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1-50 of 77
- One hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke--one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.
- A homeless musician finds meaning to his life when he starts a friendship with dozens of parrots.
- In 1997, chess champion Garry Kasparov goes head-to-head against IBM's computer, Deep Blue, and accuses IBM of cheating its way to victory. Interviews with Kasparov, his manager and members of the Deep Blue team illuminate the controversy.
- This documentary, on the life of artist Vincent Van Gogh, is told through his letters to his brother Theo, from 1872 until his tragic death. We gain first hand insight into the man, his motivations, and his humanity.
- Never-before-seen testimony is included in this documentary on Emmett Louis Till, who, in 1955, was brutally murdered after he whistled at a white woman.
- An exploration into the nature of stupidity in Western society and its history of our perception of it.
- Twenty 12-year-old black boys from one of the most violent ghettos in Baltimore, Maryland, are taken 10,000 miles away to an experimental boarding school in rural Kenya, to try to take advantage of the educational opportunities they can't get in their own country.
- Having failed to break into professional opera in his native Germany (where, as an usher in West Berlin's Deutsche Oper, he would serenade the staff after the real performances were over) the diminutive Klaus Nomi headed for NYC in 1972. The vibrant New Wave/avant-garde gestalt of the mid/late '70's East Village proved to be fertile ground for the development of his unique talents. Working by day as a high-end pastry chef, Nomi began to stage his outlandish performances, first launching himself upon an unsuspecting public at the New Wave Vaudeville in 1978. The hip and cynical young audience was stunned by this weird combination of falsetto arias, booming classical orchestration, Kraftwerk-style electronica, futuristic costumes and outer space imagery. An odd assortment of artists, choreographers, designers, songwriters and musicians jumped on to the Nomi bandwagon and the phenomenon began to take off - first attracting thousands to South Manhattan events (including performances at the legendary Max's Kansas City) and culminating in a recording contract with the French division of RCA. With the release 'Klaus Nomi' in 1981 and 'Simple Man' in 1982, it looked as if Nomi was on the verge of superstardom. Having established himself in Europe, he made a triumphant return to New York City. But Nomi's moment of glory proved to be his swansong. Within only a few months Nomi had succumbed to the ravages of AIDS. One of the first celebrities to be killed by this mysterious new disease, Nomi died a lonely death, largely abandoned by those who had seen him as a passport to their own success. Today, the otherworldliness of 'The Cold Song' and 'Dido's Lament' is like an ethereal voice calling from beyond the grave.
- Interviews with Christo, Chuck Close, Roy Lichtenstein, Judith Malina, James Rosenquist and others help illuminate the life and work of Warhol contemporary Ray Johnson.
- Documentary about the life of avant-garde filmmaker Maya Deren, who led the independent film movement of the 1940s.
- Artist Henri Cartier-Bresson comments on several of his photographs. One of the last films shot with the photographer, also featuring Robert Delpire, Elliott Erwitt, Isabelle Huppert, Josef Koudelka, Arthur Miller, and Ferdinando Scianna.
- Poses questions to a large and varied group of people regarding their own perception of the divine. The peculiar microcosm, a surprising sociological container, is the backdrop where these inquiries take place: the set of The Passion of the Christ (2004).
- In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Boston stand-up comedians burst upon the national scene, giving audiences a taste of hard-edged social and political commentary, in what came to be known as "The Boston Gold Rush".
- The life of a Southern drag queen isn't all wine and roses - just ask Wilmington, NC's own Tara Nicole. Stereotypes of Southern hospitality and redneck homophobia meet in this very revealing exploration of a smalltown farm boy who's grown up to become a drag queen known as the "Bitch Goddess of the Port City." Through fabulous drag performances and interviews with family, friends, and fellow Southern drag queens like The Lady Bunny, Dixie Queen reveals gay life and culture in the South.
- "I Build the Tower" is the true story of the life and work of Sam Rodia, the Italian immigrant who built the world-famous Watts Towers on a residential lot in South Central Los Angeles. These mosaic-covered spires of reinforced cement rising to almost one hundred feet were once scheduled for demolition by the City Building Department. The towers survived to become a symbol of the community in which they stand and they are now recognized throughout the world as a unique embodiment of the structural principles found in nature.
