Overcoming Kallman’s Syndrome, prejudice, self-destruction and powerful enemies in the music industry, rediscovered jazz legend Jimmy Scott recounts his rise and fall and rise again as one of the most distinctive vocalists of his time.
In this emotionally compelling documentary, Sister Helen opens a private home for recovering addicts and alcoholics in the South Bronx after the death of her husband and two sons. The film's fly-on-the-wall technique succeeds in capturing the day-to-day existence of Sister Helen and the various residents of the home.
Follows five trekkers and a local Chagga guide to the top of Kilimanjaro, the largest freestanding mountain in the world. Along their journey this diverse group of trekkers encounter strange landscapes and endure harsh conditions as they travel through five climate zones ranging from the lower rainforest reaches of Kilimanjaro to the summit's arctic glaciers.
With humor, chutzpah and a piece of vinyl siding firmly in hand, Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Judith Helfand and co-director and award-winning cinematographer Daniel B. Gold set out in search of the truth about polyvinyl chloride (PVC), America's most popular plastic. From Long Island to Louisiana to Italy, they unearth the facts about PVC and its effects on human health and the environment.
Hosted by Jack Perkins (of A&E's "Biography" series), this documentary profiles the life of L.L. Bean, the Maine outdoorsman turned entrepreneur who created one of the most iconic brands in American history.
Easter Island has long been the subject of curiosity and speculation. A triangle of volcanic rock in the South Pacific, Easter Island is over 2000 miles away from the nearest population center, making it one of the most isolated spots on Earth. It is best known for the giant stone statues, known as the Moai, that dot the coastline.
Mark Bussler's film Civil War Life: Shot to Pieces chronicles the life of Harvard student William F. Bartlett, who leaves school to sign up with the Union Army. After losing a leg to Southern gunfire, he begins a relationship with Agnes Pomeroy. William eventually rejoins the war effort, but is captured by enemy forces. He attempts to survive his squalid conditions as a POW because of his love for Agnes.
For years, STAR WARS fan have squared off against STAR TREK fans over which space fantasy is the better choice. As a result, both franchises have been embroiled in a continuing battle for merchandise sales, publicity and box-office receipts. The science-fiction genre has never seen anything like it and, as these fictional universes continue to expand, the competition seems to be never ending. Star Wars vs. Star Trek: The Rivalry Continues compares the space opera worlds of George Lucas and Gene Roddenberry for a one-of-a-kind intergalactic documentary.
Sixty years ago, Norway’s Nazi invaders saw a perfect opportunity to further Himmler’s “Lebensborn” program, by encouraging their soldiers to have affairs with Norwegian women, often with Aryan features, and breed “racially superior children.” After the war the women children were sent to prisons and asylums.
For decades the secrecy around Area 51 has shrouded the airbase in mystery. Despite endless speculation about secret military test-flights and extra-terrestrial technology, there is little information available to the public. John Tindall's intriguing documentary examines the facts and the fictions of Area 51. Cert.12
Wrestling- Then & Now- The Movie is a documentary from noted underground film director Dwayne Walker and the Associate Producer of The Wrestler, Evan Ginzburg. Go on the road with Evan as he talks to the greats of the sport in a film that has something for everyone.
This retrospective of Elvis Presley's life and career uses excerpts from his performances and interviews to chronicle how the swivel-hipped young man from Tupelo, Miss., rose from poverty to become an American icon. The documentary also includes archival footage of Elvis on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and other TV appearances, clips from his Army days and film of his wedding to paint an extensive portrait of the King's public and personal lives.
Combining archival photographs, interviews with historians and dramatic reenactments starring Blair Underwood and Ed Asner, this documentary recounts the gripping story of the Civil War-era Underground Railroad that shepherded slaves to freedom. Harriet Tubman, Thomas Garrett and William Still, whose tireless public efforts and clandestine activities kept the Railroad running, are among the abolitionist personalities highlighted.
The 1992 suicide of a young Iranian refugee in a small Canadian town prompted filmmaker Masoud Raouf to examine his own past as a political prisoner in Iran who helped fight for democracy, only to be persecuted by the ayatollah's regime. Raouf's documentary features historical footage and interviews with veterans of the 1979 revolution, who watched with dismay as their homeland traded a despot for a religious dictatorship.