City So Real Explained

Genre:Documentary
Director:Steve James
Country:United States
Language:English
Network:National Geographic

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]

Release

The series, originally just four episodes, had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27, 2020.[4] [5] [6] [7] [8] In August 2020, National Geographic acquired distribution rights to the series.[9]

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.[10] On Metacritic, the series has a weighted average score of 93 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[11]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryRecipient(s)Result
Gotham AwardsBreakthrough Nonfiction SeriesCity So Real[12]
IDA Documentary AwardsBest Multi-Part DocumentarySteve James, Zak Piper, Jeff Skoll, Diane Weyermann, Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Betsy Steinberg, and Jolene Pinder[13]
Independent Spirit AwardsBest New Non-Scripted or Documentary SeriesCity So Real[14]
Primetime Creative Arts Emmy AwardsOutstanding Documentary or Nonfiction SeriesDiane Weyermann, Alex Kotlowitz, Gordon Quinn, Jolene Pinder, Steve James, and Zak Piper[15] [16]
Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction ProgramJackson James and Steve James
TCA AwardsOutstanding Achievement in News and InformationCity So Real[17]
Cinema Eye HonorsOutstanding Nonfiction SeriesCity So Real[18] [19]
Outstanding Broadcast EditingDavid E. Simpson and Steve James
Outstanding Broadcast CinematographyJackson James and Steve James

Notes and References

  1. Web site: City So Real. National Geographic. October 26, 2020.
  2. Web site: 'City So Real' Trailer: First Look At Steve James' Timely Sundance Docuseries Ahead Of Nat Geo Premiere. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. September 24, 2020. October 26, 2020.
  3. Web site: 'City So Real' Trailer: Steve James' Documentary Couldn't Be Timelier. IndieWire. Kristen. Lopez. September 24, 2020. October 26, 2020.
  4. Web site: City So Real. Sundance Film Festival. October 26, 2020.
  5. Web site: Sundance 2020 Sets TV and Shorts Lineups with Sarah Polley, Steve James, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. IndieWire. Ben. Travers. December 10, 2019. October 26, 2020.
  6. Web site: Brotheridge . James . Hot Docs Review: 'Hoop Dreams' Filmmaker Examines the Nuances of Chicago Life in 'City So Real' Directed by Steve James . exclaim.ca . EXCLAIM! . 10 June 2020 . en-ca . 9 June 2020.
  7. Web site: Travers . Ben . 'City So Real' Review: Steve James' Gripping Sundance Doc on Chicago Politics Is a Must-See . IndieWire . 10 June 2020 . en . 28 January 2020.
  8. Web site: Fienberg . Daniel . 'City So Real': TV Review Sundance 2020 . The Hollywood Reporter . 10 June 2020 . en . 28 January 2020.
  9. Web site: National Geographic Acquires Steve James' Sundance Docuseries 'City So Real' – TCA. Deadline Hollywood. Dino. Day-Ramos. August 3, 2020. October 26, 2020.
  10. Web site: City So Real: Miniseries (2020). Rotten Tomatoes. October 26, 2020.
  11. Web site: City So Real. Metacritic. October 26, 2020.
  12. Web site: Gotham Awards 2021 Nominations: 'Pig,' 'Green Knight,' 'Passing' Compete for Best Feature. IndieWire. Zack. Sharf. October 21, 2021. November 27, 2021.
  13. Web site: IDA Announces 36th Annual IDA Documentary Awards Nominees . International Documentary Association . March 2, 2022 . November 24, 2020.
  14. News: Lewis . Hilary . Galuppo . Mia . Film Independent Spirit Awards: Never Rarely Sometimes Always, Minari, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Nomadland Top Nominations . March 2, 2022 . The Hollywood Reporter . January 26, 2021.
  15. Web site: City So Real . Television Academy . March 1, 2022.
  16. Web site: Emmys 2021: Complete Nominations List. July 13, 2021. July 19, 2021. Variety. Haley. Bosselman. Jordan. Moreau. Ethan. Shanfeld.
  17. Web site: 'Ted Lasso' Scores the Most 2021 TCA Awards Nominations. Turchiano. Danielle. July 15, 2021. July 22, 2021. Variety.
  18. Web site: Pond . Steve . Flee Wins Top Prize at Cinema Eye Honors for Documentaries . TheWrap . March 2, 2022 . March 1, 2022.
  19. Web site: Flee & Summer Of Soul Lead Cinema Eye Honors Nominations. Deadline. Matt. Grobar. November 10, 2021. March 2, 2022.

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