Documentary

A short anthropological documentary from 1954. Director De Seta was fortunate enough to document swordfish fishing; by 1956 it no longer existed.Read More »

Elvis Presley’s evolution as a musician and a man.Read More »

Quote:
REQUIEM FOR THE AMERICAN DREAM is the definitive discourse with Noam Chomsky, on the defining characteristic of our time – the deliberate concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a select few. Through interviews filmed over four years, Chomsky unpacks the principles that have brought us to the crossroads of historically unprecedented inequality – tracing a half century of policies designed to favor the most wealthy at the expense of the majority – while also looking back on his own life of activism and political participation. Profoundly personal and thought provoking, Chomsky provides penetrating insight into what may well be the lasting legacy of our time – the death of the middle class, and swan song of functioning democracy. A potent reminder that power ultimately rests in the hands of the governed, REQUIEM is required viewing for all who maintain hope in a shared stake in the future.Read More »

Begins with a narration extolling the virtues of a solar energy complex over maps and shots of the place. The focus then shifts to an elderly gentleman lumbering about a section of the complex not doing much of anything. The film unfolds in near total silence save the waves crashing against the shoreline nearby, occasional gusts of wind, and a closing excerpt from Vivaldi’s Sonata No. 6 in A Minor. At one point, a few police cars drive up, but nothing much comes of it. Then we are taken inside the man’s small room to catch glimpses of his daily life. Very reminiscent of Saless’ Still Life, with no dialogue after the opening narration, which by the end appears to have been rather sardonic, if not poignant. Produced by Filmgrafic, the company Shirdel founded in 1968.Read More »

Synopsis:
“Strange Victory” is about racial bias in post World War II America. Folowing “Native Land” in Leo Hurwitz’ filmography, it uses some of the same techniques: dramatized scenes interspersed with scenes of compilation news reel footage, and scenes of evocative imagery. An epilogue about the civil rights movement, added in 1964 makes the arc of the film more complete.Read More »

Avant-garde home movie, creators unkown, attributed to John C. Hecker.

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“This mysterious film documents a neatly appointed apartment and the spartan existence of its inhabitants. A woman moves through the rooms. She pours two glasses of wine, sits, reads a magazine, and combs her hair. All the while material possessions surround her, ominously dominating the environment.” (Bruce Posner)Read More »

Following a newspaper ad, ordinary women tell part of their life stories to director Eduardo Coutinho, which are then re-enacted by actresses, blurring the barriers between truth, fiction and interpretation.Read More »

A funeral car cruises the streets of Medellin, while a young director tells the story of his past in this violent and conservative city. He remembers the pre-production of his first film, a Class-B movie with ghosts.Read More »

First decade of 2000. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi holds lavish parties at his residence in Milan. The political opposition starts speculating that unrestrained sex parties are taking place.Read More »