THE SMALL SCREEN
New movies to stream this week:
“Future People: The Family of Donor 5114”: In 1996, an anonymous sperm donor registered with California Cryobank, resulting in many more offspring than the typical 12 to 15. At last count, the biological children of Donor 5114 — who found one another via social media, and who were the subject of a 2019 photo essay in The New York Times — numbered 37. Several of those half-siblings are featured in this warm and intriguing documentary, filmed over eight years, that gently grapples with questions about the meaning of family, the nature of identity and biology as destiny. Not rated. Available on Discovery+. Contains brief nudity and images of childbirth. 1 hour, 38 minutes.
“Awaken”: Executive produced by Godfrey Reggio (“Koyaanisqatsi”) and Terrence Malick (“The Tree of Life”) and narrated by Liv Tyler, “Awaken” is an immersive documentary celebrating humanity’s relationship with technology and nature. Not rated. Available on all major on-demand platforms. 75 minutes.
“Slalom”: The story of a 15-year-old ski prodigy (Noée Abita) who is drawn into an exploitative sexual relationship with her older male coach. The Hollywood Reporter calls the French drama “an engrossingly subjective account of ambivalence and abuse, with the entire narrative filtered through the anxious gaze of its star athlete.” Not rated. Available at afisilver.afi.com. In French, with subtitles. 1 hour, 32 minutes.
“The Mali-Cuba Connection”:
A music documentary about a collaboration between musicians from Mali and Africa. Not rated. Available at afisilver.afi.com. In Spanish and French, with subtitles. 1 hour, 21 minutes.
“Sam & Mattie Make a Zombie Movie”:
This documentary follows the more-than-10-year odyssey of two best friends with Down syndrome to make a movie called “Zombie Spring Break Massacre.” Not rated. Available on Apple TV+. 1 hour, 47 minutes.
“We Don’t Deserve Dogs”: Australian-born, Brooklyn-based filmmakers Matthew Salleh and Rose Tucker travel the globe to show how dogs influence our daily lives. Slash Film writes: “These dogs are just magnificent, and that’s coming from someone who is much more of a cat person. They will bring both tears of incredible joy and unbelievable sadness to your eyes.” Not rated. Visit wedontdeservedogs.com for information on rental and purchase options. 1 hour, 24 minutes.
“Assault on VA-33”: While visiting a VA hospital, a hard-boiled military veteran (Sean Patrick Flanery) finds himself inadvertently facing off against a Russian terrorist — played by Nicolas Cage’s son, Weston Cage Coppola. Movie Nation calls it what it exactly sounds like: “a ‘Die Hard’ in a VA Hospital shoot-em-up.” R. Available on various streaming platforms. Contains violence and strong language. 1 hour, 29 minutes. “Malni: Towards the Ocean, Towards the Shore”: The experimental debut feature of filmmaker Sky Hopinka raises probing questions about humanity’s place on Earth and other worlds. The New York Times calls the ethereal work “an essential portrait of contemporary Indigenous life.” Not rated. Available at afisilver.afi.com. In English and Chinuk Wawa, with subtitles. 1 hour, 20 minutes.