The Making of a Japanese

Intimately following 1st and 6th graders at a public elementary school in Tokyo, we observe kids learning the traits necessary to become part of Japanese society.

Intercepted

Intercepted is a journey through Ukraine that reveals the banality of evil behind the Russian invasion with the shocking juxtaposition of two realities: the Ukrainians who have been suffering and resisting the war violence, and the Russian military, and civilians, who have been perpetrating it.

Modern Life

For ten years, Raymond Depardon has followed the lives of farmer living in the mountain ranges. He allows us to enter their farms with astounding naturalness. This moving film speaks, with great serenity, of our roots and of the future of the people who work on the land. This the last part of Depardon's triptych "Profils paysans" about what it is like to be a farmer today in an isolated highland area in France. "La vie moderne" examines what has become of the persons he has followed for ten years, while featuring younger people who try to farm or raise cattle or poultry, come hell or high water.

Bancoco

A New Yorker journeys to the jungle in the Darien Gap of Panama to reconnect with an indigenous tribe he met and photographed 20 years ago. Their reunion highlights the profound power of photos and the human connection that transcends cultural barriers.

ciao Aracà

"...a charming depiction of life as I knew it with my grandparents in my own village..." Clara Caleo Green, Cinema Italia UK "The sum of the individual fates and life choices paints a picture, the validity of which extends far beyond this village." Joachim Manzin, Black Box This documentary records the thoughtful and emotional confrontation with time, change, loss and hope related by the members of a small community in the idyllic Ligurian countryside who are dealing with a rapidly changing agricultural industry, transformed by globalisation and technological advances and an increasing number of foreigners buying the empty houses in their village. Forgoing the use of music and voice over, the film lets Aracà's inhabitants tell their own stories and allows the audience to dive into the rich soundscape of the ligurian alpine countryside.

True Chronicles of the Blida Joinville Psychiatric Hospital in the Last Century, when Dr Frantz Fanon Was Head of the Fifth Ward between 1953 and 1956

1953, colonized Algeria. Fanon, a young black psychiatrist is appointed head doctor at the Blida-Joinville Hospital. He was putting his theories of ‘Institutional Psychotherapy’ into practice in opposition to the racist theories of the Algies School of Psychiatry, while a war broke out in his own wards.

Greenland

Darshan - The Embrance

Amma, one of India's most famous "Mahatmas" or spiritual guides, is known internationally for her charitable donations, fight for peace, and work with illiteracy. In 2002, she won the Gandhi King Prize for her work, joining a prestigious group of winners that include, Nelson Mandela and Khofi Annan. Here is a chronicle of her journey throughout India, traveling with her inner circle to visit with her disciples.

Sean Penn, l'enfant terrible de l'Amérique

Sean Penn is almost a living legend. His filmography paints a picture of an 'other America': the lower class, the oppressed and the outsiders. Whether as an actor or director, he turns all the great myths upside down.

The Two Horses of Genghis Khan

An old, broken morin khurr (horse head fiddle) compels renowned Mongolian singer Urna Chahar Tugchi to take a road journey to Ulan Bator and the steppes of Mongolia.

Far Beyond the Pasturelands

In a remote himalayan region, the villagers of Maikot are preparing for the harvest of a mysterious aphrodisiac caterpillar-mushroom worth more than gold.

The Fallacy

The current trend to render prostitution a profession "as any other" is belied by women who were themselves prostitutes. With clarity and courage, the women in this film reveal the hidden face of that so-called "sex work". They are 22, 34 or 48 years old; they live in Montreal, Quebec and Ottawa - They have recently given up prostitution, or are trying to escape it. These women are leading the bitter fight to turn their lives around and it is a long and lonely struggle fraught with difficulties. Shot in a Cinéma Vérité style, The Fallacy (L'imposture) takes us to the heart of their realities.

A Bit of a Stranger

Svitlana, a Russian-speaking Ukrainian, examines the colonised part of her consciousness and tries to find answers to the question of how Soviet totalitarianism and Russification influenced the relationships within her family.

Ordinary Things

A short documentary about everyday objects, the people who used them, and the beauty of that use. From the video description: "An encounter with the past. The introductory film for visitors to the National Museum of Ireland (NMI) - Country Life. It tells a story about Irish traditional folk life, the self-sufficiency and community spirit by which people's lives were played out against a challenging physical environment. That environment quite often dictated the materials, crafts and traditions by which lives were lived. The museum's collection of 'ordinary things', on display in Turlough Park, illustrate these stories." Written and narrated by Irish writer and broadcaster Theo Dorgan. Made in association with the NMI — Country Life. Available online on the Youtube channel of the NMI — Country Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCYrq8yWSSQ

700 Sharks

Gombessa Expedition 4 Laurent Ballesta went to observe a gathering of thousands of groupers during the full moon of June 2014 (Le mystère mérou) in the southern pass of the Polynesian atoll of Fakarava, where he discovered a pack of over seven hundred grey sharks. How can this unprecedented density be explained? Could it be that social behaviors govern this wild horde? During three years of preparation, he and the other divers on his international scientific team tamed their fear by abandoning the defensive reflexes that provoke shark aggression, with the aim of slipping into the heart of the raging pack to study and film it from the inside. Sharks fitted with microchips, receiving antennas, hydrophones, an ark of 32 synchronized cameras...: a whole technological arsenal is mobilized for the project. As the groupers approach for their annual spawning, what battle plan will the sharks deploy?

The Birth of Saké

Through the unrelenting winter in the north of Japan, a small group of workers must brave unusual working conditions to bring to life a 2,000-year-old tradition known as sake. A cinematic documentary, The Birth of Sake is a visually immersive experience of an almost-secret world in which large sacrifices must be made for the survival of a time-honored brew.

