The medieval orders of Knights Templar and Knights Hospitalier had done wonders for modernizing the Croatian region of Slavonia and introducing the highest standards of civilization known in the medieval era amongst its world of merchants, craftsmen, farmers and cattle herders. However, how much of their influence can be felt there to this day? And how much was lost in the sands of time?
A famous figure of the 20th century, Albert Schweitzer was a tireless humanist and polymath who opened a hospital in the Gabonese jungle to bring healthcare to remote areas. But today the legacy of the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952 is being scrutinised. How important was his wife Hélène in his success? And was the virtuous man also racist?
Unopened reminders, mountains of debt, an uncertain future: single-parent cleaner Nathalie struggles through life to secure her livelihood and that of her children. She doesn't want pity or charity and certainly doesn't want to end up on welfare. Episodic and unembellished, the film portrays a woman living at subsistence level, in the middle of Switzerland, in our midst. A woman for whom giving up is not an option.
Finding Nellie: Documenting Local History follows archaeologist Ellie De Castro’s two-year search to uncover a 71-year old mystery behind Nellie E. Brown Elementary School, a public school in Olongapo City. What began as a simple question became a transpacific historical investigation spanning public and private archives, cemeteries, military records, oral histories, and community memories in the Philippines and abroad.
Symbiosis reveals the Aeolian Islands in the Mediterranean Sea as a refuge of biodiversity and human stories , following Monica, who has dedicated twenty years to protecting cetaceans and sea turtles.
Dorothea Sing Zhang’s documentary instincts reach new heights in this intimate behind-the-scenes glimpse of her mother’s solitary routine as the star of Chinese opera, a life’s calling that alienates her from her closest.
Nawres, a rebellious 23-year-old female kickboxer from Tunisia in North Africa, has fought her way to the top in a traditional, male-dominated society in pursuit of an international career. But as Tunisia’s political and economic turmoil worsens after Covid-19, her boxing career nearly comes to a standstill. Hoping for a better life and new opportunities, she travels to France – only to be met with the harsh realities of life as a young immigrant in Europe. Far from her homeland and family, Nawres is forced to reconsider who she is, and what freedom and success truly mean.
In contemporary Rome, amidst the concrete-besieged countryside and the hidden banks of the Tiber, the destinies of Sven, a Norwegian cycling activist and Pasolini enthusiast; Giulia, a young farmer defending her land from real estate speculation; and Mario, a policeman with a heart of gold, intertwine in the struggle to create the Pasolini Trail along the river, from Rome to the sea. Thwarted by powerful landowners, mediocre politicians, and an insensitive bureaucracy, these unlikely allies fight for a utopia of nature and community, in a battle that reflects the plight of the contemporary West. Is theirs a hopeless struggle, or can they still rewrite their own destiny?
Milo Manara revolutionized the comics imagination, liberating female desire through the protagonists of his comics. His career was marked by his encounter with Hugo Pratt, his mentor and companion, and by his exploration of the power of sex as a political act, culminating in the publication of Il gioco. His partnership with Federico Fellini redefined the boundaries between eroticism, cinema, and comics, and his unmistakable style made him a point of reference for entire generations.
Enchantment explores the magic of cinema through the lens of Pupi Avati, a master of Italian cinema, and the history of Milan's Odeon, a now-closed Art Deco masterpiece. A personal and visual journey through memory, belonging, and the imagination, where animations, archival footage, and intimate conversations intertwine to tell the story not only of an auteur, but of cinema's very power to enchant and transform.
Anton Ptushkin’s travel film to the Ukrainian Antarctic station “Akademik Vernadsky.” It’s a story about people who study the planet’s future while living in conditions without shops, trees, or personal space. The film explores the challenges of the icy continent and everyday life at the station, the importance of climate observations, and why Ukraine is among the few countries with a full-fledged presence in Antarctica. It’s a story about science, melting glaciers, and, of course, penguins.
In 1975, television star David Carradine came up with a novel way to forge a relationship with his estranged daughter Calista: he would make a movie with her. "Mata Hari" tells the story of David and Calista's relationship through the lens of their unfinished, years-long film project, an epic telling of the life of the Dutch courtesan and spy, Mata Hari.
At the verge of the forest, stealthy human presences gather around the fire while, from afar, the rumble of gunshots echoes. Not far there is a wall made of sharp metal marking the beginning of Europe. A clan of Afghan smugglers lives waiting for people to lead to the other side of the border, wandering through the labyrinth of an eternal and sleepless night.
For over 40 years, the iconic John Clarke tickled the funny bones of Australian and New Zealand audiences. Now, in this intimately produced documentary, hear his story in his own words. In a remarkable series of recorded conversations between John and his daughter, writer/director Lorin Clarke, he traces his steadfast resistance to authority back to his childhood and offers delightful insights into his four decades in the entertainment industry.