Social & External
The people behind it
Patrick Winczewski
Sprecher
A documentary produced in 1979 to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Albert Einstein. Narrated and hosted by Peter Ustinov and written by Nigel Calder.
Structural study of a tree. Light, water and air coax it out of the soil in a manner foregrounding time’s relativity to different forms of life on Earth. Made the day my brother got his fork-lift license.
An educational physics film utilizing a fascinating set consisting of a rotating table and furniture occupying surprisingly unpredictable spots within the viewing area, Leacock’s Frames of Reference (1960), features fine cinematography by Abraham Morochnik, and funny narration by University of Toronto professors Donald Ivey and Patterson Hume, in a wonderful example of the fun a creative team of filmmakers can have with a subject other, less imaginative types might find pedestrian.
Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity has revolutionised our understanding of gravity, space and time. Initially acclaimed, then forgotten, and now rediscovered, the adventure of this hundred-year-old theory has marked the scientific history of the 20th century. From its inception, a mathematical difficulty arose that could have nipped the theory in the bud: the Schwarzschild singularity. In the company of great international relativistic physicists, the viewer embarks on a discovery of this theory with a singular destiny. We discover a "curved" universe that proves to be even stranger than Einstein had envisioned, and harbours some objects - such as black holes - that still challenge today's scientists.
Prof. Jim Al-Khalili tackles the biggest subject of all, the universe. Through a series of critical observations and experiments that revolutionised our understanding of our world Jim guides us through the greatest cosmic detective story of all. He takes us from the beginning of the universe to the end time and answers the question: where did the universe come from and how will it end?
Four 1950s icons meet in the same hotel room, and two of them discover more in common between them than they ever anticipated.
"The Observer's Testimony" is an intense psychological video art piece fundamentally based on Slavoj Žižek's philosophical concept of Parallax. The work utilizes a split-screen format to simultaneously present the transformation of the same clay bust into two contradictory psychological realities: The Left Screen depicts the Hunter's (The Accuser's) hardening into a cold judgment and moral decay, conceptually justified by Murat Kaplan's facial analysis; while the Right Screen reflects the Victim's (The Innocent's) dissolution into helplessness, fear, and ultimate surrender. This organic yet unnatural transformation of the busts places the viewer in the irreducible gap between two contradictory testimonies. The core goal of the work is to demonstrate the impossibility of objective truth by proving that reality is entirely dependent on the observer's subjective point of view.
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.
Delfor Vargas, son of one of the photographers, protagonists of this film, introduces us to the artistic world of the famous Arequipa photographers of the 20th century: the Vargas brothers.
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.
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 documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
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.
Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.
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.
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
A documentary about the making of season five of the acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad.
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.
A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon as he takes his live podcast on a national tour.
A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.
The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother and her beloved dog.
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.
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
In one single, epic camera move we journey from Earth's surface to the outermost reaches of the universe on a grand tour of the cosmos, to explore newborn stars, distant planets, black holes and beyond.