Albert Maysles

CHICAGO – Self-distributing an intimate, character-driven documentary may seem as daunting a task as bending a penny with your fingers. And yet, first-time feature director Zachary Levy is up to challenge (the former of the two, of course). His 2009 documentary, “Strongman” played to great acclaim at festivals, and is set to kick off a return engagement at the Facets Cinémathèque starting May 11.

CHICAGO – If the 1969 U.S. tour of The Rolling Stones had gone smoothly, David Maysles, Albert Maysles and Charlotte Zwerin’s “Gimme Shelter” would still be one of the best music documentaries ever made. Of course, as everyone who knows anything about music or pop culture history knows, the tour did not go smoothly, ending in the infamous concert at Altamont Speedway that’s often pointed to as the end of the era of love.