Filmed over five years, THE WEIGHT OF HONOR follows the lives of the caregivers of veterans who have been catastrophically wounded in America's longest war. Their lives are transformed overnight to 24/7 caregivers tasked with caring for their war-wounded. The film reveals the family dynamic, their relationships before the wounds of war, and now, the uncertainties that lie ahead.
A cinematic sleigh ride deep into the strange but true world of the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas, the most exclusive and elite collection of Santas in the world. Anyone can don a red suit and fake beard to play Santa for a day. These men are Santa - all year, every day, and especially on Christmas. Young or old, naughty or nice, this documentary will make you believe all over again!
Music brings joy, but what if your life is at risk when you perform? In Olancho, the most anarchic province of Honduras, the most murderous country in the world, criminal cartels love to vie for the best musicians. Then they have to sing the praises of the most powerful drug baron until a rival calls for them.
A film exploring the innovative world of Acoustic FingerStyle guitar featuring interviews with many leading players including Andy McKee, Kaki King, Newton Faulkner and Tommy Emmanuel. Acoustic Uprising looks at the rich history of FingerStyle and the fusion of musical ideas the style has become known for.
Referred to as "Woodstock of the 80s", the US Festival was iconic with over 2 million attendees. Created by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and legendary concert promoter Bill Graham, the Us Festival assembled the best bands in the world including The Police, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, Santana, Jackson Browne, Eddie Money, Jerry Jeff Walker, Jimmy Buffett, The Cars, Talking Heads, Ramones, Grateful Dead, Pat Benatar & The B52s.
Twenty people, from all walks of life, are each locked alone in a room for the length of one 400-foot roll of 16mm film (11 minutes). They are each given the same set of twenty questions, which they can answer at random...if they're not completely distracted by their surroundings. Shot in 1987.
Brendan is a pastor in a small, evangelical church, and he has a secret. He doesn't believe in God anymore. His wife is still a true believer - and she just told the wrong person. Losing Our Religion is a feature length documentary about preachers who are not believers, and what atheists do when they miss church. Allowed access to the 600 members of The Clergy Project - a safe haven for preachers from all faiths who no longer believe - the documentary follows ex-members and clergy who are still undercover. They are not just losing their religion, for many they are losing their friends, community and even family. As well as their job. As events unfold that change lives forever, their stories also connect with secular communities that are growing in surprising places. New groups are experimenting in ways to have church without god, and asking the same question as unbelieving clergy - "what's next?"
Former Marine Corps infantry platoon members recall November 22, 2004, during the Second Battle of Fallujah, with diverse opinions on different aspects of their war experience.
MGM hosts a salute to Will Rogers (1875-1935) shortly after his death. After a few words from Gary Cooper and Harry Carey, a look at Rogers' fatal trip with Wiley Post, clips from Rogers' movies, a proclamation from Oklahoma's governor, and a cowboy ballad sung at sunset. Robert Taylor asks the studio audience to contribute to the Will Rogers Memorial Hospital in Saranac Lake, NY, where those in the entertainment industry could go for treatment. This Sanatorium already exists as the National Vaudeville Artist Lodge and then was renamed after Will Rogers timely death. The screen goes black while ushers collect donations.
Guardians of the New World introduces us to the world of hacker culture. Emerging from the 70’s counterculture around conceptions of personal freedom, decentralisation of power and sharing, hacking really came to prominence with the emergence of the Internet as a ubiquitous public forum from the late 90’s onwards.
A profile of the Duchess of Cambridge, exploring her transformation from a seemingly ordinary young woman to a future monarch and what this means for the royal family.
Eight Summits follows the oldest American to ever summit Mt. Everest and the 7 Summits, as he heads back to this great mountain to attempt the first ever 'Double Summit'. Climbing first from the South side of Everest (Nepal) then heads to the North side (Tibet) in a record setting climb, at the age of 70!
With a unique blend of dramatic action and behind-the-scenes documentary footage, filmmaker John Walker shares the multi-layered story of British explorer Sir John Franklin and his crew of 128 men, who perished in the Arctic ice during an ill-fated attempt to discover the Northwest Passage, and John Rae, the Scottish doctor who in 1851, discovered their dismal fate. Rae's dark report, which described the crew’s madness and cannibalism, did not sit well with Sir John's widow, Lady Franklin, nor with many others in British society, including Charles Dickens. They waged a bitter public campaign to discredit Rae's version of events and mark an entire nation of northern Inuit with the label of murderous cannibals. A stunning face-to-face meeting between the great-great grandson of Charles Dickens and Tagak Curley, an honoured Inuit statesman who challenges the fraudulent history, vaults the story from the past into the present and we are witness to history in the making.
A humorous and poignant look at the man behind the music; W.G. Snuffy Walden has written the soundtrack of our lives. Friends and collaborators share stories, laughs and insights about this gentle soul with a compassionate heart and generous spirit. Overcoming challenges and loss, Snuffy has quietly worked behind the scenes to mentor, inspire and elevate those around him while becoming one of the most successful television composers of our generation.
Robert van Gulik (1910-1967) is one of the world’s most read authors from the Netherlands. This diplomat, Sinologist and scholar is mainly known for his detective novels, starring 'Judge Dee'. Filmmaker Rob Rombout follows in his footsteps to discover the author’s legacy - via his diaries, the people he inspired and those who witnessed his extraordinary life.
The exams are close, the school year is coming to an end for Peipei, a young artist aspirant of a high school of Henan Province, a poor district of China. Abandoned by her parents, scapegoat of her classmates and teachers, this "wild flower" has never conformed to the rules of the institution and has trouble finding her place.
In the 1990s, alt-rock band Luxury is skyrocketing toward national fame until a life-threatening tour bus wreck shakes each band member to his core. Today, Luxury is led by three orthodox priests--and they're still rocking.