- In a tight 2002 US Senate race in Minnesota, Democrat Paul Wellstone is running against Republican Norm Coleman, a White House ally who was personally picked to run by Vice President Dick Cheney. Shortly before the election Wellstone begins to pull ahead in voter surveys and polls, but just as he is beginning to take a commanding lead, he is killed in a mysterious plane crash. Former US President Walter Mondale is recruited to run on the Democratic ticket against the White House's candidate and faces an uphill battle.
- The first major profile of the American Pop Art cult leader after his death in 1987 covers the whole of his life and work through interviews, clips from his films, and conversations with his family and superstar friends. Andy Warhol, the son of poor Czech immigrants, grew up in the industrial slums of Pittsburgh while dreaming of Hollywood stars. He went on to become a star himself.
- Controversial documentary that highlights a series of alarming issues that were ignored by the mainstream media's coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
- Guerrilla ontologist. Psychedelic magickian. Outer head of the Illuminati. Quantum psychologist. Sit-down comic/philosopher. Discordian Pope. Whatever the label and rank, Robert Anton Wilson is undeniably one of the foundations of 21th Century Western counterculture. Maybe Logic - The Lives and Ideas of Robert Anton Wilson is a cinematic alchemy that conjures it all together in a hilarious and mind-bending journey guaranteed to increase your brain size 2 - 3 inches! From the water coolers and staff meetings of Playboy and the earth-shattering transmission of the Illuminatus! Trilogy, to fire-breathing senior citizen and Taoist sage, Robert Anton Wilson is a man who has passed through the trials of chapel perilous and found himself on wondrous ground where nothing is for certain, even the treasured companionship of a six-foot-tall white rabbit. Featuring RAW video spanning 25 years and the best of over 100 hours of footage thoroughly tweaked, transmuted and regenerated, Maybe Logic follows a reality labyrinth which leads through the hollows of human perception to the vast star fields of Sirius where we find one man alone, joyfully accepting his status as Damned Old Crank and Cosmic Schmuck. Beaming with insight, frustration, compassion, and unshakable optimism, the ever-open eye of Robert Anton Wilson penetrates human illusions exposing the mathematical probabilities and spooky synchronicities of the 8 dimensions of his Universe.
- On the night of 18 October 1987, a soldier ran amok with an M16 in the area of Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur. Due to the thorny circumstances of the time and place, his amok triggered a citywide panic and rumours of racial riots. Why did he do it? Why were Malaysians so jittery at the time? And what happened next? "The Big Durian" speaks to 23 Malaysians (some real, some fictional) to find out.
- In June 2001 a group of 3000 cyclists leave San Francisco for Los Angeles to raise money for AIDS service organizations. The seven-day event # known as the California Aids Ride - covers nearly 600 miles of the state's scenic coast and Central Valley. Each rider has a personal reason for going the distance but they all have one thing in common: their lives have been touched by AIDS. Over the course of the ride they grieve for lost friends and family members, voice concern for the ever-expanding pandemic and unite in life embracing support of one another. During the ride, the world marked the 20th anniversary of the first identification of AIDS. Even though medications have been developed to prolong the lives of those living with the disease, there is still no cure and no vaccine. NO DISTANCE TOO FAR is a reminder that AIDS is still a significant problem in our world and that we must all take responsibility for the disease.
- Documentary feature about film diva Asta Nielsen based in part on previously unseen material from private archives of Frede Smith.
- A musical portrait of the legendary American jazz guitarist.
