In France, King Louis XIV, better known as the Sun King (le Roi-Soleil), made of his kingdom the leading European power during the 17th century. An original portrait of Louis XIV's engineer, Vauban, a man who after serving his sovereign zealously, questions the idea of absolutism and the economic misery of the kingdom.
Mexican writer Paco Ignacio Taibo II reconstructs one of the most remarkable founding myths of the United States of America: the epic battle of the Alamo, a fortified former Spanish mission near San Antonio de Béjar, in which a group of secessionist Texans withstood for thirteen days the merciless assaults of the Mexican army of President General Antonio López de Santa Anna.
One day filmmaker Andres Pardo stumbles across 2,000 feet of Super 8 family footage at a flea market. Featured in all these 1970's home movies is a lovely young blond-haired girl, Larisa. Teaming up with a photographer friend, Pardon decides to investigate, uncovering the fascinating story behind the footage.
For over 130 years till 1996, more than 100,000 of Canada's First Nations children were legally required to attend government-funded schools run by various Christian faiths. There were 80 of these 'residential schools' across the country. Most children were sent to faraway schools that separated them from their families and traditional land. These children endured brutality, physical hardship, mental degradation, and the complete erasure of their culture. The schools were part of a wider program of assimilation designed to integrate the native population into 'Canadian society.' These schools were established with the express purpose 'To kill the Indian in the child.' Told through their own voices, 'We Were Children' is the shocking true story of two such children: Glen Anaquod and Lyna Hart.
A documentary that captures the greatest world record Tetris players as they prepare for the Classic Tetris World Championship. From the days of Thor Aackerlund and his historic victory at the 1990 Nintendo World Championships, right up to the present and Harry Hong's perfect "Max-Out" score, this documentary expertly chronicles over two decades of Tetris Mastery.
A film about the new board gaming, a phenomenon going on right under your nose, probably in your very community. This film will take you into that world to meet the players and designers responsible for this radical departure from technology. And you just might discover it's the hobby for you.
From the Academy-Award nominated creators of the Broadway show STOMP and the award-winning film Wild Ocean, The Last Reef is an uplifting, inspirational large-format and 3D cinema experience capturing one of nature's more vibrant and diverse wonderlands. Exotic coral reefs, vibrant sea walls in the sub-arctic pulsating with anemones and crustaceans: these biodiversity hot spots are as vital to our lives as the rainforests. Shot on location in Palau, Vancouver Island, French Polynesia, Mexico, and The Bahamas using groundbreaking 3D cinematography, The Last Reef takes us on a global journey to explore the connection of our cities on land with the ocean's complex, parallel world of the coral reefs beneath the sea.
A feature-length documentary centered around the Linotype typecasting machine. Called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” by Thomas Edison, it revolutionized printing and society. The film tells the surprisingly emotional story of the people connected to the Linotype and how it impacted the world.
Kutsher's Country Club is the last surviving Jewish resort in the Catskills. One of the legendary Borscht Belt hotels during its heyday, Kutsher's has been family-owned and operated for over 100 years. Exploring the full Dirty Dancing-era Catskills experience-- and how it changed American pop culture in the comedy, sports and vacation industries-- this documentary captures a last glimpse of a lost world as it disappears before our eyes.
The Unbookables is a narrative documentary about stand-up comics who have spent their careers pushing limits--on stage and off. Relegated to small venues and touring in a crappy van through the Midwest they careen between the desire to succeed and the reality that there may be nothing left to lose. Road life is far from glamorous: comics come and go and cruel pranks and hard drinking punctuate their obsidian dark comedy on stage. They succeed and fail-spectacularly. When they face being fired for going too far on stage, the conflict culminates in a showdown: compromise or double down?
A perpetual state of welfare exists in the U.S., creating a form of modern slavery for a large percentage of African-Americans. Rev. C.L. Bryant presents an insightful and compelling look at how freedom can be restored.
30+ interviews in 10 U.S. states with authors, collectors, journalists, professors, bloggers, students, artists, inventors and repairmen (and women) who meet up for ‘Type-In’ gatherings to both celebrate and use their decidedly lo-tech typewriters in a plugged-in world.
For more than 80 years, Solenopsis Invicta has been on a ceaseless march across the United States, racking up six billion dollars every year in crop damage, equipment repair, and pest control. They have conquered more than 320 million acres in 13 states and killed at least 80 people. And the invader is still on the move. Globally. Now, scientists are cracking the ant's ancient secrets to success and breeding winged assassins to hunt them down. Stunning 3D macro photography explores the secret world of the fire ant and the cutting-edge research into stopping it.
She was signed in 2006, released her debut album in 2008, and the follow-up in 2011. And the rest, as they say, is history. But Adele Adkins' history is one that deserves investigation, analysis, documentation and review. Using rare archival interviews (during which she speaks candidly about her life and career), live and studio performance footage, and contributions from collaborators and industry insiders, ADELE: THE ONLY WAY IS UP reveals just what it is that has transformed this seemingly ordinary girl from Croydon into the most successful musical icon of the third millennium.
Only metres above sea level, the nation of Kiribati is on the front line of climate change. Maria Tiimon, a Kiribati woman living in Sydney, is passionate about her homeland and, despite her shyness, is determined to raise the world's awareness of its predicament.
Juxtaposing scenes from the 1967 Royal Commission on the Status of Women with the 2nd Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering in 2011 in Winnipeg, organized by the rebELLEs movement, the film explores the progress made on concerns raised 45 years ago: universal childcare, violence against women, and abortion access.
Jarrett Martin had more jumps before his 18th than most skydivers do in a lifetime. Then he got really serious - BASE jumping & speed flying. One day, the summer after high school, his parachute failed to open. What happened next will blow you away...