Quilombo dos Palmares was a real-life democratic society, created in Brazil in the 17th century. This incredibly elaborate (and surprisingly little-known) film traces the origins of Quilombo, which began as a community of freed slaves. The colony becomes a safe harbor for other outcasts of the world, including Indians and Jews. Ganga Zumba (Toni Tornado) becomes president of Quilombo, the first freely elected leader in the Western Hemisphere. Naturally, the ruling Portuguese want to subjugate Zumba and his followers, but the Quilombians are ready for their would-be oppressors. The end of this Brave New World is not pleasant, but the followers of Zumba and his ideals take to the hills, where they honor his memory to this day. Writer/director Carlos Diegues takes every available opportunity to compare the rise and fall of Quilombo with the state of affairs in modern-day Brazil.
In 1919, the great English military man T. E. Lawrence tries to help Emir Feisal, ruler of Arabia, retain his political power during the Conference of Peace in Paris.
"The Hart of London" is an endlessly layered tour de force. It explores life and death, the sense of place and personal displacement, and the intricate aesthetics of representation. It is a personal and spiritual film, marked inevitably by Chambers’s knowledge that he had leukemia. The late American avant-garde filmmaker Stan Brakhage said of Hart, "If I named the five greatest films [ever made], this has got to be one of them." Even this high praise falls short of hyperbole. The Hart of London is at the centre of Chambers’s extraordinary achievement.
A band of fighting Ming Dynasty loyalists branded as enemies of the state are driven underground following the burning of the Shaolin Temple by Qing Dynasty officials. Due to a misunderstanding, Shaolin kung fu prodigy Fong Sai-yuk is duped into helping Qing agents to capture leading Shaolin rebel Hung Hei-gun. Upon discovering his mistake, Sai-yuk teams up with the remaining rebels to free Hei-gun before his planned execution. Plotting to stop them is General Che Kang, a formidable Tibetan kung fu master who commands an army of fighters including four deadly Tibetan llamas.
In the early 1960s, an interracial couple undergo hypnosis, which unlocks memories of a forgotten event on a lonely road. Soon they believe they were abducted by extraterrestrials.
A cinematic version of the life of famous Indian saint-poet, Annamayya (born May 1408), follows the spiritual awakening of the mystic composer Annamayya, who's first motivated to write a song of praise after visiting a temple. His devotion is put to the test when he vows to fast until he comes face to face with God, an act of faith for which he's rewarded with a blessed meal of prasad. As his fame as a singer spreads, Annamayya eventually becomes a real personification of the holy Nandaka Sword.
The real story of the failed attempt of an independence coup by a group of intellectuals and rich men during Brazil's colonial days, from its beginning to the execution of Tiradentes.
No Woman is allowed into Karlstejn Castle! Yet the enamoured Daniele Kolářová and the equally enamoured Jana Brejchová manage to spend one night in disguise in the Castle despite the strict royal ban.
Based on actual accounts, this film portrays the days and hours before and during the invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina, which eventually lead to the Falklands War. As the Argentine forces land on the main island and make their way towards Government House, the handful of British defenders batten down the hatches and prepare to defend Governor Rex Hunt, his family, and their fellow islanders from the invaders.
Dr Gerald Bull was a genius at designing and building superguns (very large long range guns capable of shooting at ranges more than 100 miles). When an operational plan by the CIA to export sanctioned arms to apartheid-South Africa through him was exposed, the CIA denied all knowledge and he went to jail. He was later released, and moved to Belgium to start a subsidiary, of which a major project was to help Saddam Hussein build a new supergun capable of firing over 500 miles.
A documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure that rules our nation and the world today. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money.
King Louis XIV has without his knowledge a twin brother, Philippe, but when he is told, he immediately locks up his brother in the Bastille. The king wants to increase his popularity and stages an assassination against himself where Philippe is dressed as king Louis. But Philippe manages to escape the assassination and everybody believes him to be the real king...
Joe Arroyo and his musicians will embark together on this psychedelic journey through various hotel rooms. Rebelión is the portrait of a genius in the depths of his intimacy, the throb of a soul in love and tormented by that great love: music. It is a timeless journey through his life, passing through the dark and lonely place where the creative act happens, where his talent is on the surface and his emotions are free, as well as his whims. The story takes place in hotel rooms, overflowing with chaos and the genius of Joe. A hotel room that are many and that, in turn, contains the agony of the genius who sabotages everything he loves to remain free.
Latvia, 1949. Seventeen-year-old Pauline's safe and sunny youth gets shattered by the Soviet occupation forces as she's deported to Siberia. She now needs to focus her strengths to overcome the deprivation of food, exhausting work and torture, while trying to preserve her inner light and humanity in the face of evil.
In 1970's America, a reserved pregnant newlywed of a charismatic up-and-coming politician grows impatient to express built-up resentment towards her husband during a major campaign event. The result of their confrontation could equate to desolation for both parties.
Hilma af Klint (1862-1944) is an important part of art history and one of the first ever painters of abstract art. However, unlike the work of many of her peers at the time hers was misunderstood and neglected until long after her death. This is a story about Hilma and the circumstances which made her paintings possible. The film picks up during her early life and ends today; when her art connects with people of all religions and cultures. Just as she intended.
By the middle of the 12th century, the borders of the Mongolian Empire stretched from the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas in the west to the southern lands of China in the east. The Mongolian army, under Khan Batu’s command, was known for its invisibility, destroying anyone who dared to challenge them. Yet, even within their central territories, some areas refused to bow to the Genghisids. Kozelsk was one of them. The Mongolian armies bypassed the high walls of this small town, considering that "the skin of the wolf was not worth the risk of encountering its teeth".However, one of the Khan’s commanders harbored a grudge against the town's citizens. Now, the people of Kozelsk must face a battle against the strongest army in the world, with no hope of victory. This is a story about people facing their death. Some try to escape, others are willing to do anything to survive, but most are prepared to protect their city from the relentless storms of the Mongolian hordes.
Set against Indonesia’s turbulent post-independence years in the 1960s, the story revolves around the domestic life of a woman whose personal life has been completely overturned by the political turmoil.