In the warm, funny and enormously entertaining doc Asperger's Are Us, four friends with Asperger's Syndrome, namely, Noah Britton, Ethan Finlan, "New Michael" Ingemi, and Jack Hanke, come together to form a comedy troupe called Asperger's Are Us. Director Alexandre Lehmann includes footage of them preparing for their show and also footage that allows you to get to know each one of them and even their family members. The more you spend time with them, the more you realize how witty, smart, talented and big-hearted these individuals are. It's quite inspiring and moving to learn that they managed to triumph over their struggles with Asperger's through comedy. Lehmann does a great job of putting a human face on a mental disorder. Don't be surprised if you'll be able to relate to Noah, Ethan, "New Michael," and Jack because they, like all human beings, have dreams, feelings, hopes and a desire to connect with other human beings. Asperger's Are Us, which opens at Village East Cinema before streaming on Netflix later this year, would make a great double feature with the equally moving and captivating doc Life, Animated. The Anthropologist is not like any of the previous docs about climate change that you've seen because it's not dry nor does it bombard you with information or statistics that try to scare you. Directors Daniel A. Miller, Jeremy Newberger and Seth Kramer follow Susie Crate, an anthropologist, as she travels with her teenage daughter, Katie, to indigenous communities around the world to study the effects of climate change. The mother-daughter team is compared to the mother-daughter team of anthropologist Margeret Meade and her daughter, Mary Catherine Bateson. As they travel from one location to another, Susie and Katie witness first-hand and, most importantly, document the negative impact of climate change on the environment, and how it affects the people's day-to-day lives. Images, after all, speak louder than words. Between those scenes, there are interviews with Margaret Meade's daughter who adds plenty of her own kernels of wisdom as she recalls travelling with her mother. Given the fact that The Anthropologist includes the experiences of a teenager who studies the effects climate change with her mother, it might serve as a cataylist for other teenagers to at least consider to follow in Katie's footsteps and to help to make a difference in the world. Or perhaps a mother or father will see this doc and consider to take their son or daughter along with them for an expedition. It's one of the most easily accessible, engaging and inspiring docs about climate change for everyone, young and old. Argot Pictures opens The Anthropoligist at Cinema Village.

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Almost Christmas
Directed by David E. Talbert