Set against the turbulent atmosphere of the 1960s, Tropicália is a feature length documentary exploring the Brazilian artistic movement known as Tropicália, and the struggle its artists endured to protect their right to freely express revolutionary thought against the traditional Brazilian music of that time.
In India, China and many other parts of the world today, girls are killed, aborted and abandoned simply because they are girls. The United Nations estimates as many as 200 million girls are missing in the world today because of this so-called “gendercide”. The film tells the stories of abandoned and trafficked girls, of women who suffer extreme dowry-related violence, of brave mothers fighting to save their daughters’ lives, and of other mothers who would kill for a son. Global experts and grassroots activists put the stories in context and advocate different paths towards change, while collectively lamenting the lack of any truly effective action against this injustice.
Red Bull Media House, in association with Poor Boyz Productions, is proud to release the official trailer for WE: A Collection of Individuals. WE is a compelling story surrounding the life and times of the modern day skier. It has long been thought that skiing was an individual sport, however the story of WE proves that this idea is nothing more than a fallacy. Skiing is an art, a collaborative effort that takes the energy of many. Even though skiing encompasses many different venues and styles, the core remains within the crew of individuals that help scout, build, transport, struggle and keep each other safe. WE follows a season as a group of the most influential skiers travel the world in search of epic powder lines, tackling the streets, and creative park features. Together this collection of individuals become WE.
An indelible portrait of the complex relationship between playwright and actor Sam Shepard and his close friend Johnny Dark as they prepare forty years of their correspondence for publication, stirring up old memories both good and bad.
Last Shop Standing, inspired by the book of the same name by Graham Jones, takes you behind the counter to discover why nearly 2000 record shops have already disappeared across the UK. The film charts the rapid rise of record shops in the 1960's, 70's and 80's, the influence of the chart, the underhand deals, the demise of vinyl and rise of the CD as well as new technologies. Where did it all go wrong? Why were 3 shops a week closing? Will we be left with no record shops with the continuing rise of downloading? Hear from over 20 record shop owners and music industry leaders as well as musicians including Paul Weller, Johnny Marr, Norman Cook, Billy Bragg, Nerina Pallot, Richard Hawley and Clint Boon as they all tell us how the shops became and still are a part of their own musical education, a place to cherish and discover new bands and new music.
This extraordinary testament to survival from Emmy-winning producer/director Janet Tobias brings to light a story that remained untold for decades: that of thirty-eight Ukrainian Jews who survived World War II by living in caves for eighteen months. (TIFF)
“BECAUSE” is Two Plank’s first top tier production value film which was shot over two separate record snowfall winters across the globe. “BECAUSE” follows 22 pro athletes through the deepest snow, biggest cliffs, and most intense adventure expiditions our cameras have seen. “BECAUSE” is a story-based, rich visual project of established riders along side the most anticipated upcoming athletes sharing insight to their athletic ambitions and motivational drive to acomplish the next achievement in their careers. “BECAUSE” provides non-stop freeski adventure entertainment through the performances mixed with the quest from the athletes and filmmakers alike.
A follow-up to the 2008 documentary "Roman Polanski: Wanted And Desired", focusing on the filmmaker's successful battle to avoid extradition in to the U.S. in 2010.
FREE ANGELA is a feature-length documentary about Angela Davis and the high stakes crime, political movement, and trial that catapults the 26 year-old newly appointed philosophy professor at the University of California at Los Angeles into a seventies revolutionary political icon. Nearly forty years later, and for the first time, Angela Davis speaks frankly about the actions that branded her as a terrorist and simultaneously spurred a worldwide political movement for her freedom.
Filmed during a rehearsal and performance of Beethoven's Quartet in B Flat Major, Opus 130, "The Juilliard String Quartet: Keeping Beethoven Contemporary" is an exciting portrait that explores the creation and history of the famed Quartet, offering a glimpse inside the world of its four current members. Founded in 1946 by Juilliard School president William Schuman and violinist Robert Mann, with the intent of pursuing the brilliant musicianship of the classical genre, the Quartet continued well beyond its original membership, bringing the music along into a new era. Opening up their dialogue to us, the members of the Quartet, Joseph Lin, Joel Krosnick, Ronald Copes and Samuel Rhodes, speak in detail about the string quartet as a musical genre, its vibrant history, and the significant contributions of Beethoven
Why won’t Disco die? Might it contain hidden depths? Politically correct revisionists are trying to recast disco as a misunderstood culture of protest. Through interviews with Gloria Gaynor, The Village People, Kool and the Gang and others, along with a goldmine of stock footage and speculative reenactments, The Secret Disco Revolution presents a comic-ironic investigation into disco and its mysterious longevity.
'Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp', examines the tumultuous life of legendary Chicago pimp Iceberg Slim (1918-1992) and how he reinvented himself from pimp to author of 7 groundbreaking books. These books were the birth of Street Lit and explored the world of the ghetto in gritty and poetic detail and have made him a cultural icon. Interviews with Iceberg Slim, Chris Rock, Henry Rollins, Ice-T, Snoop Dogg, and Quincy Jones.
My Way begins with the conventional "small-town girl livin' in a lonely (corporate) world." Yet instead of taking the midnight train, Rebekah Starr trades her pants-suit for a Les Paul, grabs her sassy Estonian tambourine-banging sidekick and hits the highway-destination: Sunset Strip. When Rebekah's marriage falls apart in real time, we realize her dream is not a whim. It is a burning passion for music that comes with its share of real world sacrifices. Thanks to the support from her newfound rock n roll legend friends such as Steven Adler (Guns n Roses) and Rikki Rocket (Poison), Starr re-commits to her mission and accomplishes what she set out to do. Her contagious optimism acts as the film's through line, hoping to inspire anyone feeling trapped by their circumstances.
During the Chinese Cultural Revolution, millions had their lives destroyed...their reputations ruined. Mulberry Child is the story of the persecution and survival of Jian Ping's family during this difficult period. After growing up in Socialist China, Jian must learn to assimilate to a Capitalist world when she migrates to the United States. In pursuit of the American dream, Jian develops an emotional disconnect between her and her privileged American-born daughter, Lisa. Will a trip to the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a journey into the past forge a healthier relationship between mother and daughter? The film teaches us the human capacity for courage and endurance, and shows how the events of the past will affect our future.
Ten easy steps show you how to make money from drugs, featuring a series of interviews with drug dealers, prison employees, and lobbyists arguing for tougher drug laws.
Raised in the Tennessee mountains, Wayne White started his career as a cartoonist in NYC. He quickly found success as one of the creators of the Pee-wee's Playhouse TV show which soon led to more work designing some of the most arresting and iconic images in pop culture. Recently his word paintings featuring pithy and and often sarcastic text statements finely crafted onto vintage landscape paintings have made him a darling of the fine art world. The movie chronicles the vaulted highs and crushing lows of an artist struggling to find peace and balance between his professional work and his personal art. This is especially complicated for a man who struggles with the virtues he most often mocks in his art...Vanity, ego and fame.
Despite the underwhelming winter of 2011-12, in which snowfall reached near record lows and avalanche conditions were unstable around the West, the Powderwhores were able to make the most of the conditions, with trips to Cerro Castillo, Chile; La Grave, France; the Antarctic Peninsula; Svalbard, Norway; British Columbia, Canada, and the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. The film features top backcountry skiers and snowboarders, including Chris Davenport, Jake Sakson, Andrew McLean, Seth Wescott, Dylan Freed, Noah Howell, Matt Reardon, Drew Stoecklein, Forrest Coots, Ian Provo, Neil Provo, Chuck Mumford, Darrell Finlayson, Bob Athey, PY Leblanc, Jason Thompson, Todd Stuart and other mountain characters.
Echoes chronicles the experiences of mothers who represent three distinct aspects of the story: A Chinese mother who abandoned her baby; a white, middle-class North American mother who adopted a Chinese girl; and a Canadian mother preparing to “pick up” her baby from China. Each one of these mothers shares her experiences and struggles reconciling the powerful emotions and ideas that both abandonment and adoption, from an alien culture, entail.
Step into the extraordinary life of a Chinese immigrant who overcame the challenges to achieve the American dream. This biography follows the path of a young boy who learns the value of hard work and perseverance through kung fu training. He escapes the harshness of political oppression, bravely ventures out on his own, and embraces opportunity in a new land. The now highly recognized Grandmaster Pui Chan is one of the pioneers responsible for bringing traditional kung fu to America. He built his first kung fu temple in America, and leads and internationally renowned martial arts system across the world. Pui's eldest daughter and successor Mimi Chan confronts a new set of challenges, trying to keep the traditional values alive in an increasingly modernized era.