Social & External
The people behind it
Albertina Gasparoni
The 1905 law proclaiming the separation of church and state is 120 years old. This law affirms freedom of conscience and religious freedom. It is considered the founding text of secularism. Secularism is the subject of endless controversy and debate.
Between playing, colouring in and singing, children in a Paris primary school learn about the impact of political decisions on their everyday lives and their future. The documentary sheds light on the future of the education system.
On October 4, 2018, France celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Fifth Republic. It is a republic born in the throes of the Algerian War and one which—from the day it was founded by General de Gaulle until the presidency of a very Jupiterian Emmanuel Macron—has been assailed as a “Republican monarchy” by partisans of a more assertive parliamentarian state. By revisiting the struggle of those who dared oppose the new regime — only to suffer a crushing defeat on September 28, 1958, when they were barely able to garner 20% of the vote against the constitutional text — this film shines a powerful new light on the origins of the Fifth Republic and its consequences for the next 60 years. It is a constitutional debate that planted the seeds for a complete upheaval of the French political landscape, on the left in particular, and set the country in motion toward what would be called the Union of the Left.
Historically, republics have gone through distinct stages of development, eventually ending in moral and economic collapse. Tyranny inevitably follows the collapse of democratic systems. Is that happening to America? Are we nearing the end of our greatness, or is there hope for renewal of the foundational principles that made that greatness possible? Our founding fathers intended religion and morality to be pillars of the new republic, providing the restraint that would allow maximum liberty for the citizenry. Today, this delicate balance of religion and state has been eroded by a secularist push to isolate Christianity in our culture and render it irrelevant. The choice in our day is a stark one: As a people we either return to our Christian roots - or we divorce God altogether. Returning to the principles established by our founders in the way to restore moral sanity and rebuild the foundations that made our nation great.
This iconic statue was a gift from France to the new-born American Republic and was the first crowd-funded monument of all time. A symbol of emancipation and freedom, which took two decades to be completed. The film features original 3D virtual reconstitutions of Auguste Bartholdi’s Atelier in Paris and travels back in time to bring viewers at the heart of the Statue’s original construction, revealing the founding ideals of our democracies.
Danton and Robespierre were close friends and fought together in the French Revolution, but by 1793 Robespierre was France's ruler, determined to wipe out opposition with a series of mass executions that became known as the Reign of Terror. Danton, well known as a spokesman of the people, had been living in relative solitude in the French countryside, but he returned to Paris to challenge Robespierre's violent rule and call for the people to demand their rights. Robespierre, however, could not accept such a challenge, even from a friend and colleague, and he blocked out a plan for the capture and execution of Danton and his allies.
A history of the French Revolution beginning from the decision of the king to convene the Etats-Generaux in 1789 in order to deal with France's debt problem. Part one spans the event until August 10, 1792 (when the King Louis XVI lost all authority and was imprisoned). Part two carries the story through the end of the terror in 1794.
A biopic of former Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, tracing the Corsican's career from his schooldays (where a snowball fight is staged like a military campaign) to his flight from Corsica, through the French Revolution (where a real storm is intercut with a political storm) and the Terror, culminating in his triumphant 1797 invasion of Italy.
A team of professional opera performers and singers travel to Marks, MS to expose middle school students to the arts.
Serap Sherpa, an accomplished mountain guide from Nepal, now drives a cab in New York City and gets lost in his memories of the mountains.
A short but educational documentary about a young sculptor who decides to build a cute mini-pig from his troublesome domestic cat. What can modern science and technology do? What kind of tools are needed for a cat-to-pig builder at home? Where are the limits of ethics? What about aesthetics?
A father with no filmmaking experience documents his son's life with autism and the aftermath of an unexpected health scare. A quirky, homemade look at daily life that might catch you by surprise.
1928-29 Irish Cup Semi-Final action between Ballymena and Coleraine, from Belfast's Windsor Park.
Short film about performance, realized when Nam June Paik participated in Karlheinz Stockhausen's piece "Originale" in Cologne in 1961.
Tells the story of several Vietnamese children who were injured in the Vietnam War and were brought by the Children's aid organization Terre des Hommes to Germany for better care. In 1974, some of them had to return to Vietnam and were faced with the challenge of getting used to the life in their home country again.
It shows the participation of Salvadoran women in the revolutionary struggle, through different functions they perform, from armed combatants to leaders.
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all way to the Vatican.
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.
Naples, Trajan's district. Initially it was intended for the inhabitants of the shantytowns on the seafront of Naples, who were homeless after the war. But it soon became a kind of ghetto. Alessandro and Pietro are two teenagers who film with an iPhone to tell their difficult neighborhood, their daily life, the friendship that binds them.
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.
A documentary chronicling Queen and Lambert's incredible journey since they first shared the stage together on "American Idol" in 2009.
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
From his days of testifying at the Watergate hearings to advising recent presidential candidate Donald Trump, Roger Stone has long offended people on both sides of the political fence as a force in conservative America. Outspoken author, pundit, ahead of his time election strategist, this is his story.
The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.
A road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media's misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents.
Go behind the scenes with stars, puppeteers and creators as they bring Jim Henson's magical world of Thra back to life in a sweeping fantasy series.
A tribute to Chadwick Boseman, celebrating his life and legacy.
A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.
The life of a dying young man at the short age of only forty-one after playing the lead in Il postino. He was a brilliant stage actor before becoming an astonishing film director.
The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.
A 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.