Documentary about the life and legacy of Picture Post, the revolutionary magazine which shaped perceptions of British life during and after the Second World War.
A group of seasoned roller derby players give a glimpse into life’s incurable tendency to define one’s individual identity through the pursuit of passion.
The little known story of one of the worst non-combat disasters in the history of the US Navy, …AS IF THEY WERE ANGELS is a story of courage, heart, sacrifice and the heroism of miners & fishermen of 2 small towns, who risked their lives to save nearly 200 American sailors, shipwrecked on the rugged cliffs of Newfoundland. Narrated by Peter Coyote, it’s a deeply layered tale of navigation errors, courts martial mistakes, a steep loss of life, and resonates today as if the very telling of its deep humanity offers a lifeline for our fractured times.
At the age of 20, Burton Barr Jr. was held down by a group of friends while they injected heroin into his veins, which started his 22-year drug addiction. At the height of his addiction and during his darkest hour, his father came to him. He didn't start preaching at Barr, telling him that he needed to quit. He didn't talk about the hurt and the pain that Barr was causing his family. He didn't even tell Barr about the damage that he was doing to himself. He just opened the Bible to a certain scripture, gave it to Barr and told him to read that scripture every morning before he left home. The scripture was Psalms 121. 121 details how Burton Barr Jr. overcame his addiction to heroin, cocaine, crack, alcohol, cigarettes and sex by learning to harness the power and live out the words of the 121st Psalm.
This film is composed of black and white images from the somber depths of Manila’s Sta. Mesa district, which are juxtaposed in the railroad system that metaphorically connects the lives of each individual in the community. Captured by a single camera and a keen eye, each moving picture is accompanied by stories of grief, misery, hope and inspiration.
The contestants for Miss Snake Charmer are not your typical high school beauty queens. These teens must show they are more than just pretty faces-that they have the guts and grit to win America's toughest beauty pageant. Contestants must prove their bravery by killing, and skinning, a rattlesnake before showcasing their talents and evening wear. The winner then spends the weekend reigning over pits of live vipers during the World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup.
Flying in the face of this culture's extreme ageism, STILL DOING IT explores the lives of older women. Partnered, single, straight, gay, black and white; nine extraordinary women, age 67-87, express with startling honesty and humor how they feel about themselves, sex and love in later life and the poignant realities of aging. Outspoken for their generation, these women mark a sea change. Women over 65 have been the fastest growing part of the population for decades, but with boomers turning 65, the number of older women is skyrocketing. Still Doing It looks at this society's complex relationship to women and aging with surprising and revelatory results.
There are few places on earth more forbidding and beautiful than Baja, Mexico. 800 miles long and 10 million years in the making, it is home to a punishing desert and the most diverse sea on the planet. Explore amazing ecosystems in the Sea of Cortez and join the hunt with charismatic mega fauna - great creatures that inspire wonder, joy, fear, and awe. From Emmy-nominated producer Michael Watchulonis and Emmy award winning cinematographer Johnny Friday. Captured entirely in 4K over a period of 4 years.
This documentary seeks to be the ultimate Odyssey of exploration into Cannabis and its uses starting from the formation of the Endocannabinoid system in the simple sea squirt, through to its early uses, the plant's medical benefits and landing at the modern legalisation movements across the Globe. Where the billions generated in tax could be re-invested back into hospitals, roads, fire departments, scientific research, community projects and the list goes on.
You Have Struck A Rock! commemorates the special contribution of South African women to the success of the anti-apartheid struggle. It recovers the remarkable "women's campaigns" of the 1950s against the hated pass system. This massive, non-violent civil disobedience movement was only finally crushed by the 1960 Sharpeville Massacre and the banning of anti-apartheid organizations. Lilian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph, Dora Tamana and other leaders recall this struggle and their imprisonment and banning. Yet they remain undaunted, demonstrating the South African proverb: "When you have touched a woman, you have struck a rock."
From award winning filmmaker Jason O'Brien comes a brand new documentary chronicling a unique and revolutionary movement taking place around the world ... examining the trend of cuddle parties and snuggle houses, cuddle therapy, and much more.
Mike Plant burned his way through life by an unconventional set of rules, leading him to dark corners of the world before finding his passion and the pinnacle of an extreme sport that celebrates individuals who race around the world on a sailboat... a true American adventure story.
In the sixteenth century Portuguese Catholic missionaries introduced Christianity to Japan. The religion flourished for about fifty years, but by 1614 the Tokugawa government issued an edict that outlawed Christianity and expelled the missionaries from Japan. About 150,000 believers went underground and continued to practice their religion in secret. These people are known as the "Hidden Christians". Otaiya, meaning "Big Evening" is the Hidden Christian version of Christmas Eve. Through the occasion of this ceremony, the film tells the story of Japan's Hidden Christians. Made with the cooperation of contemporary Hidden Christians on the remote island of Narushima, the film features the only two remaining priests in the Goto Islands.
Follows the development of a brand new winery, Italics Winegrowers, seen through the eyes of elite Napa Valley winemakers in this small but highly revered wine region. Like a vine extending itself far underground seeking nourishment, the story digs deep to analyze what kind of person it takes to enter this highly competitive and well-established arena. Explore what it takes to succeed at building a brand, staking a claim, and realizing a lifelong dream.
A former federal agent takes you from Milwaukee's streets into its justice system, following Harold Sloan and six other homeless men over five years as they struggle to survive.
This short documentary follows 81 year old Joe Leisner, owner of Comic Book Heaven in Sunnyside, Queens, NY as he cantankerously assesses the status of his business, the comic book industry, and his future.
Who were they? What brought them to Wagner, and what brought him to them? These questions are at the heart of Hilan Warshaw's documentary "Wagner's Jews," the first film to focus on Wagner's complex personal relationships with Jews.
This documentary examines the social and cultural underpinnings of the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, in an attempt to understand the work's phenomenal success and influence. The program looks for answers in the author's sources of inspiration, from the folk legends of Norway to the field of linguistics of which Tolkien was a lifelong student. It finds that the deep chord the story strikes owes its resonance to the author's use of archetypal imagery and language. Many examples of these recurrent themes and images are given, with readings from the work and other literature. Interviews with the book's illustrators, the brothers Hildebrandt, speak to the power of the imagery in the classic story. Scholars, Tolkien's children, and the author himself provide insight into the mythic themes and the spell they have cast over the vast readership of The Lord of the Rings.
BURT'S BUZZ is an in-depth and personal look at the life of Burt Shavitz, known to millions around the world as the "Burt" of the Burt’s Bees natural product brand. The documentary explores what it means to be marketed as an icon, and how that life differs from the one of the man behind the logo.