They are the heirs to a thousand years of Royal history; inheritors of all the privileges and responsibilities of the modern monarchy – a monarchy they must take into the new Millennium. Yet William and Harry are also ordinary young men from a broken home who have come to terms with the devastating loss of their mother. Knowing they were destined always to be in the public eye, Diana was determined that her children would have the happiest possible childhood both at home and in the exercise of their royal duties. Even throughout her dark years she somehow managed to be both the nation's idol and the ideal carer for her sons. From their earliest years, William and Harry have lived unusually enriched lives, experiencing a world unseen by earlier royal children and meeting people from every level of society – from the most privileged to the most deprived.
When you said, 'I still believe in God,' in five minutes you were full of blood. - Roman Braga Many of us died, many of us became mad, but in some of us the good triumphed. - George Calciu These chilling words from two survivors of a brainwashing prison in Pitesti, Romania are sad reminders of the legacy of Stalinist communism. Beyond Torture: The Gulag of Pitesti, Romania documents the persecution of Romanians under the communist regime. Electrical shock, hallucinogenic drugs, near starvation and fatal beatings were daily rituals in the prison of Pitesti, Romania. But this sadistic story goes beyond torture: this was an attempt to totally destroy a people's culture and faith.
Fifty conversations exploring the many different shades of being "gay" in America. A conversation on the degrees and varying perceptions about how people define themselves.
Suddenly a couple of small plastic rings appear on the beach of Guéthary along the west coast of France. Every day there are more and more, hundreds of thousands. François Verdet rides the waves of this beach all year long. He is shocked. The surfer sees these little plastic things for the first time in his life. Where do they come from? François cannot sleep until he finds out their origin…
"I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word." - Emily Dickinson In a generation built on texts, tweets, memes, and irony, what has become of the weight of our words? In what way does communication serve as a form of self-expression, and self-expression a form of communication? Mattioli Production's upcoming documentary "Words" will explore how people navigate gender and identity in the open and evolving landscape of New York City. Using some if NYC's most fluid scenes as a backdrop, Mattioli Productions will investigate how masculinity, femininity, and everything in between are contextualized in a range of environments, from the theatre world to early childhood education. Featuring exclusive interviews from a variety of artists, activists, icons, and innovators to be announced, "Words" promises to be a poignant and powerful tribute to the language we use to shape our identities.
43 years ago Jane Pittman, a promising basketball star at her small town High School, ran off the court never to return ... until now. When Jane stumbles across the Nova United Senior Women's Basketball League, old passions are reignited. Vowing to get into the best shape of her life, she is determined to play competitive ball again. What she never expected to find on this journey is a passionate group of seniors who have decided to 'wear out, before we rust out'. Choosing basketball over bingo, these women come together for much more than sports. 'Coming Back To The Hoop' is a film about the transforming power of basketball and the healing it brings when you connect with something larger than yourself and give yourself over to the team
The film follows Postcommodity, an interdisciplinary arts collective comprised of Raven Chacon, Cristóbal Martinez and Kade L. Twist, who put land art in a tribal context. The group bring together a community to construct the Repellent Fence, a two-mile long ephemeral monument “stitching” together the US and Mexico.
IN PLAIN SIGHT: Stories of Hope and Freedom is a feature-length documentary focused on six modern-day abolitionists as they fight sex trafficking across America. Journeying to six US cities, the film opens the viewer's eyes to what's happening down the street "in plain sight". Through engaging interviews with numerous victims of sex trafficking, the force, coercion, and deception of the children and women becomes apparent. In the midst of the darkness, stories of hope and freedom emerge as each survivor shares how she was impacted through the work of a sex trafficking aftercare home.
Witness volunteers from the U.S. Army’s most elite ceremonial unit take on the intense training cycle at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Journey with the ‘New Men’ as they progress through a 9 month gauntlet of instruction, correction, and the endless pursuit of perfection. Watch as these soldiers are exposed to the rich history and honorable traditions of the brotherhood of Sentinels who guard the Tomb, as they learn what it means to protect our Nation’s Patriots amidst America’s most hallowed grounds.