- Im südlichsten Zipfel des Salzburger Landes - im Lungau - dem Sibirien Österreichs - betreibt der Land- und Forstwirt Sepp Holzer auf seinem Bergbauernhof eine Landwirtschaft der besonderen Art. Entgegen allen konventionellen Regeln hat er - trotz einer Jahresdurchschnittstemperatur von 4,5°C und einer Höhenlage zwischen 900m und 1400m - eine essbare Paradies-Landschaft geschaffen, und damit Furore gemacht. Ihm ist es in vierzig Jahren Naturbeobachtung, unerschöpflicher Experimentierfreude und Behördenkämpfen gelungen, seine Gegner von seiner naturnahen Bewirtschaftungsart zu überzeugen: "Vielfalt statt Einfalt denn alle Pflanzen und Tiere haben eine sinnvolle Funktion" so Holzer. Auf den Gebrauch von Pestiziden, Herbiziden oder Dünger wird gänzlich verzichtet. "Mit der Natur kooperieren, statt sie zu bekämpfen. Die Natur beobachten, und herausfinden, welche Pflanzen einander unterstützen." Das sind Schlüsselbegriffe für Sepp Holzer und Grundprinzipien der Permakultur. Seit 1962, als er den Hof seines Vaters mit 19 Jahren übernahm, betreiben Sepp Holzer und seine Frau ein perfekt funktionierendes Permakultur-System, ohne überhaupt von dem Begriff "Permakultur" gehört zu haben. Angelegt in Terrassen, ähnlich den Reisfeldern in Asien, unterscheidet sich sein 46h großes Land stark von den umliegenden Fichtenmonokulturen: Hier wächst vieles, was kaum jemand in einer Höhenlage von 1400m vermuten würde: von Kirschen, Äpfeln, Pilzen über Kiwifrüchten bis hin zu Zitronen, Kürbissen, Kartoffeln und Zuchinies. Überall sprießt und gedeiht die Natur. Entlang den Wegen, auf Terrassen, im Wald, auf extremen Steilhängen und sogar auf steinigem Boden. Innerhalb der Mischkultur befinden sich ca. 45 Wassergärten, Feuchtbiotope, Teiche und drei Bergseen. Hier züchtet der Biobauer seltene Fische, Kröten, Krebse und Wasserpflanzen. Seine Schweine beackern den Boden, eggen und düngen, und die Pflanzen sorgen gegenseitig für Feuchtigkeit, Stickstoff, und Gründünger. So hat Sepp Holzer weniger Arbeit und mehr Zeit, interessierter Besucher aus aller Welt über seine Mischkulturen aufzuklären.
- Feature length documentary featuring a season with the Class A California League Visalia Oaks. Chronicles the hopes, dreams, and disappointments as young players accustomed to being the stars on their respective teams come to grips with the realities of professional baseball, where only small percentage fortunate enough to play in the minor leagues will ever have a shot at majors.
- A documentary on the life of revolutionary ceramic artist Paul Soldner, the father of American Raku, who transformed a 3,000 year old craft into a modern art form.
- Delmas Howe is a neoclassical painter with an international reputation. His subject matter often depicts gay men. In his hometown of Truth or Consequeneces New Mexico, fundamentalism is on the rise his work is little known and less accepted. This film is a portrait of both the man and his hometown.
- Are casinos a tool to help Native American tribes pursue economic self-reliance? Or could they destroy small town values? The Rules of the Game follows the conflict that erupts when an Indian tribe decides to build a casino in Rohnert Park, California.
- In Nepal an ancient tradition survives to this day. A young girl is chosen to become a goddess. She is taken from her family to live in a temple where people come to worship her and pray for good fortune.
- Human communication is a thorny endeavor. No matter what our messages are, no matter how difficult it is to get them across, we all share one desire: to be understood. But what happens when we aren't understood?
- Dahlonega; 60 miles north of Atlanta; Myra is part Cherokee, a cleaner in the local hotel. She and husband Thomas and unemployed son Terry live in a trailer park. In 1828 gold was found in Dahlonega; The Cherokees were rounded up and force-marched to the west in the 'Trail of Tears.' Today Dahlonega is a rich town living off that history. In a moving portrait, Fool's Gold peels away the layers of affluent colour-co-ordinated shops, cafes and big cars to reveal a community, where people like Myra and Thomas, live out life untouched by the prosperity of tourism, who struggle with poverty but share the little they have with others.
- DOOMSDAY MACHINE (Mashine Rooze Ghiamat) deals with the mentally disabled war veterans in one of the permanent sanatoriums in Tehran. One of the patients "Mahmood" is under the illusion that he has built a "doomsday machine" which can destroy the world by pressing a button.
