Nina Simone, Janis Joplin and Laurie Anderson Documentaries On Tap This Weekend at Doc Stories Festival

It’s Christmas for documentary nerds this weekend as the Doc Stories festival starts tonight and plays all weekend at the Vogue Theater. You’ve got a Nina Simone documentary, a Janis Joplin documentary, a ‘vigilantes vs. drug cartel’ documentary and Laurie Anderson’s documentary about her dead dog. I swear to god I’m not making that last one up.

These and other completely fuckin’ fascinating documentaries are all on the bill for the San Francisco Film Society’s Doc Stories, a three-day mini-festival in the Film Society’s Fall Season. Here’s a look at a few of the dopest docs on this weekend’s documentary film festival schedule.

WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE?

Have you ever actually seen Nina Simone perform? What Happened, Miss Simone? is full of rare archival footage of her career from her early days as a nightclub singer to her later status as an icon in the Black Power movement, with extended musical numbers where Nina Simone going at it onstage will give you chills.

Friday, November 6, 9:15 p.m.

CARTEL LAND

Regular people go up against a Mexican drug cartel this riveting doc that won Best Director for a US Documentary at Sundance this year. Meth runners have taken over the the Arizona-Mexico border, but ragtag groups of rednecks up north and fed-up peasants down south find ways to fight back against the cartel.

Saturday, November 7, 1:00 p.m.

JANIS: LITTLE GIRL BLUE

Plenty of San Francisco cameos in this one! The exhilarating and ultimately tragic life story of Janis Joplin is relived with never-seen-before footage and interviews with Bob Weir and Clive Davis, plus Cat Power reading Janis’ long-lost letters.

Saturday, November 7, 8:30 p.m.

HEART OF A DOG

Performance artist Laurie Anderson’s dog died, so she made an experimental documentary about the poignant little rat terrier. It is far more visionary and poetic than I am making it sound.

Sunday, November 8, 7:00 p.m.

AT RUSH:  All available tickets have been sold, but there is still a chance to get in if you particpate in the rush line. That means getting there an hour early with a good book and a snack and standing there in hopes you might get in. You might!

Check the full Doc Stories schedule for the whole weekend worth of films. All shows are at the Vogue Theater, 3290 Sacramento St., at Presidio Ave.