This Is It

A compilation of interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.

Intimes Tagebuch

Private Diary documents photographer Pedro Usabiaga working with a variety of amateur models. The audience sees how the relationships between the photographer and the subjects changes during their time together, as well as how the individual photographs begin to take shape. Pedro Usabiaga is a well-established Basque photographer whose chief concerns are figurative photography and whose passion in photographing the Spanish male. In this hour long conversation with the artist we are given entry into that process of selecting models (none of the models he uses for this book to be titled 'Private Diary' are professional, but instead are randomly chosen as Usabiaga observes athletes in action) and then allowed to follow Usabiaga and his crew as they photograph these men in natural settings and natural light.

Tus Padres Volverán

In 1983 a group of 154 children aged 3 and 17 years old traveled alone from Europe to Montevideo. They were children of political exiles from Uruguay, who were unable to come back to their own country; they sent their kids to know their relatives and home country. That human sign, charged with a political message, took part in children’s identity development. Nowadays, six of them still remember that day, when a crowd received them singing all together “your parents will come back”.

A Poem for My Blanket

Through a collection of home video footage, the filmmaker undergoes a journey of reconciliation and healing, grappling with their identity in the face of the past.

Transição

Britten's Children

Children and childhood fascinated Benjamin Britten throughout his life and inspired some of his greatest music. John Bridcut's compelling film sheds light on the composer's own inner child throiugh interviews with several of Britten's former companions and muses.

Are We Still Friends?

Three boys are asked to call a friend they haven't seen or contacted in a long time. Their conversations reflect on childhood memories, feelings, and the meaning of friendship.

Dieux du Stade - Making of Calendar 2001

Originally created in support of charity, the popularity of the calendars has been credited for the increased fame of the Stade Français team, as well as rugby in general, in France. The calendars are part of a marketing strategy crafted by Max Guazzini, President of the rugby club. A savvy marketer who built the NRJ Radio group, he has successfully used the calendars to attract a new audience to rugby matches (live and on TV), such as women.

Universam Grochów

Universam Grochów was a now-defunct shopping and service mall that emerged in the 1970s in Warsaw's Praga-Południe district. This department store functioned as a shopping center and a hub for the social life of right-bank Warsaw. At the end of 2016, the iconic building was demolished. The film captures the final moments of the enterprise, with long-term and dedicated employees guiding us through its corridors. Their approach to work and economic model make Universam a living museum and a phenomenon at the intersection of urban planning and sociology. We also see the significant void left in the local community by the building's demolition.

Synonymous With

A student's increasingly intimate line of questioning causes his interview with a local horror host to take a vulnerable turn.

El arte de los analfabetos

My grandfather Antonio was born on the street and was a vagabond until he got married. When he was just a child, he and his father walked thousands of kilometres from Valencia to the Pyrenees in order to survive. He was writing his memoirs for a while but had to abandon them because it affected him so much to remember his life. Now, 75 years later, we're going to walk the same route together, using cinema to try to bring out the memories that are stuck in his head and try to get him to finish writing his book.

Hart Crane: An Exegesis

James Franco interviews three experts on the poet Hart Crane, whose life was the subject of his feature The Broken Tower (2011).

Le Parc, Prince des stades

Chippendales: Off the Cuff

This documentary is perhaps one of the most notorious subject matters on the 1980's Male Revue. We hear from the actual 1980'S former Chippendale performers and others. We explore vintage footage from the 1980's to the present day lives of Michael Rapp, Dean Mammales, John Richardson, Scott Marlowe, David Cohen and Brian Carpenter. A must see! Behind the scenes, up close and personal.

Back on Track: Rebuilding the Waupaca Depot

The film chronicles the remarkable saga of Mike Kirk, a devoted model train enthusiast, whose unwavering determination, along with the support of a dedicated circle of family and friends, spearheaded the decades-long restoration of the long-abandoned train depot nestled in the heart of rural Waupaca. Through Kirk's indomitable spirit and vision, the Waupaca Depot emerges as a phoenix rising from literal ashes, symbolizing resilience and community revival. ​ "Back on Track" transcends the boundaries of a mere restoration project, delving deep into the rich tapestry of American history and the birth of rural communities. This film explores the intertwined narratives of Kirk's personal quest and the broader narrative of American heritage.

Boblo Boats: A Detroit Ferry Tale

For over 85 years, steamship Ste. Claire transported generations of Detroiters to Boblo Island, an amusement park nestled in the waters between the US and Canada. When the vessel comes under threat of ruin, a doctor, psychic and amusement park fanatic unite to save their beloved steamship from the scrapyard. Interweaving local lore and mythology, "Boblo Boats" explores the whitewashed history of amusement parks and one crew's crusade to bring back the memories.

The Dead Mall

The film "The Dead Mall" brings you on a journey with a teenage girl, 'Patty' from the year 1977, who time travels to the 2021 version of her local mall.

The Geography of the Body

A quotation from Aristophanes, "The desire and pursuit of the whole is called love," precedes views of a man and a woman's bodies, often in extreme close up. Off-screen, a voice recites fragments of oracular literature and purple prose. We see an eye, an ear, a mouth, a tongue, bits of hair, a hand, the tips of fingers, toes. Occasionally, the frame includes a larger scape of a body: a chest, a back, a breast. Usually the camera is stationery; sometimes, it moves across a body, remaining in close up. They hold hands for one moment. The bodies are without clothes; no genitalia are visible.

Taris, roi de l'eau

Short documentary directed by Jean Vigo about the French swimmer Jean Taris. The film is notable for the many innovative techniques that Vigo uses, including close ups and freeze frames of the swimmer's body.

Going Attractions: The Definitive Story of the Movie Palace

Celebrating the splendor and grandeur of the great cinemas of the United States, built when movies were the acme of entertainment and the stories were larger than life, as were the venues designed to show them. The film also tracks the eventual decline of the palaces, through to today’s current preservation efforts. A tribute to America’s great art form and the great monuments created for audiences to enjoy them in.