- In 2001 Fitz Hill took the job as head coach of the football team at California's San Jose State University, and became one of the few African-American head coaches at a Division 1A school. His efforts to build a championship team while ensuring that his players also kept up their academic grades were hampered by faculty and student apathy towards the football program, a university with budget problems that didn't see the football team as a priority and the team's own lack of a winning record.
- Accompany Afro-American limousine driver Al Barnum and find out about his way from the slums to the top.
- In 1948 during the Greek civil war, 28 thousand children, Greek and Macedonian, were taken from their villages by the communist-led Democratic Army and raised in orphanages in Eastern Europe. The Greeks never allowed the Macedonian children back. In this moving film, 50 years later the 'children' mark the anniversary of their journey. They dance and sing and yearn for their lost villages. The Greek civil war has faded into history, but the Macedonian 'children' remain its forgotten victims.
- Documentary that focuses on both Veterans and civilians in Los Angeles that fight the American occupation of Iraq.
- This film follows legendary anti-death penalty attorney Stephen Bright through the final hours as he tries to prevent two clients from being executed. Narrated by Ani DiFranco
- Hundreds of American POWs from the Korean War were abandoned in N. Korea after hostilities ended in 1953. When it became apparent that repatriating these men would not be feasible, the U.S. government declared them, "Missing, Presumed Dead." These missing servicemen were forgotten until POW/MIA activists forced the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, chaired by Sen. John Kerry, to investigate recent reports that POWs are still alive in Vietnam and N. Korea and that the Pentagon has kept this secret from the public. MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD, unveils the mystery of why these POWs were abandoned, the likelihood some are still alive in N. Korea and why our government doesn't want them back.
- Rare ducklings must leave their treetop nest to follow their mother into the wild.
- Reveals a vivid portrait of Kosova's conditions after seven years of UN intervention: the enduring pain, the security and the ongoing struggle for independence.
- In 1955, farmer Wolf Lebrecht emigrated from Germany to the United States to fulfill his dream of owning his own farm. After years of hard work he eventually built up a 3000-acre farm in Idaho. However, by the mid-1990s he found himself being squeezed out by large agricultural corporations that bought up local potato processing plants, grain storage facilities and other agricultural businesses, and soon formed a cartel that began paying local farmers prices for their crops that were so low many of them are in danger of losing their farms--including Wolf. But dark clouds were growing over the farm's future. By the mid-1990s, globalization rained down upon Idaho with a vengeance. The world's second largest food corporation began buying local potato processing plants, grain facilities, fertilizer and pesticide merchants. Other multinationals followed suit. At the end of the 1990s, a cartel of powerful corporations controlled Idaho's markets for agricultural products. The prices paid to Wulf and his neighbors for their potatoes, grain, cattle and sheep reached an all time low. Not even 3000 acres seemed sufficient to make a living any more. American Dream is a film about one family's struggle to save their farm in the face of corporate greed. The film chronicles Wulf as he and his sons fight to preserve their livelihood. The film is also an indictment of big corporations who have squeezed out the small farmer. Behind Wulf's personal struggle, we see the economic landscape of agricultural markets that are increasingly monopolized by huge multinational corporations.
- While working on a documentary about alternative health, Eli learns that his dog Sheba has terminal cancer and is not expected to live more than three months. Eli sets out to see if there is an alternative to traditional veterinary care that will allow Sheba to live out her final days in comfort--and possibly to extend her life. Saving Sheba is ultimately a love story as Sheba lives for almost two years from her initial diagnosis, buoyed by Eli's love, increased attention and constant companionship in her final days.
- Sanguine Film's documentary Vern tells the true tale of Vernon Koski, a painter who was posthumously immortalized on canvas following a lifetime as a struggling unknown artist. The story began when up-and-coming conceptual artist Samuel Yates placed a newspaper classified ad asking for someone to "Donate Ashes to Art." Retired actress Marcia Koski answered, telling Yates of the lifetime Vern had spent in pursuit of artistic success. Yates was captivated, and Mrs. Koski agreed to give him her husband's cremated remains. Replacing oil or acrylic, the remnants became the medium for an infamous painting that now hangs in the permanent collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Having never been recognized for his art while alive, Vern has become "his own life's work."