Two amateur filmmakers attempt to make a documentary about the legendary underground "phone-work artist" Longmont Potion Castle, who, since 1988, has released sixteen albums of hilariously surreal phone pranks. Despite a semi-successful crowdfunding campaign and the involvement of celebrity fans, the filmmakers succumb to their own infighting and bad luck, abandoning the project. A year later, the unpaid camera operator liberates the raw footage and finishes the film.
A special recounting the riveting story of the reporting from Dallas and the New York CBS Newsroom from the moment President Kennedy was shot until Cronkite's emotional pronouncement of his death at 1:00 p.m. CST. The program features moving memories from the producers, writers and reporters who were there on the day.
This documentary explores Scientology as a young religion through the eyes of its believers. By showcasing interviews with active and inactive members of the church, the film presents broader questions about the role of religion and spirituality.
We explore the life of one of the 20th century's most charismatic performers. Bob Marley Bob Marley's renown now transcends the role of reggae luminary: he is regarded as a cultural icon who implored his people to know their history.
Filmmaker Christophe Espenan's tribute to The Great Escape, The Coolest Guy Movie Ever is a fascinating documentary that returns to the iconic locations where that classic film was shot, complete with rare footage and interviews.
The Pullars are the last family using traditional methods to fish for wild Atlantic salmon off the coast of Scotland. When these include killing seals, the salmon’s natural predators, conflict erupts. Animal activist groups Sea Shepherd and Hunt Saboteurs oppose the Pullars at every turn, despite the legality of the fishermen’s actions and the consequences to their livelihood. Challenging preconceptions, this ambiguous doc puts modern environmentalism under the microscope.
About five never completed films made between 1978 and 1992 before the backdrop of the various communist regimes that came to power in Afghanistan. Scenes from these films, some of which later reused in other works, are edited together with current footage of their locations and commentaries by the filmmakers and actors involved in the productions, allowing us to dive into action films and romantic dramas that revolve around local histories and conflicts.
Naruna Kaplan de Macedo set up her camera in the editorial offices of the online newspaper Mediapart, before, during and after the 2017 French presidential election, to follow the daily lives of those who work there. Against the backdrop of some of the cases that shook French political life, the film gives us an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at a certain kind of investigative journalism.
Akio Sakurai has dedicated his life to honoring Jimmy Page. For 30 years he recreated vintage Zeppelin concerts note-for-note in small Tokyo clubs. Moving to L.A. to pursue his tribute dream, cultures clash and Akio’s idyllic vision meets reality.
Filmmaker Rodney Evans embarks on a scientific and artistic journey, questioning how his loss of vision might impact his creative future. Through illuminating portraits of three artists: a photographer (John Dugdale), a dancer (Kayla Hamilton), and a writer (Ryan Knighton), the film looks at the ways each artist was affected by the loss of their vision and the ways in which their creative process has changed or adapted.
Everyone knows Elvis Presley’s In the Ghetto and A Little Less Conversation. But who wrote those songs? That was Mac Davis, and almost no one has heard of him. He shares this fate with dozens of other songwriters who have been responsible for massive hits. Coincidentally, many of them live in Nashville, Tennessee – though this documentary reveals that isn’t quite as accidental as it seems.
Revolves around a mineral water pool in director Hristiana Raykova’s hometown of Varna in Bulgaria. Situated right by the sea, this thermal pool is lovingly called “the pit” by local residents. Sitting in the hot water, they lean back up against the pool’s edge and philosophise about their lives. Here personal and political convictions collide, and tell of both social change and stagnation at the periphery of Europe.
Between 1405 and 1433, Admiral Zheng He of China led seven epic voyages to more than 30 countries, including Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Kenya and Tanzania. The admiral and his crew gathered knowledge and wealth from Indochina to Africa for China's Ming empire. These voyages were the biggest naval expeditions mounted at the time. Zheng He was bigger than life and could have changed the course of history. But after the seven voyages, he and his Treasure Fleet were forgotten by China, and the world, for six hundred years. National Geographic photographer Michael Yamashita sets sail to discover why. To celebrate the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's maiden exploration voyage, Michael Yamashita traveled over 10,000 miles from Yunnan in China to Africa's Swahili coast taking over 40,000 pictures for the feature story on this great explorer, published in the July 2005 edition of National Geographic.
Searching for proof of a two-decade old legend, a first-time director discovers not only a gripping tale of friendship, passion and faded dreams, but one last chance to make things right.
In the wake of her passing, fans of the late Hong Kong icon Anita Mui strive to save and return a collection of fan-given gifts that are destined for the landfill. As the items find they way back to the original senders, personal stories of friendship and fandom with the superstar begin to emerge.
Louisa May Alcott, author of "Little Women," leads a literary double life, writing under the pseudonym A.M. Barnard, an identity that remains until the 1940s.