November 4, 2009
In 16th-century Russia in the grip of chaos, Ivan the Terrible strongly believes he is vested with a holy mission. Believing he can understand and interpret the signs, he sees the Last Judgment approaching. He establishes absolute power, cruelly destroying anyone who gets in his way. During this reign of terror, Philip, the superior of the monastery on the Solovetsky Islands, a great scholar and Ivan's close friend, dares to oppose the sovereign's mystical tyranny. What follows is a clash between two completely opposite visions of the world, smashing morality and justice, God and men. A grand-scale film with excellent leading roles by Mamonov and Yankovsky. An allegory of Stalinist Russia
September 16, 2009
This gripping historical drama recounts the story of Armenian-born Missak Manouchian, a woodworker and political activist who led an immigrant laborer division of the Parisian Resistance on 30 operations against the Nazis in 1943. The Nazis branded the group an Army of Crime, an anti-immigrant propaganda stunt that backfired as the team's members became martyrs for the Resistance.
May 17, 2009
A historical drama set in Roman Egypt, concerning philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria and her relationship with her slave Davus, who is torn between his love for her and the possibility of gaining his freedom by joining the rising tide of Christianity.
May 15, 2009
The story takes place near the famous Ancient Corinth (around the mid-4th century BCE), referring to its two harbours (named Lechaion and Kenchreae). Several ships, avoiding the dangerous travel around the whole of Peloponnese, were transferred from the Corinth Golf to the Golf of Saronikos, on top of an eight-wheel vehicle dragged along a stone-paved road (the “Diolkos”), almost parallel to the actual Corinth-Canal. The film describes several technical details of the whole operation, as well as various events such as the visits of the sailors to an ancient Greek Temple and to a tavern, where a hypothetically available Hydraulis (water organ) was played, or to a public fountain encountered along the Diolkos.
May 9, 2009
May 8, 2009
May 5, 2009
This special commemorative program spans the life of Barack Obama, from his early childhood to his historic election as the 44th president of the United States. Go inside his unprecedented campaign. Discover how he overcame adversity on the road to the White House. See him inspire people around he world with his message of change.
May 3, 2009
Giorgio Capitani reconstructs in the Rai TV film the parable of the famous entrepreneur, in a product that in technical terms does not escape the logic of television, but still manages to offer an interesting picture of a key figure of postwar Italy.
May 3, 2009
More than 30 years after the dramatic ending of a train hijack five people involved meet each other on a television show. Starting point is the death of the only female hijacker: Noor. One by one the five enter the studio. Each with their own expectations or hidden agenda.
May 2, 2009
King Haji Fisabililah dies in a battle against the Dutch in the Gulf of Ketapang. The regalia of the Malay Kingdom is held by the daughter of King Haji, Engku Putri Hamidah, but later seized by the Dutch. This hurts Engku Putri, especially after seeing the suffering of the people. King Haji’s grandson, King Ali Haji, continues the resistance against the Dutch. But his opposition is peaceful by means of his writings. One of his most famous works is Gurindam Dua Belas.
May 1, 2009
In the winter of 2002-'03, as the US was building its case to attack Iraq, people around the world responded with a series fo the largest peace protests in history. Shutdown: The Rise and Fall of Direct Action to Stop the War, is an action-packed documentary chronicling how DASW successfully organized to shut down a major US city and how they failed to effectively maintain the organization to fight the war machine and end the occupation of Iraq. Created by organizers involved with DASW, Shutdown combines detailed information on organizing for a mass action, critical interviews on organizing pitfalls, and the wisdom of hindsight. It is a must-see film for those engaged in the continuous struggle toward social justice.
May 1, 2009
In this film, which takes a critical look at the period when Saddam Hussein, the former leader of Iraq who was brutally executed in recent years, was in power, director Gani Rüzgar Şavata's message is: "If soldiers are not robots, if they have become pawns for the supporters of imperialism, Zionism, and fascism, if they do not even recognize the thin line between life and death for people searching for their own identity, then these are Saddam's Soldiers." It is the era of Saddam Hussein in northern Iraq. Many raids are carried out on Peshmerga villages, and torture and suffering are rampant. Despite everything, an unstoppable love quietly blossoms, grows, and strives to survive.
April 30, 2009
This movie is about the life story of St. Joseph Vaz.
April 30, 2009
In 1913, little Mary Phagan is found dead at the National Pencil Factory in Atlanta. Police quickly decide that the Jewish Superintendent, Leo Frank, should be held responsible. The trial commences with both prosecution and defense lawyers using ad hominen as the base for their arguments. From 1913 to 1915, this murder, trial, and aftermath gained notoriety worldwide. And one hundred years later it has produced books, college and university discussions, a Hollywood-ized movie "They Won't Forget", a TV movie "The Murder of Mary Phagan", a Broadway musical "Parade", a bittersweet folk song "The Ballad of Mary Phagan", and racial controversy.
April 29, 2009
The untold story about wild rabbits which lived between the Berlin Walls. For 28 years Death Zone was their safest home. Full of grass, no predators, guards protecting them from human disturbance. They were closed but happy. When their population grew up to thousands, guards started to remove them. But rabbits survived and stayed there. Unfortunately one day the wall fell down. Rabbits had to abandon comfortable system. They moved to West Berlin and have been living there in a few colonies since then. They are still learning how to live in the free world, same as we - the citizens of Eastern Europe.
April 27, 2009
The tombs of the grand lords of Moche civilization - one of Peru's most important pre-Hispanic civilizations -- are in constant danger from grave robbers, but archeologist Walter Alva has managed to find some priceless treasures and recreate the lives of this ancient people of northern Peru.
April 26, 2009
The first American documentary about Traditional (Non-Racist) Skinheads. Focuses on the 'cross of cultures' that came together to form the Skinhead identity: The origins of the Skinhead scene in England, its roots in Jamaican Reggae and Ska (mid-'60s) to its revival and global impact with 2 Tone, Punk, Oi, and Hardcore (late '70s to present day). Features interviews and live concert footage by current bands across these various musical genres in the United States, England and Germany; discussing their viewpoints on Skinhead, its Working Class values, and its continuing relevance around the world.
April 30, 2009
Slovakia, on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. The family of the young Jewish Martin Friedmann gathers to celebrate his bar mitzvah and make a solemn promise that they will all meet again a year later around the same table; but the storms of war and anti-Semitic fanaticism will lead each of them down very different paths.
April 23, 2009
April 22, 2009
In 1937, during the height of the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Imperial Japanese Army has just captured Nanjing, then-capital of the Republic of China. What followed was known as the Nanking Massacre, or the Rape of Nanking, a six week period wherein tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers and civilians were killed.