Housewife of the Year

It was a different time! The female contestants on an Irish TV show with an iconic gentleman host look back on a beige-coloured chapter in TV history. More than entertaining kitsch, and with some delightfully quick-witted ladies in the winning role.

My Village in Nunavik

Shot during three seasons, Kenuajuak's documentary tenderly portrays village life and the elements that forge the character of his people: their history, the great open spaces and their unflagging humour. Though Kenuajuak appreciates the amenities of southern civilization that have made their way north, he remains attached to the traditional way of life and the land: its vast tundra, the sea teeming with Arctic char, the sky full of Canada geese. My Village in Nunavik is an unsentimental film by a young Inuk who is open to the outside world but clearly loves his village. With subtitles.

The Last of the Sea Women

On the shores of Jeju Island, a fierce group of South Korean divers fight to save their vanishing culture from looming threats.

A Taste of Whale

In the Faroe Islands, hundreds of pilot whales are slaughtered each year in a hunt known as the “Grind.” This gruesome tradition has drawn outrage from activists, most notably the international conservation group Sea Shepherd, who routinely sail to the islands to try to block whaling boats. Yet the Faroese are equally determined to maintain their tradition, defending the practice as more sustainable and less cruel than getting meat from slaughterhouses. Director Vincent Kelner spends time with both Faroese hunters and Sea Shepherd crusaders, building to a nuanced look at a disturbing event with much larger implications for the way humans relate to other creatures.

Banksy Most Wanted

Banksy is a household name, but behind this name hides a multitude of stories, artworks, stunts, political statements and identities, leading to one of the art world's biggest unanswered questions- who is Banksy?

Canada Vignettes: Bill Miner

Bill Miner was a train robber in British Columbia at the turn of the century. This animated film depicts a disastrous episode in his career.

Pluto at the Zoo

Pluto walks past the zoo and sees the huge bone the sleeping lion has but getting it out is easier said than done. He gets it out of the lion's cage, but then has to face the kangaroo and its playful joey. Next is the gorilla, then the crocodiles.

Millenium - The Cinema Show

Recorded live at Kijów-Centrum, Kraków, 7.11.2015

Frantic Attempts

Matthias is going on a weekend course of self-discovery called “My Value on Earth,” which was an expensive gift from his girlfriend. The course is supposed to help him deal with his chronic inability to finish things that he’s started. But before Matthias leaves, his girlfriend springs a surprise on him: he’s going to be a father. And so he hopes to use the weekend, which he has no real desire to go on, to answer new and pressing questions. The “alternative” therapist, however, doesn’t inspire much trust. The tragicomedy Frantic Attempts takes aim at the field of personal development, in particular, dubious therapists who offer quick fixes. After all, what if we should answer our existential questions ourselves instead of trying to find answers from others?

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey

Biography of the legendary filmmaker directed by his son.

Irene Huss 8: Det lömska nätet

A bicycle messenger sees a girl being brutally assaulted and dragged into a van. She immediately calls the police, but unfortunately the girl is found too late. It turns out that the murdered girl has been the victim of a serious sexual crime. Detective Inspector Irene Huss and the rest of the team begin to look for the murderer, but have very few clues to go on. When another young girl is murdered in a similar way, the team realizes that they are dealing with a sexual predator. How does he get in touch with the girls? Why do they agree to meet him? Why are they wearing special underwear?

From Your Hell

Mexico, 1928. Santiago lives with his mother Alejandra and his stepfather Arturo. The apparent peace in which they live in is interrupted by the presence of some madness that only Santiago feels. David, Alejandra's husband, who disappeared and was believed dead, seems to have come back.

Fragmentary

Ben Sanderson believes he can travel to an alternate reality when he drinks alcohol, to see the love of his life, who was brutally murdered in a home invasion two years prior. As Ben starts to get a hold of his new found ability, a new threat surfaces that may kill him before he can seek the truth.

月晷

Painter Gao Yuan’s experimental animation is composed of a series of surreal scenes, based on her acrylic paintings made between 2010-14. Objects and people find themselves in unusual situations where rules of gravity and structure do not apply. The familiar yet unnervingly offbeat scenes are connected through unexpected sounds and rhythms. Under the dim moonlight, the characters are stuck in a dream state from which they cannot awaken.

King the land

King the Land tells the story of Goo Won (Lee Jun-ho) who is the heir of The King Group, a luxury hotel conglomerate, who was thrown into an inheritance war, and Cheon Sa-rang (Im Yoon-ah), a hotelier who always has a smile on her face till she meets Goo Won.

Casa Número Zero

Dream of the Red Chamber

Documentary about rock club in the city of Sverdlovsk, USSR. The title is not connected to the communist ideology, it's a reference to one of China's Four Great Classical Novels. The idea is that the phenomenon of Soviet rock music is as extensive and complicated as the structure of the book. Featuring rock bands: "Агата Кристи", "Чайф", "Наутилус Помпилиус", rock singer Nastya Poleva and her band "Настя"

Shingles the Movie

A series of hilarious, weird, and gross tales that will bring you laughs and chills. A group of friends share scary stories that all happened to them in an attempt to scare each other. But how much of it is real? How much will come back to haunt them?

W.A.S.P. | First Blood... Last Visions...

A very rare Japan-only video with eleven promo clips.

La Sibilla - Tra realtà e leggenda

The Rape of Doctor Willis

A drama directed by Lou Antonio.

Laughter in the Dark

Swinging London in the 1960's. Deals with the affection of a middle-aged man for a very young woman, resulting in a mutually parasitic relationship.