Social & External
The people behind it
As Niagara Falls transformed from honeymoon capital of the world to Las Vegas North, corporate hotel chains and casinos cast a long shadow over the independent motels that once populated the town. The Continental survived the transition by converting its rooms into affordable housing units, becoming a home for those with few places to go. The night manager, Brian, once a freelance photographer who survived the horrors of war in Vietnam, shares his duties with his colleague Linda. Together they manage both the Continental and the individual struggles of its tenants, providing more than a roof over the heads of those who live under their supervision. Bringing a fresh focus to one of the most photographed places on Earth, director and cinematographer Jesse McCracken develops an intimate and caring portrait of the residents of this modest micro-community set against the backdrop of neon-lit tourist attractions.
10 May 2007 - China's staggering economic growth has overshadowed a more subtle shift in Chinese society. In domestic life, many women are now ignore the advice of their mothers and grandmothers, turning instead to counselling hotlines and, increasingly, divorce.
Artist John Smith tells stories about tower block life, editing in bold, unconventional fashion, cutting into the material and highlighting the components and conventions of the film form - yet an intimate portrait of the block's inhabitants still emerges.
This is a story about a five-year battle waged between the farmers of two villages and the local government over land-use rights. This documentary illustrates the subtle changes being made to the rules of the game between officials and citizens, and provides deep human insight into the loss, despair and increasing awareness experienced by common farmers in the pursuit of land-use rights.
85 years old and never married, Shizu has spent the past 3 decades living in one "Danchi" - the Japanese word for public housing - and filling it with the lifetime of souvenirs that have always kept her company. When the danchi is scheduled for demolition, Shizu and neighbors must say goodbye to their homes, and move into newer danchi that are too small to hold all of Shizu's mementos. This intimate documentary captures Shizu's sense of humor, and profound nostalgia, as she sorts through relics of her past, and chooses which memories she must fit into her new home, and which ones she can let go of.
The story of the credit bubble that caused the financial crash. Through interviews with some of the world's leading economists, including housing expert Robert Shiller, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, and economic historian Louis Hyman, as well as Wall Street insiders and victims of the crash including Ed Andrews - a former economics correspondent for The New York Times who found himself facing foreclosure - and Andrew Luan, once a bond trader at Deutsche Bank now running his own Wall Street tour guide business, the film presents an original and compelling account of the toxic combination of forces that nearly destroyed the world economy.
A power-cut in a great apartment building brings the tenants together.
Residents of a shanty town are faced with its destruction. With the help of the local trickster, Paja "the Bighead" moves with his family to an empty flat in New Belgrade blocks. Everything goes fine until the real owner knocks at the door.
In a city overflowing with buildings and slums, Smita must find herself a house to rent. She is hard-working, honest and respectful - the ideal tenant - except for one glaring flaw. She is a middle-class Indian woman without a husband. An intimate perspective on the identity of the 'Ideal Indian Female' in urban India of today.
The young couple Han-gyeol and Go-woon are staying in a Sauna with their son Woo-rim. One day, Woo-rim gets badly hurt and to save hospital bills, Han-gyeol enters an empty house of the old lady he got to know while working on delivery. It’s a perfect home for the family but they can’t stay there forever. The sweet dream will end when the old lady comes back from trip.
Real estate agent John Dante has a problem. He's stuck with a house he can't sell. Despite his best efforts, he can't seem to overcome the house's past and the macabre tales that precede it in this haunting anthology. In the first story, THE MORNING AFTER, a group of friends wake up from the party of a lifetime to find a nightmare in the form of the worst bug invasion any homeowner has ever seen. Then there's Freddie Cooper and his band, FREDDIE AND THE GOBLINS; a tale of how Freddie's band mates try to kick him out and get caught up in the young singer's growing psychosis. With his hopes of selling the house fading, John is horrified to hear the story of Robbie, a young veteran of the war in Iraq, who returns home to live with his father Brad in FATHER LAND. Something isn't right, though, as Robbie's dark secret slowly bubbles to the surface. As the house's dark past comes to life, John becomes weary and is convinced the house is cursed and unsellable.
Young real estate agent Clara Morales encouraged risky loans to her clients during the housing boom. She must now rescue her father’s home from foreclosure - a consequence of the loan she advised him to take.
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.
A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
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.
Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.
A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.
Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.
From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.
Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.
Behind the scenes look at fight choreography and action training.
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Ranjit, a farmer in India, takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. His decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his journey unprecedented.
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.
A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.
A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.
A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.
Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.
Just two years away from turning 30, participants in Michael Apted's documentary series are facing serious questions of identity and purpose, wondering whether they've found their place in the world.
After another 7 year wait, director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children from Seven Up! and 7 Plus Seven. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
