2001-2010

Tuba works daily at a grueling textile factory in Iran, returning home every night to deal with the rest of her problematic family, which includes: a pregnant daughter whose husband beats her regularly; a teenage son, who’s been getting into trouble due to his burgeoning career in radical politics; and an older son who goes to great lengths–such as attempting to sell the family’s meager house–in order to get an engineering job in Japan as a means of getting out of Iran. Unfortunately the ‘friend’ to whom he gave his money as an advance for his trip took off with the money, and the son finds himself without money, without a career, and with a debt towards a lot of people. To solve his problems he wants to deliver a package of heroin, but loses it, and has to flee. The film ends dramatically with a direct call from the mother to the camera crew asking what life has given them after all the sacrifices they have done, mirroring the opening scene.Read More »

A successful sculptor whose life run by domineering wife and mother discovers a secret organization in which members can watch the lives of most dysfunctional, depraved families in the town which are fed from hidden cameras. When he stumbles upon a channel showing a little boy who’s being viciously abused by his parents, he tries to find the kid to save him. But his quest leads him back to a secret door in his own house that could be the answer to many puzzles.Read More »

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On the edge of the 30th anniversary of punk rock, Punk’s Not Dead takes you into the sweaty underground clubs, backyard parties, recording studios, and yes, shopping malls and stadium shows where punk rock music and culture continue to thrive. Thirty years after bands like the Ramones and the Sex Pistols infamously shocked the system with their hard, fast, status-quo-killing rock, the longest-running punk band in history is drawing bigger crowds than ever, “pop-punk” bands have found success on MTV, and kids too young to drive are forming bands that carry the torch for punk’s raw, immediate sound. Meanwhile, “punk” has become a marketing concept to sell everything from cars to vodka, and dyed hair and piercings mark a rite of passage for thousands of kids. Can the true, nonconformist punk spirit still exist in today’s corporatized culture? Featuring interviews, performances, and behind-the-scenes journeys with the bands, labels, fans, and press who keep punk alive, Punk’s Not Dead dares to juxtapose pop-punk’s music and lifestyle against the roots in the 70s and 80s, resulting in unexpected revelations. A DIY search for the soul of a subculture and a celebration of all things loud, fast, and spiked, Punk’s Not Dead shows punk is stronger and more relevant today than it’s ever been.Read More »

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Punk: Attitude is a documentary on the history of punk rock in the USA and UK. The film traces the different styles of punk from their roots in 60s garage and psychedelic bands (Count Five, the Stooges) through glam-punk (New York Dolls) to the 70s New York and London scenes and into the hardcore present. Interviews with many of the musicians are edited with live clips and historical footage.Read More »

The Cologne author Rolf-Dieter Brinkmann introduced American beat literature to Germany

“Brinkmanns Zorn” portraitiert einen Dichter, der alles auf einmal begehrt – Liebe, Tod, Pop, Hass, Kunst. Bedingungslos gleichzeitig und mit gnadenloser sprachlicher Wucht hat die Literaturikone Rolf Dieter Brinkmann auf jedes Alltagsdetail eingedroschen. Der Film begleitet ihn auf seinen medialen Streif- und sprachlichen Raubzügen durch die hassgeliebte Kölner Innenstadt. Den Original-Tonband- und Super8-Aufnahmen Brinkmanns hat Regisseur Harald Bergmann eine visuelle Welt hinzugefügt, die das sprachliche und soziale Universum Brinkmanns nachzeichnet.Read More »

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A man performs infectious playlets for his surroundings.

A court-jester without a king. The protagonist in the film is an actor (René van het Hof) who is acting his life. He is a nuisance, but only for those who have had enough of his play acting or who are ashamed to be around this clown. His wife breaks up with him because she just can’t tolerate the man any more and he seems to accept that in an apparently matter-of-fact way. He leaves the city for a cottage in the countryside. He soon has a new audience. The woman next door and her daughter are curious to make his acquaintance and are at once enthusiastic about the ingenious simplicity of the shows by this nuisance who is not yet a nuisance to them, but a welcome change in there all-too-ordinary life. Read More »

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Political turmoil turns two lifelong friends into enemies in this drama. In the African nation of Tanzania, Dijmi (Haikail Zakaria) and Koni (Abdoulaye Ahmat) grew up in the same small village and have remained good friends into adulthood. Skyrocketing taxes lead to a revolt among the people of Tanzania, with citizens taking up arms to bring down a government they feel exploits them without representation. Koni and Dijmi join the rebel forces, but after a spell during which they fight side by side, Koni decides the rebels aren’t doing enough for the revolution and breaks off with them to join a more extreme group, who soon find themselves at odds with the original revolutionary faction. Daresalam — the name of Tanzania’s largest city, which means “Haven of Peace” — was shot on location in Chad, where director Issa Serge Coelo was born. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie GuideRead More »

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The Spectre of Hope is based on the latest work of photographer Sebastiao Salgado. Salgado spent 6 years traveling to over 40 countries, taking pictures of globalization and its consequences – most notably, the mass migrations of populations around the world. In the film, Salgado presents his remarkable photographs in conversation with John Berger.Read More »

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Salma, a Palestinian widow – living there for decades – , has to stand up against her new neighbor, the Israeli Defense Minister, when he moves into his new house opposite her lemon grove, on the green line border between Israel and the West Bank. The Israeli security forces are quick to declare that Salma’s trees pose a threat to the Ministers safety and issue orders to uproot them.Read More »