Fernando Pessoa

The documentary about the life of Fernando Pessoa, defended by journalist Clara Ferreira Alves, underlines how, in just 30 years, Fernando Pessoa built an immense body of work, of astonishing quality and all of this while being nothing more than an anonymous office worker all his life.

Peter Lorre: The Master of Menace

Documentary overview of Peter Lorre's ascension to fame as a master purveyor of silky but disquieting peril.

Echo of the Mountain

Echo of the Mountain takes a look at the life and work of Santos de la Torre, a great Huichol artist who, like his people, lives in oblivion. Despite having made a great mural for the metro station Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre, Santos lives isolated and ignored in his country. This documentary follows his pilgrimage to Wirikuta, where he asks gods for permission to make a new mural; his journey across 385 miles of the Peyote Route, and Santos's creative process during the making of a new mural which aims to illustrate the history, mythology and religious traditions of the Huichol people.

WANG HONG WEI: CHINESE INDIE FILM

The player of Jia Zhangke's early film "Xiao Wu" and the famous independent film activist Wang Hongwei talked about Chinese independent films at the IFF Independent Film Forum.

Swallowtail Butterfly

‘Body’ is an object we are all familiar with. For British sculptor Anthony Gormley, it is a medium for expressing thoughts about space, while for young female artist Wang Ying, it is a potential vehicle for expressing emotions. This documentary uses a split-screen method to create a three-dimensional space like a "body". It not only explores the artistic concept and development of Wang Ying, a female artist born in the 1990s who studied in the UK but also completed it on this basis. The documentary creator (me) thinks about her and her body, from'meeting','seeing' to'existence'

Still Life

In the dream I had one early morning in 2014, I was sitting in the backseat of a car. The driver suddenly turned to look at me and said: Why aren’t you filming? It was my second elder sister who had already passed away. After her death, I began to keep a diary and take pictures. When I got a video camera, I began to film the daily life of my family. I filmed out of the fear of death and loss. The idea was to capture everything on film before it disappeared. 2015 was the 20th anniversary of my sister’s death. That dream seemed to tell me to face her death. Death did not stop the passing of time, and the family members I was filming continued to avoid their grief which hadn’t subsided with time. Birth and death continue to alternate in our lives, and we are always getting ready for the day when we must say goodbye.

News Feed on My...

I just watch the news of war in a distant country on my mobile. My fingers go back day by day to the day the war broke out and pose to see comments posted on the Facebook News Feed that I follow. Outside, I have friends who participated in anti-war rallies.

Talking Unknown, Ending Unknown: Li Hongqi And His Cinema World

In this talk, Li Hongqi reviewed his transition from fine art to cinema, and his aesthetic and philosophical exploration from his early 'So Much Rice' to recent 'The The'. Dir. Li Hongqi also shared his strong anxiety of his existence(born with melancholia), his thought on cinema art (actually, I don't think there's any movie worth making), his epistemology, his religious view, his consideration on contemporary cinema, and what he learned about living in seclusion.

Walk in the Dark

Bao, a blind woman, sings every day on the streets of Peking to make a living. She is caught up in an endless lawsuit in the hope of having some money reimbursed while doing her best to rear Ming Ming, her mentally ill daughter. After a car accident, and to her mother's great despair, Ming Ming decides to drop out of school and become a street artist. History seems to repeat itself.

Que mi nombre no se borre de la historia

Under the Libertarian Sign

Bajo el signo libertario is a propaganda documentary, with the script and direction of Les (known for his articles in Solidaridad Obrera and the magazine Espectáculo) whose central theme is the reconstruction of the development of life in a libertarian community in the Aragonese town of Pina de Ebro.

Ram

This investigative documentary gives a comprehensive record of the development of China's "August 3 Crackdown on Mafia" campaign. Li Xiaoming, the main character of the film, escapes from the incident and goes through many ups and downs. The film explores that period from a personal point of view, slowly revealing the untold story of that period.

Canine

A family in rural area of West Java, Indonesia enjoys their time with 'Ngadu Bagong', a sundanese traditional game where dogs put to fight against a wild boar in a single event. Ngadu Bagong has always been some sort of animal abuse but it's been in the tradition for a long time. Ade Rohmat has been in the game for a long time; a hobby that he now passes on to his daughter, Ilma Nurjanah. The potentially controversial Ngadu Bagong has always brought intense emotion, prestige, and fortune upon its practicioners.

Happy on the Ground: 8 Days at Grammy Camp

Talented teen musicians from around the USA spend a week working with Grammy nominated professionals

Cuenca

A medium-length documentary commissioned by the Cuenca City Council. The documentary shows an honest, sincere, although sometimes mere tourist portrait, of the lands of Cuenca and its people, without artifice or imposture, with feeling and authenticity and at the same time with marked coldness.

Zombies: When the Dead Walk

Zombies are part of pop culture, but what are they? Where do they come from? To find real zombies we visit Haiti where Zombies are an integral part of the island's cultural and religious roots.

Hoxsey: When Healing Becomes a Crime

In the 1920s, former coal miner Harry Hoxsey claimed to have an herbal cure for cancer. Although scoffed at and ultimately banned by the medical establishment, by the 1950s, Hoxsey's formula had been used to treat thousands of patients, who testified to its efficacy. Was Hoxsey's recipe the work of a snake-oil charlatan or a legitimate treatment? Ken Ausubel directs this keen look into the forces that shape the policies of organized medicine.

Björk: Minuscule

This documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at Björk and her touring entourage for the 2001 Vespertine tour. It includes interviews with harpist Zeena Parkins, the Inuit choir from Greenland, electronic duo Matmos, and an ongoing conversation with Björk herself about her recordings and her tours. The documentary is interspersed with live footage of songs from the tour shot by Ragnheidur Gestsdóttir, which themselves correspond to the performances chosen for the Vespertine Live album.

The Lovable Beetle

Documentary about the VW Beetle and its origins.

The Marines

For longer than the United States has been an independent nation, there has been a Marine Corps. They consider themselves the very best America has to offer. Embodying fierce patriotism, extraordinary courage, and innovative weapons, they are a force. This documentary focuses on their training and examines what it means to be a Marine.

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me

From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.

McQueen

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.

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library

A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.

The Class of ‘92

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.

To Kill a Tiger

Ranjit, a farmer in India, takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. His decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented.

Come See Me in the Good Light

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.

My Mom Jayne

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.

Directed by John Ford

A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.

Naqoyqatsi

A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

Fuck

A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.

Dawg Fight

In a crime-plagued neighborhood near Miami, brutal, bare-knuckled backyard fights give young men a chance to earn money -- and self-respect.

A Decade Under the Influence

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.

Capital in the Twenty-First Century

Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.

28 Up

Just two years away from turning 30, participants in Michael Apted's documentary series are facing serious questions of identity and purpose, wondering whether they've found their place in the world.

Roman Polanski: A Film Memoir

An interview with film director Roman Polanski conducted during his period of house arrest, discussing his life and work.

The Curse of the Dragon

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.

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me

After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.

35 Up

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.

Drew: The Man Behind the Poster

A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.

The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button

A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.