Social & External
The people behind it
Jean-Pierre Kalfon
Narratteur
On 22 June 1941, the German Wehrmacht launched a war of aggression against the Soviet Union. Under the code name ‘Operation Barbarossa’, the campaign aimed to bring the vast country in the east to its knees. Millions of people died as a result.
Matera, 1943. Partisan Nichi has been wounded and is returning to her brigade's hideout, but her true concerns are focused on the fate of her husband, a prisoner of the German army. When she arrives at the hideout, however, she finds no one there except a young courier accompanied by a civilian woman who urgently needs to be escorted out of the city by nightfall.
Taiwan's most glamorous screen couple, Ko Chun-Hsiung and Chang Mei-Yao, co-star in "Fallen Petals", a romance with the unique setting of Taiwan during World War II, when the island was a colony of Japan. Ko is drafted into the Japanese army and forced to leave his pregnant girlfriend behind. When he is presumably killed in action, Chang becomes a cabaret girl to support their baby. Thanks to director Pan Lei's sensitive scenario, the dramatic outcome is far from predictable.
An independent feature documentary about the over 23 million Americans living in long-term recovery from alcohol and other drug addictions.
An experimental narrative about machismo in the Northeast of Brazil.
Stand takes viewers on a journey through the waters of British Columbia's west coast. Under threat by the proposed Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline and tanker route is a coastline of immense beauty, pristine ecosystems, and a way of life rich in culture and history. Through the efforts of expedition stand-up paddler Norm Hann, an aboriginal high school class building their own stand-up paddleboards as a form of protest, and the powerful surfing of iconic west coast native Raph Bruhwiler, the diversity of people, landscape and wildlife that would be affected by an oil spill is articulated. Stand takes you to the core of the issue and unfurls the soul of B.C.'s west coast one paddle stroke at a time.
The film is a portrait of Yorgos Tzinoudis, a painter of pop art. We begin at his car and go on to the covers of Soul magazine, his refrigerator, his paintings... A restless spirit, he tries to capture in his paintings human alienation and oppression, the stress of the city which none of us are immune to. His paintings are “weird”; skulls and cockroaches, but also a playing card are his favourite themes, through which he satirizes reality in an allusive way. The film follows him at work, at the Wine Museum at the Gerovassiliou vineyard, at his house/studio, or as he wanders around the city. His friends and colleagues talk about him, until finally we let him take off again, far from Thessaloniki, on new journeys of the mind and soul. (The film is an episode of the documentary series Portraits of Tomorrow.)
Naomi Kawase's documentary about Nishii Kazuo, a photo critic. He is the last chief editor for the Camera Mainichi magazine, rushing through his time with Araki Nobuyoshi and Moriyama Daido as provocative artists in the photograph world.
Eight portraits, eight dreams, eight escapes
It all began on a couch. He watched her undress and they made love for the first time.
The film is a portrait of Yorgos Tzinoudis, a painter of pop art. We begin at his car and go on to the covers of Soul magazine, his refrigerator, his paintings... A restless spirit, he tries to capture in his paintings human alienation and oppression, the stress of the city which none of us are immune to. His paintings are “weird”; skulls and cockroaches, but also a playing card are his favourite themes, through which he satirizes reality in an allusive way. The film follows him at work, at the Wine Museum at the Gerovassiliou vineyard, at his house/studio, or as he wanders around the city. His friends and colleagues talk about him, until finally we let him take off again, far from Thessaloniki, on new journeys of the mind and soul.
You've never heard of Jonathan Hoefler or Tobias Frere-Jones but you've seen their work. They run the most successful and respected type design studio in the world, making fonts used by the Wall Street Journal to the President of the United States.
A Russian boy gets a heart transplant in Italy. A lot of people were by his side on his long journey full of hardships, except for his mother.
Merging the subjective and the objective, the autobiographical and the anthropological, The Laughing Alligator is a highly personal observation of an indigenous South American culture. Recorded while he and his family were living among the Yanomami of Venezuela, this compelling work distills Downey's search for his own cultural identity and heritage through the encounter between the Western family and the so-called "primitive" tribe. Challenging the anthropological view of the Yanomami as violent cannibals, Downey focuses on the tribe's myths, rituals and ceremonies, documenting funerary rites in which tribal members eat the pulverized ashes of their dead to insure their immortality. Subverting conventional modes of ethnographic documentary, Downey participates as an active presence, "shooting" with his video camera as a means of creating an interactive dialogue between artist and subject and addressing his own "yearning for a purer existence."
In 1979 and 1980, workers in São Paulo’s metallurgical industry organized a series of strikes that changed the face of union politics in Brazil. In the process, they established the groundwork for Brazil’s Worker’s Party and brought to the national spotlight union leader Luís Inácio Lula da Silva. Metalworkers is a feature-length documentary about the stories of 21 of these workers who took part in these historic strikes but remain in relative anonymity today.
A video piece documenting the reenactment of the John F. Kennedy assassination in Dealey Plaza in a collaboration between two San Francisco-based artist collectives: T.R. Uthco (Diane Andrews Hall, Doug Hall, Jody Procter) and Ant Farm (Chip Lord, Doug Michels, Curtis Schreier). The artists taking on the roles of Kennedy, Jackie, and others rehearsed extensively to ensure verisimilitude, and when they performed the reenactment, it was executed with a striking attention to detail. While part of the video shows the artists playing on America's obsession with the media (T. R. Uthco's Jody Procter in his role as a secret service agent tells a camera, "We've always been worried about Dallas--it's a rough city, a gun city"), ultimately the video shows that the sacred images of the assassination cannot be mocked. This piece can be seen as a commentary on the pervasive media culture in America, as it explores how the Kennedy assassination itself became a new type of media event.
A nonfiction fairytale about love, death, art and the letting go.
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
World War II. Not all warriors wore uniforms. Not all warriors were men. Meet ninety-year-old Colette Catherine who, as a young girl, fought the Nazis as a member of the French Resistance. Now she’s about to re-open old wounds, re-visting the terrors of that time. Some nightmares are too terrible to remember. But also, too dangerous to forget.
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
The film is based on interviews with 2,000 women from 50 countries, and covers the status of women all over the world. The topics covered include forced marriages, sexual assault, female genital mutilation, acid attacks, motherhood, sexuality, menstruation, education and the professional success of women.
In a crime-plagued neighborhood near Miami, brutal, bare-knuckled backyard fights give young men a chance to earn money -- and self-respect.
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.
The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.
Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
With unprecedented access to the official archives and intimate recollections from the band, both current and past, Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition invites fans to experience one of the most iconic journeys in music history. Spanning five decades, this electrifying documentary charts the band’s rise from the pubs of East London to the world’s biggest stadiums. Featuring exclusive interviews with band members and contributors such as Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, as well as all-new animated sequences of the band's legendary mascot, Eddie, the film offers a rare and intimate look at Iron Maiden’s uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their truly global army of fans.
This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.
Behind-the-scenes documentary about how Lionel Messi succeeded in lifting the World Cup – the only trophy to have eluded him in an incredible career.
A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.
Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity
Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.
Prelude to War was the first film of Frank Capra's Why We Fight propaganda film series, commissioned by the Pentagon and George C. Marshall. It was made to convince American troops of the necessity of combating the Axis Powers during World War II. This film examines the differences between democratic and fascist states.
Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time.
