Films
“Angkor Awakens”
An eye-opening portrait of the past, present, and possible future of Cambodia in the post-Khmer Rouge generation, as told through interviews with its people, Cambodian shadow puppetry, and featuring a rare interview with "Strongman Prime Minister" Hun Sen.
“Intimate, deeply human.” — Washington Post
“Absolutely harrowing” — New York Times (A Times Critics’ Pick)
4 stars ★★★★ “A riveting and illuminating documentary…weaves a historical and psychological tapestry.” — Seattle Times
“Angkor Awakens… has undeniable power.”— Los Angeles Times
“A compelling portrait of a traumatized nation” — San Francisco Chronicle
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“Cambodia’s recovery comes to light…Illuminating and often affecting.” — San Francisco Examiner
“A chilling, tearful, and hopeful survey of a nation.” — NW Asian Weekly
“Breathtaking glimpses of Cambodia’s rolling rice fields, forests, shorelines, temples and palaces.” — Cambodia Daily
“Four years in the making… is an ambitious study of Cambodian politics as it operates within the collective psyche, spread across generations. For all its exploration of the darkness, Angkor Awakens is not a tragic film. — Phnom Penh Post
“They Call It Myanmar”
New York Times Critics’ Pick
Selected by Roger Ebert as one of top dozen films of 2012
90-minute documentary
Selected by Roger Ebert as one of the top dozen documentary films of 2012.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times (named it one of top documentaries of 2012) - “‘They Call It Myanmar’ is a thing of beauty… its cinematography, music and contemplative words make it… a hymn to a land that has grown out of the oldest cultures in Asia. The film has taken on an unexpected buzz.”
The Hollywood Reporter - “Defies the odds… delivers a compelling portrait… dwells with you… The definitive film on a country… A notable and often heartbreaking documentary.”
Critics’ Pick: New York Times - “The result is eye-opening and insightful.”
San Francisco Examiner - “Robert H. Lieberman's exceptional, truthful and exciting documentary… a documentary with all the virtues of a great feature film… He has succeeded brilliantly.”
BBC World News - “The striking beauty of the country; the people; the decayed infrastructure; the extreme poverty; archival footage; an interview with pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi; Robert H. Lieberman has put together a collage of voices, sounds and images. A labor of love.”
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Associated Press - “Pries the lid off daily life in what has long been one of world's most isolated and repressed places… absorbs the country's charms and cruelties and spills them out with disarming curiosity.”
Time Out Beijing, China - "A powerful work… inspiring.”
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“Last Stop Kew Gardens”
Produced and directed
60-minute documentary
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New York Times - “Rapt audience!”
New York Newsday - “Glowing memories”
Times Square Gossip.com - “An engrossing journey”
“Green Lights”
Wrote and directed comedy/drama feature
35mm color, 95 minutes
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Variety - “In making ‘Green Lights,’ debut helmer Robert H. Lieberman achieves spectacularly funny results by substituting warmth, wonder and merriment for the oppressive cynicism inherent in the Hollywood insider comedy. Pic understands why audiences love movies, and shares that awestruck sentiment without being naive. Though it lacks big stars, a whiz-kid director or a particularly high concept, in a just world this delightful romp would meet with the same word-of-mouth success as the low-key ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’… A delightful romp.”
Providence Journal - “Of all the films at this year's Rhode Island International Film Festival, Robert Lieberman's funny Green Lights is nearest to my heart. Green Lights is sweet and innocent, a modern-day Music Man. The cast is solid. For a small-budget film, Green Lights stands above some of the bigger-budget comedies recently out of Hollywood.”
Amy Taubin, Film Comment Magazine - “A big-hearted spin on an overworked genre, Robert Lieberman's delectable comedy is the best advertisement for regional filmmaking. The narrative is filled with small surprises and Capra-worthy twists. John Fitzgibbon's manic-depressive performance is scarily recognizable to anyone the least bit familiar with the movie biz, and the supporting actors, many of them Ithaca citizens playing themselves, are rough, ready, and altogether delightful. Co-producer and cinematographer Slawomir Grunberg's energetic lensing is another plus.”
Village Voice - “A flipside to Mamet’s snotty State and Main, this wonderful film-within-a-film sports a winning turn by John FitzGibbon.
Sarasota Herald-Tribune - “This is about as charming a home-grown movie as you're ever likely to see. Subplots abound.”
Santa Cruz, California, Goodtimes Gazette - “Smashing fun and insightful… all the feel, panache, and talent of a studio-financed film… A very strong cast of actors. The script is sharp, witty, original and refreshing… A delightful romp.”
“BoyceBall”
Produced and directed by Robert H. Lieberman
This documentary follows choreographer Larry Brantley with the dancers from the Ithaca Ballet as they create and rehearse a new choreographic work. The film takes the viewer from the ballet’s early conception to its final workshop performance.
Based on the theme of baseball, this comedic piece is set to the music of William Boyce.
Video Rating Guide - “Entertaining, informative and funny. Four stars.”