Film Snail

History

Bakhita

Bakhita

April 4, 2009

Born in a village in Sudan, kidnapped by slavers, often beaten and abused, and later sold to Federico Marin, a Venetian merchant, Bakhita then came to Italy and became the nanny servant of Federico's daughter, Aurora, who had lost her mother at birth. She is treated as an outcast by the peasants and the other servants due to her black skin and African background, but Bakhita is kind and generous to others. Bakhita gradually comes closer to God with the help of the kind village priest, and embraces the Catholic faith. She requests to join the order of Canossian sisters, but Marin doesn't want to give her up as his servant, treating her almost as his property. This leads to a moving court case that raised an uproar which impacts Bakhita's freedom and ultimate decision to become a nun. Pope John Paul II declared her a saint in the year 2000.

The General - Attempt at Gibraltar

The General - Attempt at Gibraltar

April 3, 2009

The film presents the last days of Gen. Sikorski, right before the Gibraltar catastrophe. The commander is accompanied by his daughter Zofia and a group of closest collaborators. They are all guests in the palace of the Governor of Gibraltar, Mason Macfarlane, who is supposed to persuade Sikorski to give back documents on the murder of Polish officers in Katyn. When Sikorski refuses, a plan of attempt on his life comes into action. Who stood behind it? Who executed it and how? Was Zofia on board of Liberator too?

Turning Point 1977

Turning Point 1977

April 2, 2009

At the close of the Cultural Revolution, a group of young idealists battle for the right to return home and restart their lives after years of toil on a state run re-education farm in China.

City in Red

City in Red

April 2, 2009

A 2009 Cuban drama by Rebeca Chávez taking place in Santiago de Cuba at the beginning of revolution. In the late 1950s, the city of Santiago de Cuba was afire, the site of some of the fiercest resistance to the murderous dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista. The film's narrative unfolds over 24 hours in the lives of several youthful members of the underground as they confront their own uncertainty about the morality of armed struggle and the necessity of severing bonds that had seemed unbreakable.

Iron & Blood: The Legend of Taras Bulba

Iron & Blood: The Legend of Taras Bulba

April 2, 2009

Set in the 16th century, this is a story about Ukraine's Cossack warriors and their campaign to defend their lands from the advancing Polish armies.

Gladstone and Disraeli: Clash of the Titans

April 1, 2009

Huw Edwards presents a documentary examining the relationship between Victorian prime ministers Benjamin Disraeli and William Gladstone, whose bitter personal rivalry dominated British politics for 40 years.

Don't Burn

Don't Burn

April 1, 2009

In the spring of 2005, a mother living in Hanoi receives a diary of her late daughter, a young doctor working at a field hospital during the war. Kept for over thirty years by an American veteran, the diary is an account of her life spanning two years, from April 1968 until her death in June 1970.

Chaucer & the Canterbury Tales

Chaucer & the Canterbury Tales

March 31, 2009

Terry Jones (of Monty Python) gives a narrative of the life of and society around Geoffrey Chaucer. Geoffrey Chaucer's life to middle age, He survived the Black Death as a child, and become actively involved in the 100 Years War, the war that was to leave England devastated. Despite all these catastrophes, English literature went though a short Renaissance, and the program considers the leading role that Chaucer was to play in it.

Eliot Ness vs. Al Capone

Eliot Ness vs. Al Capone

March 29, 2009

January, 1947. The public receives the news of Al Capone's death with indifference, although twenty years earlier he had ruled Chicago's crime underworld with brute force and corrupting many touchable individuals. Until the day the head of the Untouchables Brigade, Eliot Ness, entered the scene. Since then, a cruel battle between the two of them began, a battle that ended in trial, conviction, disease, insanity and death.

Рихард Зорге. Резидент, которому не верили

Рихард Зорге. Резидент, которому не верили

March 28, 2009

Aluku liba

Aluku liba

March 28, 2009

After years of serving in the army and drifting across the Amazon, Loeti yearns to go back to his land, to find his roots, and be amongst his people, the Aluku, the first Maroons of French Guiana and Suriname. One night, due to a crackdown on illegal gold mining, Loeti is forced to flee the site where he is working. Lost in the Amazon forest, he must use what is left of his childhood knowledge of the forest, to find his way back and combat the many deadly perils that lurk with every step. He is guided by the spirits, the animals, a compass, and his prayers. An intense reunion confronts Loeti with a changing world where old traditions and values are both challenged and influenced by the invading modern world. Loeti must deal with his past and grapple with what remains of the Aluku's ancient African customs by immersing himself in their magical world.

Morristown: Where America Survived

Morristown: Where America Survived

March 28, 2009

A thirty-minute High Definition documentary which revisits that winter of 1779-80 when Washington’s troops arrived at the densely-wooded area just south of Morristown known as Jockey Hollow, to build a log hut city for their winter camp. The film is an eye-opening look at how the camp saved the army – and the American Revolution – from the brink of disaster. Based on John T. Cunningham’s book The Uncertain Revolution and shot on location at Morristown National Historical Park, Morristown: Where America Survived is narrated by award-winning actor Edward Herrmann, who has voiced many history documentaries over his extensive career. The program was produced by New Jersey Network.

Fort Apache Napoli

Fort Apache Napoli

March 27, 2009

The story of Giancarlo Siani, a journalist killed by the Neapolitan Mafia in 1985.

The Damned United

The Damned United

March 27, 2009

Taking over Leeds United, Brian Clough's abrasive approach and his clear dislike of the players' dirty style of play make it certain there is going to be friction. Glimpses of his earlier career help explain both his hostility to previous manager Don Revie and how much he is missing right-hand man Peter Taylor.

Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer

Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer

March 23, 2009

Cleopatra - the most famous woman in history. We know her as a great queen, a beautiful lover and a political schemer. For 2,000 years almost all evidence of her has disappeared - until now. In one of the world's most exciting finds, archaeologists believe they have discovered the skeleton of her sister, murdered by Cleopatra and Mark Antony. From Egypt to Turkey, Neil Oliver investigates the story of a ruthless queen who would kill her own siblings for power. This is the portrait of a killer.

Secrets Of The Druids

Secrets Of The Druids

March 22, 2009

Although they left no writings of their own, the Druids have had a profound impact on modern culture. The Druids of Celtic Britain are remembered as mystical holy men, holding the secrets of nature. But ancient sources - including Julius Caesar himself - accused them of human sacrifice, even cannibalism. Now, new discoveries are uncovering the secrets of these Celtic pagan priests. Archaeological evidence reveals the truth about Druid sacrifice and tells the story of the Druids' last stand against Rome's conquering legions. Learn how a recent discovery of a cloaked man buried almost 2,000 years ago with mysterious metal rods has been linked with the Druids for the first time.

Kinder des Sturms

Kinder des Sturms

March 17, 2009

On the escape of the violent Poles 1946, the child of Rosemarie get lost. And Rosemaries tries to find her daughter.

Pane e libertà

Pane e libertà

March 15, 2009

About comunist politician and labor union leader Giuseppe Di Vittorio.

The Age of Stupid

The Age of Stupid

September 21, 2009

The Age of Stupid is the new movie from Director Franny Armstrong (McLibel) and producer John Battsek (One Day In September). Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated future world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

A Call to Arms

A Call to Arms

March 13, 2009

A documentary which traces the controversial Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program (AVIP) in the United States and the United Kingdom.