This intimate and loving portrait of the legendary arbiter of fashion, art and culture illustrates the many stages of Vreeland's remarkable life. Born in Paris in 1903, she was to become New York's "Empress of Fashion" and a celebrated Vogue editor.
A documentary that re-frames Human Rights issues as the most pressing issue in childbirth today; calling for radical change to the world's maternity systems - this is the Mothers' Revolution. In many countries around the world, women are being denied the most basic human right of autonomy over their own bodies. They cannot choose how and where to give birth. Those that persist in their desire to have a normal, physiological birth are sometimes forced by judges to surrender to surgery or threatened with having their babies taken away by child welfare services. In many countries, if a woman wants to have a home birth supported by a midwife, those midwives face criminal prosecution. Some midwives, like Ágnes Geréb in Hungary, are even imprisoned. FREEDOM FOR BIRTH calls for radical reform to the world’s maternity systems so that these Human Rights violations stop and women are afforded real choice as to how and where they give birth.
The story of legendary New York City disc jockey Bob Fass who pioneered free expression on the airwaves with his long running FM program 'Radio Unnameable'.
Drama, controversy, and hilarity abound as uniquely talented and passionate pizza makers battle it out as they attempt to go for the gold against their international counterparts. Their quest is followed while exploring the pizza industry. The amazing and highly competitive world of acrobatic pizza-dough tossing is examined as competitors vie for spots on the U.S. Pizza Team and the chance to compete for the gold medal at the World Pizza Championship in Italy where teams perform choreographed dough-tossing routines to music while being scored by a panel of judges.
Follows the Boston Red Sox' Tim Wakefield and the New York Mets' R.A. Dickey - the only two major league pitchers who use the unpredictable knuckleball - during the 2011 season.
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.
It covers thirty percent of the Earth's land mass and yet, most of us barely scratch the surface. Now, discover what few people have seen, as The Green Planet follows the stories of forest inhabitants, from graceful red deer to cunning foxes and impressive wild boar. With cutting edge technology, we also explore some of the more bizarre and wonderful forest dwellers: the purple emperor, liverworts, stag beetles and corydalis. See flowers bloom and blades of grass cut through the snow. Spend time in a foxes den with her new born cubs and follow tiny insects and creatures with microscopic detail. Be a part of a journey that takes you through the seasons and be prepared to be amazed by the natural wonder of creation, destruction and rebirth in this incomparable landscape.
Filmmaker Paul Saltzman (Prom Night in Mississippi) presents the world premiere of his latest work. A former Civil Rights worker and 1960s activist, Saltzman returns to Mississippi to encounter the man who once assaulted him — Byron "Delay" De La Beckwith, a KKK member and the son of the man convicted of murdering Medgar Evers — in this affecting documentary about racism, the South and the possibility of reconciliation. (TIFF)
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)
The story of how, in 1970, the social activism of young UCLA philosophy professor Angela Davis led her to become involved in a failed kidnapping attempt that ended in a shootout, four deaths, and her name on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list.
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.
In an era known for protests and sit-ins, the 1973 Grand Divertissement at Versailles, made a statement of its own - a fashion statement. The legendary event pitting the five lions of French couture Givenchy, Dior, Ungaro, Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin with five American designers Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Anne Klein, Stephen Burrows and Bill Blass created a cross-stitch of change across fashion, race, business and catwalks. When African American models Bethann Hardison, Pat Cleveland, Alva Chinn, Billie Blair, Norma Jean Darden, Barbara Jackson, Jennifer Brice, Romana Saunders and Amina Warsuma boarded the plane to Paris, they had no idea they would help change the course of fashion and pull off its biggest coup. Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution tells this story