding Achievement in News and Information | City So Real | Nominated | [18] | |
2022 | Cinema Eye Honors | Outstanding Nonfiction Series | City So Real | Won | [19][20] |
Outstanding Broadcast Editing | David E. Simpson and Steve James | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Broadcast Cinematography | Jackson James and Steve James | Nominated |
References
- ^ "City So Real". National Geographic. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ Petski, Denise (September 24, 2020). "'City So Real' Trailer: First Look At Steve James' Timely Sundance Docuseries Ahead Of Nat Geo Premiere". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ Lopez, Kristen (September 24, 2020). "'City So Real' Trailer: Steve James' Documentary Couldn't Be Timelier". IndieWire. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "City So Real". The Futon Critic. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "City So Real". Sundance Film Festival. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ Travers, Ben (December 10, 2019). "Sundance 2020 Sets TV and Shorts Lineups with Sarah Polley, Steve James, and Lin-Manuel Miranda". IndieWire. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ Brotheridge, James (9 June 2020). "Hot Docs Review: 'Hoop Dreams' Filmmaker Examines the Nuances of Chicago Life in 'City So Real' Directed by Steve James". exclaim.ca. EXCLAIM!. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ^ Travers, Ben (28 January 2020). "'City So Real' Review: Steve James' Gripping Sundance Doc on Chicago Politics Is a Must-See". IndieWire. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ^ Fienberg, Daniel (28 January 2020). "'City So Real': TV Review | Sundance 2020". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
- ^ Day-Ramos, Dino (August 3, 2020). "National Geographic Acquires Steve James' Sundance Docuseries 'City So Real' – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "City So Real: Miniseries (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ "City So Real". Metacritic. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (October 21, 2021). "Gotham Awards 2021 Nominations: 'Pig,' 'Green Knight,' 'Passing' Compete for Best Feature". IndieWire. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
- ^ "IDA Announces 36th Annual IDA Documentary Awards Nominees". International Documentary Association. November 24, 2020. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary; Galuppo, Mia (January 26, 2021). "Film Independent Spirit Awards: Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Minari, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Nomadland Top Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ "City So Real". Television Academy. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
- ^ Bosselman, Haley; Moreau, Jordan; Shanfeld, Ethan (July 13, 2021). "Emmys 2021: Complete Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
- ^ Turchiano, Danielle (July 15, 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Scores the Most 2021 TCA Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ Pond, Steve (March 1, 2022). "Flee Wins Top Prize at Cinema Eye Honors for Documentaries". TheWrap. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
- ^ Grobar, Matt (November 10, 2021). "Flee & Summer Of Soul Lead Cinema Eye Honors Nominations". Deadline. Retrieved March 2, 2022.
External links
- Official website
- City So Real at IMDb
- City So Real at Rotten Tomatoes
- City So Real at Metacritic
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