Documentary

From Allmovie:
Government bureaucracy and ineptitude, as well as social foibles, get a drubbing in this socio-political satire by director Fernando Birri. Everything starts when the families in a poor, mud-hut neighborhood lose what little they own in a bad flood. In steps the militia to rescue them, and then the local government comes next as the politicos hope to gain points by relocating the group of unfortunates. Nothing goes right for the essentially honest, simple villagers who are now the dispossessed. One family seeks temporary shelter in a boxcar and ends up being attached to a train that then takes them on an interesting journey. Meanwhile, no one seems able to help them out and when the hubbub has died down, the families are not much different than when the flood first washed them out. Director Fernando Birri was particularly interested in Neorealism and would eventually move to Cuba.Read More »

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Idi Amin Dada was not the only leader of a newly independent African nation who was accused (on the basis of reliable evidence) of bizarre practices. The former French colony known as the Central African Republic was governed from 1966 to 1977 by a man known as Jean Bedel Bokassa. After he was deposed, he was accused of cannibalism. This documentary by Werner Herzog explores the years of his increasingly strange and paranoid rule of that country, and features an interview with a western journalist who was imprisoned by Bokassa as a result of a garbled telex. Bokassa was ousted shortly after he staged an elaborate, widely publicized and very expensive coronation for himself as the “Emperor” of the Republic, during a state visit to another African country.Read More »

Jonathan Demme’s fantastic concert film of cult music favorite Robyn Hitchcock.

The 1998 Variety review:

The eccentric appeal of Brit singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock gets a nice permanent showcase in Jona-than Demme’s third performance-record feature.

The eccentric appeal of Brit singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock gets a nice permanent showcase in Jona-than Demme’s third performance-record feature. While unlikely to have the same impact as helmer’s two prior such breaks from major studio projects — Talking Heads concert pic “Stop Making Sense” and Spalding Gray monologue “Swimming to Cambodia,” both watersheds for their type — pic should scare up some change in limited release for Orion, then enjoy decent shelf life via rep-house, vid and cable circuits.Read More »

Synopsis: Ralf König, one of the most successful German cartoonists, became famous with his comic book “The Most Desired Man,” which was made into a film starring Til Schweiger back in 1994. Wittily playing with queer clichés, he also reaches a wide heterosexual audience. In King of Comics, busy filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim (The Einstein of Sex, I Am My Own Woman, Rent Boys) portrays an unpretentious and modest man whom, with brilliant observational skills, has left his outlandish, yet intelligent, incredibly fun and delightfully graphic mark on an entire generation.Read More »

There is very little information available online on this little gem, the first ‘feature-length’ film shot exclusively in Iceland by an Icelandic director, the pioneer Loftur Guðmundsson. Director and crew travelled all around the country with the ambitious goal of documenting all the aspects of the local life at the time. Fishing plays an important role (being then, by far, the number one national industry); one can also witness the humble beginnings of ‘city-life’ in the capital, one of the first (or was it the very first?) cars driving in Iceland, beautiful pastoral shots of farm-lands, ladies posing in the national costume, as well as fighters indulging in the national sport, ‘glyma’. The 21st century traveller will be able to recognize a number of landmarks. The images are often naive, genuine, and captivating. In my opinion one of the most valuable Icelandic films. –EwolveRead More »

Porno Unplugged is a journey into uncertainty, a quest by journalist Fabian Burstein, who looked behind the curtains of this fascinating industry. Starting in Budapest he heads westwards to explore a new world on its victory march rooted deeply in Austria. On this journey he meets the heroes and leading actors of this story: Austrians Mick Blue, Renee Pornero and Thomas Janisch. What’s more, they are protagonists within the international porn industry. Starting in Austria they have erotically conquered the X-rated shelves of many a DVD-rental worldwide. These “heroes” from an ostracized industry are the links on the team’s journey of several thousand miles. Shoots, fairs, living environments, award shows, dreams, relationships, disappointments. Budapest, Vienna, Graz, Bad Ischl, Las Vegas, Los Angeles.Read More »

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The Mothers’ Aid is a state-funded institution with branches all over Denmark. Erna, a young pregnant woman, has asked a doctor to carry out an abortion, but instead he advised her to go to the Mothers’ Aid for consultation. She is unmarried, and afraid of losing her job, if she is going to have a baby. The female adviser suggests that she should give birth to the child, and then decide if she should keep it, or have it adopted by someone else. Erna takes part in a course, where she learns how to look after a baby. The last six weeks before the birth she lives in a home for expectant mothers at no expenses for her. The child is born and Erna decides to keep it. She and her child spend the first months in a home for mothers and their babies, which is also free of charge.Read More »

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Sharply critical film about rural water pollution in the Jutland countryside district of medical officer Jens Jensen. Situations of everyday water use are illustrated by graphic representations of a well and surrounding soil layers. A new well is correctly constructed in the farmyard.Read More »

SYNOPSIS:
The documentary chronicles the methods of work in relation to pre-Columbian man and the current farmer. From the character of Don Marcos Olaya, one of the last craftsmen elaborated the salt as did the ancient Chibcha (pre-Columbian techniques saturation and evaporation of this precious product), we know the mystification of ancient work and how to disappear , men feel that they too are devoted to the same tragic end. This old craftsman identifies his work with his life.Read More »