At the beginning of the 20th century, Uruguay was looking for its identity. Blanes, the "pintor de la patria", invented the images of the heroes that until today are exhibited as real. But everything can change when the world's most recognized forensic artist reveals the true face of the national hero.
Motorbike Dreaming is an extreme cultural adventure following two young Aussie adventurers and their fiancées giving wings to their crazy idea to be the first to fly microlights 5,000 km across Australia, with an award-winning filmmaker trying to keep up.
The Ship that Changed the World is a historical drama about the birth of the world's first ocean-going diesel-powered ship Selandia. A groundbreaking invention that changed the world forever. The film shows Selandia and the creators receiving worldwide acclaim. But for two of them success was short-lived. They died under mysterious circumstances shortly after the maiden voyage of Selandia. On the brink of the World War, and with Germany and England showing great interest in this invention, is it too farfetched to believe that these deaths were more than coincidental.
- Written by Michael Schmidt-Olsen
With the 2010 Olympics approaching, will the world get to know Vancouver's darkest secret? 'Streets of Plenty' chronicles one man's perilous journey to live in Vancouver's downtown east side ghetto. The rules of this twisted social experiment? Starting with only a pair of underwear, he must survive the harsh winter streets for 31 days. He has no money, no friends, no family, and most importantly, no home. He must navigate the institutions, policies and services alongside the thousands of people that call Vancouver's streets home.
The movie chronicles the history of man’s ancient desire of bird-like flight and explains the how and why of arguably the world’s most dangerous sport today.
Director Bernd Sahling documents almost four years in the life of a young man who experienced two political systems, East and West Germany, and cannot fulfill his dreams in either of them.
A deeply inspirational film about the life and artwork of America's premiere social documentary photographer, Milton Rogovin. In 1957, The Buffalo News declared Milton Rogovin "The Top Red in Buffalo" and his life was turned upside-down. Effectively, his political voice was silenced as society shunned him and his friends disappeared. In reality, he was an optometrist promoting workers' rights.
Javier Espada explores how Luis Buñuel, one of the greatest precursors of surrealist cinema through works like An Andalusian Dog and The Golden Age, began to move away from this movement but never completely abandoned it, maintaining a strong oneiric element in his films. Taking us deep into his past and evolution as a creator, this documentary provides an unprecedented window into the world and work of an irreplaceable genius whose influence has reached the rest of the arts.
A large still-life painting hung on the wall above Lilka Elbaum's childhood bed in Lodz, Poland. It was the first thing she saw when she woke up, and the last thing she saw before she fell asleep.
The passionate advocates of the ‘Cigar Box Guitar Revolution’ express their love of making unique hand-made instruments and the democratic, re-cycling ethos of the movement. Many of these musicians are from northern, post-industrial British towns, and create a self-identity through making these three-stringed guitars. Born from the Blues, the emotional connection they feel for their instruments creates a unique and evocative sound that transports musicians and audiences alike. Screened on BBC1 & BBC4 & iplayer
John Waiko is the first Papua New Guinea man to graduate with a PhD and be appointed a professor. He returns to the Binandere clan and his small village of Tabara in the Northern Province of PNG. Once there, he has to organise a celebration for his achievements with his family’s help. Since he has been away for most of his life, he has no recognised wealth in the village (the pigs used for gift giving), nor a network of supporters or knowledge of the preparation and rituals for having such a celebration. He wants the event to happen quickly but that’s not the way it works in Tabara. Man without pigs focuses on the antagonism aroused by the clash between traditional customs and Western values in this remote PNG community.
Go beyond the lost human history! A profile and examination of the recent findings of a highly advanced human settlement submerged at the end of the Ice Age when the sea level rose. The story of Atlantis has its roots in actual historical events!
A feminist legend, a May 68 activist, a famous playwright and poet, Hélène Cixous is the vehicle of this road movie. With friends like the philosopher Jacques Derrida, the artist Adel Abdessemed, with Ariane Mnouchkine and her cosmopolitan theatre company, Cixous explores the wounds our time and allows us to ear the cry of literature. The history of dozens of members of her German-Jewish family who were assassinated in the Death Camps, and the trauma of the wars of decolonization are never far, for this major figure who was born in Algeria shortly before the start of the Second World War.
The Museum is a film that observes, examines and ponders Israel's most important cultural institution, the Israel Museum. The film follows the visitors, observes the observers, listens to the speakers and descends to the storerooms, labs and conference rooms. The American museum director, the singing security guard, the Jerusalemite curator, the Haredi kashrut inspector, the Palestinian guide and the visitor who lost her vision are some of the characters that take part in a chain of activities which add up to the museum. For about 18 months director Ran Tal collected footage of the daily routine of the museum that seeks to both reflect and mold the Israeli legacy and culture.
The real story behind the oft-ridiculed 'cat lady' - a cultural stereotype and figure of ridicule for women of a certain age with too many furry companions. Through the intimate portrait of four unique 'cat ladies' we create a sensitive and emotionally honest portrait of women whose lives and self-worth have become intractably linked to cats. It's not the number of cats that defines someone as a 'cat lady', but rather their attachment, or non-attachment, to human beings. They create a world with their cats in which they are accepted and in control - a world where they ultimately have value.
An affectionate, locally rooted portrait of the Danish town of Nakskov as a miniature model in the ratio of 1:50. The locals share their stories of class struggle over beers in the lunch break.
Follows Patty Gentry, a former chef, as she battles to earn a living on her three acre Early Girl Farm on Long Island. Isabella Rossellini, from whom Patty rents her land tells us, "Patty is the Picasso of vegetables!" The documentary upends the romance of farm-to-table – buying fresh produce directly from farmers markets and at farm stands is wonderful, but the farmer's life is a constant struggle. We watch Patty work her butt off (with her small, mostly female team) seven days a week, growing the vegetables her top chef clients treasure. Patty's passion is to constantly improve her soil, increase her yield of organic vegetables, and just as urgently scramble to stay afloat.
Secrets of the Universe is a sweeping, 3D Giant-Screen adventure that immerses audiences in the greatest mysteries of our time- puzzles spanning from the infinitesimal to the infinitea journey guided by some of the most brilliant minds, seeking to answer life’s greatest questions..The answers await at the collision points of intellect and imagination, of theory and experiment, of the tiniest particles and most powerful forces in the Universe. Our science adventure is led by scientist Manuel Calderon as we travel to CERN, just outside of Geneva on the Franco-Swiss border, to use the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the biggest machine ever built and the most powerful scientific instrument ever created.