Social & External
The people behind it
Albertina Gasparoni
The 1905 law proclaiming the separation of church and state is 120 years old. This law affirms freedom of conscience and religious freedom. It is considered the founding text of secularism. Secularism is the subject of endless controversy and debate.
Between playing, colouring in and singing, children in a Paris primary school learn about the impact of political decisions on their everyday lives and their future. The documentary sheds light on the future of the education system.
On October 4, 2018, France celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Fifth Republic. It is a republic born in the throes of the Algerian War and one which—from the day it was founded by General de Gaulle until the presidency of a very Jupiterian Emmanuel Macron—has been assailed as a “Republican monarchy” by partisans of a more assertive parliamentarian state. By revisiting the struggle of those who dared oppose the new regime — only to suffer a crushing defeat on September 28, 1958, when they were barely able to garner 20% of the vote against the constitutional text — this film shines a powerful new light on the origins of the Fifth Republic and its consequences for the next 60 years. It is a constitutional debate that planted the seeds for a complete upheaval of the French political landscape, on the left in particular, and set the country in motion toward what would be called the Union of the Left.
Historically, republics have gone through distinct stages of development, eventually ending in moral and economic collapse. Tyranny inevitably follows the collapse of democratic systems. Is that happening to America? Are we nearing the end of our greatness, or is there hope for renewal of the foundational principles that made that greatness possible? Our founding fathers intended religion and morality to be pillars of the new republic, providing the restraint that would allow maximum liberty for the citizenry. Today, this delicate balance of religion and state has been eroded by a secularist push to isolate Christianity in our culture and render it irrelevant. The choice in our day is a stark one: As a people we either return to our Christian roots - or we divorce God altogether. Returning to the principles established by our founders in the way to restore moral sanity and rebuild the foundations that made our nation great.
This iconic statue was a gift from France to the new-born American Republic and was the first crowd-funded monument of all time. A symbol of emancipation and freedom, which took two decades to be completed. The film features original 3D virtual reconstitutions of Auguste Bartholdi’s Atelier in Paris and travels back in time to bring viewers at the heart of the Statue’s original construction, revealing the founding ideals of our democracies.
Danton and Robespierre were close friends and fought together in the French Revolution, but by 1793 Robespierre was France's ruler, determined to wipe out opposition with a series of mass executions that became known as the Reign of Terror. Danton, well known as a spokesman of the people, had been living in relative solitude in the French countryside, but he returned to Paris to challenge Robespierre's violent rule and call for the people to demand their rights. Robespierre, however, could not accept such a challenge, even from a friend and colleague, and he blocked out a plan for the capture and execution of Danton and his allies.
A history of the French Revolution beginning from the decision of the king to convene the Etats-Generaux in 1789 in order to deal with France's debt problem. Part one spans the event until August 10, 1792 (when the King Louis XVI lost all authority and was imprisoned). Part two carries the story through the end of the terror in 1794.
A biopic of Napoleon Bonaparte, tracing the Corsican's career from his schooldays (where a snowball fight is staged like a military campaign) to his flight from Corsica, through the French Revolution (where a real storm is intercut with a political storm) and the Terror, culminating in his triumphant invasion of Italy in 1797.
Honoré and Grégoire prepare their mother’s funeral. They are faced with the common and individual expenses inherent to funerals in Porto-Novo (Benin). Money is the nerve of their concern.
Wings of Kyrgyzstan (2019) This reverent cinematic journey is a deep lyrical look into the lives of diverse mountain families, vivid portraits of young men and women, semi nomads, who have one foot deep in their ancestral past, and one reaching for a new future.
Accidents, theft, violence, disturbances. Calls to 17, the police emergency number, are intended for urgent situations. In reality, the number of calls keeps increasing, with many being considered "non-urgent." However, these calls capture raw moments of emotion, distress, or anxiety, offering insight into a society facing a growing sense of insecurity. How do officers, expected to handle everything and sometimes the impossible, manage their demanding work?
In August 2020, the well-known Swiss polar researcher Konrad Steffen died on the Greenland ice. It is suspected that he fell into a crevasse covered in fresh snow while on a routine trip to a measuring station. To this day, there is no trace of him.
The President of East Timor (Timor-Leste), Xanana Gusmao, takes us on a breathtaking and intimate journey. Revelations from the 24-year Resistance against Indonesian occupation, to the present-day challenges of the world's youngest nation.
Le Mirail, Toulouse. Crime, rioting, religion, and terrorism: it seems there is no common ground between the different communities of the ghetto. The divisions are widening beyond control. This documentary offers straight talk, rooted in time and trust. It can be direct or abrupt, sometimes even confusing or shocking, but it is essential in forming the first few threads of a dialogue. Only through learning and understanding can we resist the reflex to reject the Other.
From the son of an immigrant to a billionaire building contractor: Bruno Stefanini has a crazy biography. This documentary chronicles Stefanini's conflict with army abolitionists and squatters as well as his passion for collecting everything from tanks and works of art to Empress Sissi's underpants, castles and nuclear bunkers. When he died, his entire estate was lost in a huge, moldy mess.
Throughout history, the world has been ruled by men. But in the 20th century, women showed they could thrive without male domination. Men discovered that women did not view life or the world in the same way. Some rejected feminism, while others redefined their masculinity. This film explores the stories of six men who have struggled with what it means to be a man, especially in terms of love and fatherhood.
James Roberson on Superstition (1982)
This short documentary explores how the First Nations staple of wild rice is exported as a luxury food thanks in part to bush pilots. Follow the families of the Pauingassi band as they comb the reedy shores with brooms, paddles and baskets for manomim (wild rice).
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.
From his days of testifying at the Watergate hearings to advising recent presidential candidate Donald Trump, Roger Stone has long offended people on both sides of the political fence as a force in conservative America. Outspoken author, pundit, ahead of his time election strategist, this is his story.
A documentary chronicling Queen and Lambert's incredible journey since they first shared the stage together on "American Idol" in 2009.
Naples, Trajan's district. Initially it was intended for the inhabitants of the shantytowns on the seafront of Naples, who were homeless after the war. But it soon became a kind of ghetto. Alessandro and Pietro are two teenagers who film with an iPhone to tell their difficult neighborhood, their daily life, the friendship that binds them.
A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
Capturing life on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a frontline in the European migrant crisis.
A tribute to Chadwick Boseman, celebrating his life and legacy.
A night of drunken chaos rocks a quiet Dutch town in this shocking documentary about a teen's birthday invite that accidentally went viral on Facebook.
Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanislav Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.
Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all way to the Vatican.
A road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media's misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents.
A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.
SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.