It's 2020. Covid Britain is in lockdown and the world is working from home. In the depths of the deadly pandemic and when people are at their lowest, someone spots an opportunity.
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Self
The corruption runs deeper than you'd ever imagine. A multi-billion dollar industry you've never heard of. This is the world Patent Trolls thrive in: A world created for them by our own U. S. Patent system. You can be sued for clicking on a hyperlink, using your own scanner, or sharing your Wi-Fi! It sounds insane, but the reality is even crazier. Patent Trolls look for obvious ideas, patent them, and then sue anyone they claim is infringing on their idea. People's lives and businesses are being destroyed.. and they have no way out. “The Patent Scam” exposes the underbelly of this system, and the people that commit this practice.
A look at the work and surprising success of a four-year-old girl whose paintings have been compared to the likes of Picasso and has raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Interviews with leading authors, philosophers and scientists, with an in-depth discussion of the Law of Attraction. The audience is shown how they can learn and use 'The Secret' in their everyday lives.
How a Somerset high-flyer turned his charm and connections into tools of deception – conning his school friends and hundreds of others while living a life of glamour himself.
Grandchild fraudsters scare their victims on the phone with so-called "shock calls". The losses run into millions. Month after month. Many victims are left severely traumatized. But the scam has a weak point. And the izzy team has found it. During a year-long investigation, izzy figurehead Cedric Schild pretends to be an elderly person and supposed victim on the phone. This not only makes for a few laughs, but also drives the perpetrators crazy - at the same time, the editorial team penetrates deep into the structures of the criminal clans. Thanks to more than 1200 minutes of recorded conversations from real shock calls, the izzy film "Die Enkeltrick Betrüger" shows all the tricks used by fraudsters for the first time and thus makes an important contribution to prevention. In cooperation with the law enforcement authorities, the perpetrators are arrested in front of the cameras.
In 2014, businessman Cédric Naudon announced that he would launch the Jeune Rue project in Paris's 3rd arrondissement: a street that would become a hub for luxury, design, and gastronomy. The Parisian elite was thrilled to hear Naudon's plans. But this utopia ultimately turned out to be an empty shell.
In the bitter winter of 1978, four desperate council members from a small Virginia town hatched a daring Bigfoot hoax to save it from the brink of bankruptcy. But as the money grew, so did the greed-triggering the town's first unsolved murder.
This documentary traces the rise and crash of scammers who conned the EU carbon quota system and pocketed millions before turning on one another.
In 2008, an overview of Scientology was presented in a DVD format, featuring L. Ron Hubbard himself describing the core tenets of the religion. The DVD, titled "Scientology: An Overview," provides an introduction to the religion's beliefs and practices, as well as a biographical look at Hubbard's life. It also showcases individual Scientologists discussing their experiences and includes a tour of a Church of Scientology Find out for yourself, with this DVD presentation of more than 80 videos, including: -A biography of Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard -The beliefs of Scientology -Individual Scientologists speaking about their religion -A tour of a Church of Scientology -Church of Scientology social betterment programs -Dianetics (forerunner and substudy of Scientology) around the world today
A polka kingdom crumbles in this documentary tracing the rise and fall of dubious duple meter master Jan Lewan. A Grammy-nominated polka superstar who defected from Poland to the West in the 1970s, Lewan created a musical empire that made him an internationally-recognized figure. When scandal erupted and Lewan's shady dealings were revealed, fans couldn't believe that their hero had committed one of the largest polka-related financial crimes in history.
Wincapita documentary film gives a silenced perspective on Finland's alleged biggest financial crime and pyramid scheme.
Investigation into a highly sophisticated scam involving criminal gangs, modern-day slavery and victims around the world who have lost millions of dollars.
Documentary about best-selling author and informercial pioneer Kevin Trudeau.
An investigation into the tricks of holiday scammers, talking to victims and experts, and advice on how to fight back.
In 2013, online clay animator Robert Benfer scammed hundreds of fans out of thousands of dollars and has continued to become less of the independent film icon he used to be, though his unique influence on video creators remains to this day. This film not only sheds light on how Benfer's films impacted young filmmakers, but also how a talented independent artist can fall from grace no matter how obscure they are.
A 1966 interview with L. Ron Hubbard about his creation, Scientology. Filmed in Salisbury, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), An Introduction to Scientology is the only televised interview given by L. Ron Hubbard. In this interview, LRH explains the history of Scientology, its status as a religion and its benefits on human society.
A marketing scam video from 1990. Take a glimpse at some retro financial chicanery.
Ross McElwee sets out to make a documentary about the lingering effects of General Sherman's march of destruction through the South during the Civil War, but is continually sidetracked by women who come and go in his life, his recurring dreams of nuclear holocaust, and Burt Reynolds.
Alex Gibney explores the phenomenon of Stuxnet, a self-replicating computer virus discovered in 2010 by international IT experts. Evidently commissioned by the US and Israeli governments, this malware was designed to specifically sabotage Iran’s nuclear programme. However, the complex computer worm ended up not only infecting its intended target but also spreading uncontrollably.
When Allied forces liberated the Nazi concentration camps in 1944-45, their terrible discoveries were recorded by army and newsreel cameramen, revealing for the first time the full horror of what had happened. Making use of British, Soviet and American footage, the Ministry of Information’s Sidney Bernstein (later founder of Granada Television) aimed to create a documentary that would provide lasting, undeniable evidence of the Nazis’ unspeakable crimes. He commissioned a wealth of British talent, including editor Stewart McAllister, writer and future cabinet minister Richard Crossman – and, as treatment advisor, his friend Alfred Hitchcock. Yet, despite initial support from the British and US Governments, the film was shelved, and only now, 70 years on, has it been restored and completed by Imperial War Museums under its original title "German Concentration Camps Factual Survey".
A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.
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.
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.
A documentary on a former Miss Wyoming who is charged with abducting and imprisoning a young Mormon Missionary.
Behind-the-scenes documentary about how Lionel Messi succeeded in lifting the World Cup – the only trophy to have eluded him in an incredible career.
This character-driven film considers the evolving sex trafficking landscape as seen by the main players: the exploited, the pimps, the johns that fuel the business, and the cops who fight to stop it.
A documentary about ten very different lives connected by having appeared onscreen wearing masks or helmets in Star Wars.
A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.
A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon as he takes his live podcast on a national tour.
Legendary journalist Gay Talese unmasks a motel owner who spied on his guests for decades. But his bombshell story soon becomes a scandal of its own.
A documentary focused on plastic pollution in the world's oceans.
The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.
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.
The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
Martin Scorsese’s portrait of writer and social commentator Fran Lebowitz, celebrated for her sharp wit and observations on modern life. Filmed at New York’s Waverly Inn and intercut with archival footage and interviews, the documentary captures Lebowitz’s distinctive worldview through her spontaneous monologues and public appearances.