This is the remarkable story of an American icon who changed the sport of big wave surfing forever. Transcending the surf genre, this in-depth portrait of a hard-charging athlete explores the fear, courage and ambition that push a man to greatness—and the cost that comes with it.
Bluefin is a tale of epic stakes set in “the tuna capital of the world.” In North Lake, Prince Edward Island, filmmaker John Hopkins tries to shed light on a baffling mystery: normally wary bluefin tuna no longer fear humans, and no one is quite sure why. Astonished Island fishermen and scientists offer conflicting explanations for the bluefin’s puzzling behaviour. One thing is certain: this great resurgence of gigantic tuna flies in the face of scientific assessments claiming that endangered stocks are down by 90 percent.
At 16 he became the leader of the Chicago Area Skinheads, later a white supremacist punk band. But when Christian Picciolini started a family, he began questioning his far right views. This timely doc explores a changing Western political climate, chronicling the rise of the far right in the US and Europe, and giving alarming insights into the ways the alt-right movement operates.
Nine struggling students from across the United States have chosen Eagle Rock School as their best hope for graduating high school. Their first course: a twenty-four day backpacking trip across the Colorado wilderness. Will they learn to live and work as a team in order to pursue this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?
Portrait of the Catalan chef Albert Adrià, brother of the world-renowned chef Ferran Adrià, an emerging figure in the world of Spanish haute cuisine, with his own voice, far from the shadow of his brother.
Immersed in the colorful and vibrant setting of Dharamsala (India), four individuals from very different backgrounds come together to face their deepest fears as they approach the transformational power of the Kalachakra initiation, led by the Dalai Lama. Through this film, we enter and discover an ancient yet unknown dimension where death meets life, a dimension that changes someone forever.
As a young father, watching his daughter go through her life experiences, film director Alexandre Mourot discovered the Montessori approach and decided to set his camera up in a children's house (3 to 6 years of age) in the oldest Montessori school in France. Alexandre was warmly welcomed in a surprisingly calm and peaceful environment, filled with flowers, fruits and Montessori materials. He met happy children, who were free to move about, working alone or in small groups. The teacher remained very discreet. Some children were reading, others were making bread, doing division, laughing or sleeping. The children guided the film director throughout the whole school year, helping him to understand the magic of their autonomy and self-esteem - the seeds of a new society of peace and freedom, which Maria Montessori dedicated her life work to.
Angdu is no ordinary boy. Indeed, in a past life he was a venerated Buddhist master. His village already treats him like a saint as a result. The village doctor, who has taken the boy under his wing, prepares him to be able to pass on his wisdom. Alas, Tibet, Angdu’s former homeland and the centre of his faith, lies far away from his current home in the highlands of Northern India. On top of that, the conflict between China and Tibet makes the prospect of a trip there even more daunting. Undeterred by these harsh facts, the duo set off for their destination on foot, accompanied by questions of friendship and the nature of life. With its narrative approach steeped in a serene sense of concentration, this documentary film, composed over a period of eight years, stands as a fundamental experience in its own right.
Trees talk, know family ties and care for their young? Is this too fantastic to be true? German forester Peter Wohlleben and scientist Suzanne Simard have been observing and investigating the communication between trees over decades. And their findings are most astounding.
Winnipeg actor Harry Nelken talks to the audience about his life and career. With grace and humour, he gently regales us with stories about his family, his stage work, his Jewish heritage, and challenges he faced playing Shylock in The Merchant of Venice.
"Forgotten people" can be found all across the world. They are typically women and children who have very little and live at the edge of life and death. They are people who may never themselves escape poverty, but with some help may give their children a future free from the harsh circumstances they have always known.
Tells in parallel, the story of two Mexican brothers that want to go back to the United States after being deported for life, and the story of an American woman who lost her house and today believes she can get it back through Trump’s promises. Their journeys take them on road trips to meet with their past and with relatives who they believe can help them achieve their dreams. Immigration has been shown in many ways, but it has never been presented through the lives of Mexicans and Americans who live similar situations due to poverty and lack of family structure. To achieve a dream you first need to know the name of the dream.
Canadian icon Shane Koyczan has brought his spoken word poetry to stages all over the world, including TED Talks that have gone viral and the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. This documentary, both an introduction to his poetry and an exploration of his relationships with those around him, highlights his journey of seeking reconciliation with his father who abandoned him at an early age, and how in order to accomplish this, Koyczan has to rely on his poetry's vulnerability like never before.
A visual artist and a musician create a series of works in which paintings and musical scores form cohesive pieces intended to be experienced together. The works interpret the excitement and monotony of life in the urban desert sprawl from the diverse perspectives of the native and the newcomer.
Many are aware of the heinous crimes against civilizational heritage in the Middle East committed by ISIS. But do people know that this kind of terror is happening in the very heart of Europe? Over 150 Christian churches and monasteries have been destroyed in Serbia's province of Kosovo since 1999. 4 monasteries are part of UNESCO's List of World Heritage in Danger.
Utilizing survivor interviews, re-enactments, and police body cameras, this documentary examines the Orlando Night Club shooting, one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.
Awed and Attracted. He is one of the most aggressive and talented freeskiers of our age. Born and raised in the BC backcountry, with a bloodline alive with adventure and a style carved from the landscape itself, Kye Petersen is about to blow the doors off of big mountain skiing. Fearful yet Fascinated. Numinous explores the relationships and connections with the natural world that are necessary to safely dance with mountain faces covered in snow. Tuning out and tuning in. Shot exclusively in British Columbia, Numinous follows Kye and a cadre of fellow snow-sliders into the heart of the some of the most aesthetic and demanding landscapes around.
Overwhelmed but Ultimately Inspired.
A revolution is taking place in the art world and it isn’t happening in Paris, Berlin or Hong Kong—but in Grand Rapids, Michigan. ArtPrize is the most highly attended art show in the world, and it awards cash prizes larger than all other competitions combined. International critics and general crowds pack bars, galleries and abandoned buildings all over town, taking in over 1,500 works from cerebral conceptualists and weekend hobbyists. An acclaimed jury awards a winner $200,000 and the ballot-carrying public does the same. Nimble cameras follow four artists, each vying not only for critical recognition but for every public vote they can drum up. Part classy game show, part engaging art exploration, More Art Upstairs captures the debates ArtPrize has intentionally (or inadvertently?) triggered: Can culture be democratized? Do artists need or want to connect with audiences? And is the canonical art establishment on its way out? (Myrocia Watamaniuk)