Voice of the Eagle: The Enigma of Robbie Basho is a journey into the heart of an artist's lifelong struggle - designed to illuminate and satiate existing fans while serving as a perfect starting point for the uninitiated. Featuring interviews with Basho's former students, contemporaries and few close friends (including Pete Townshend, William Ackerman, Henry Kaiser and Country Joe McDonald), the documentary integrates new information and anecdotes on Basho with previously uncovered archive material and photography of the natural phenomena and landscapes that informed his work.
André's Eyes is an experimental docudrama in which the actual family members themselves participate in the recreation of their own story. Set in a small village in the Portuguese countryside, the film follows the struggle of a divorced father to keep his family together after his youngest son is taken away from them and placed in a foster family.
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.
A documentary about the Famous Jeff Healey Club which opened in downtown Toronto, Canada in 2001 until its closure in 2008. The movie tells the story of the Jeff Healey club ,the A- list musicians who played there from around the world and of course the amazing talent that Jeff had as a Blind Musician who never let his disability stop him from doing what he loved most -Music. With interviews with Cristie Healey, Randy Bachman, Burton Cummings, Ronnie Hawkins and others and with rare live performance footage from the club with Jeff Healey, The Jeff Healey Blues Band, Ian Gillan, Jimmy Bowskill, Watermelon Slim and many more.
Punk activist collective Positive Force emerged in 1985, rising from the ashes of Revolution Summer. This feature-length film by Robin Bell skillfully mixes rare archival footage (including electrifying live performances from Fugazi, Bikini Kill, Nation of Ulysses, Anti-Flag, and more) with new interviews with key PF activists like co-founder Mark Andersen and supporters such as Ian MacKaye, Ted Leo, and Riot Grrrl co-founder Allison Wolfe. Covering a span of 25 years, More Than A Witness documents PF's Reagan-era origins, the creation of its communal house, FBI harassment, and the rise of a vibrant underground that burst into the mainstream amidst controversy over both the means and the ends of the movement. In the best punk fashion, PF volunteers have applied creative DIY tactics and radical critiques to issues of homelessness, racism, corporate globalization, sexism, and war while struggling to constructively address conflicting dynamics and visions within the group itself.
Even as scientists work diligently to authenticate the Dead Sea Scrolls, a historical and momentous find for archaeologists, questions surface about their true origin. Who wrote them? Did they truly know Jesus? And what do the scrolls mean for modern-day Christianity? This riveting documentary aims to find the answers to these and many other questions and shares new information about this important archaeological artifact.
Historian William Dalrymple journeys to Morocco, Turkey, Syria and Pakistan to explore whirling dervishes, Qawwali singing and other forms of music sacred in Sufism, the branch of Islam that emphasizes music as a mystical route to the holy. Capturing performances of renowned Muslim musicians such as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Sain Zahoor, the film reveals that at the heart of Sufism lies a dedication to tolerance and pluralism.
Bad Seed is the tale of a tiny little seed that some see as good and others believe is evil. Cannabis and hemp can drastically improve the quality of life of people suffering from a wide range of symptoms and illnesses yet people are denied relief due to marijuana's bad reputation. Is cannabis a bad seed? Or have it's extraordinary health benefits been unjustly suppressed by government, law enforcement and corporate manipulation? Following the story of a medical marijuana user and activist, filmmaker Shayne Metcalfe delves into the history of cannabis prohibition in Canada, the United States and Mexico over the past century. Incorporating the perspectives of law enforcement, doctors, lawyers, activists, commercial growers, medical patients, historians and entrepreneurs, Bad Seed tells the fascinating story of how one of nature's gifts came to be vilified and provides an intriguing look at the rapidly changing marijuana landscape.