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Vintage World Series Films: New York Mets

Vintage World Series Films: New York Mets

September 26, 2006

The World Series champion Mets of 1969 and 1986 were embraced by fans for their pitching, personalities, and perseverance. In 1969, the world was mesmerized by man's first steps on the moon. The world of baseball was equally transfixed by the Mets. New York relied on pitching from Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman, and the hitting of Tommie Agee and Cleon Jones to register the Club's first 100-win season. It took the 1986 Mets two games to recover from a grueling NLCS, and then the fiery Lenny Dykstra led the charge. With two road victories pushing the Fall Classic back to Shea Stadium, the stage was set for Game Six--and arguably the most remarkable comeback in baseball history...

Flyboys

Flyboys

September 22, 2006

The adventures of the Lafayette Escadrille, young Americans who volunteered for the French military before the U.S. entered World War I, and became the country's first fighter pilots.

The Unknown Soldier

The Unknown Soldier

September 21, 2006

In the wake of World War II, most Germans have been raised with the mistaken belief that the Holocaust had been planned and executed by just a tiny minority of Nazis, namely, the Gestapo and the SS. The sad truth, however, is that Hitler's philosophy of ethnic cleansing, as the Fuhrer so brazenly espoused in his frightening manifesto, "Mein Kampf," had been enthusiastically embraced not only by the entire military but also by most of the civilian population. The long-suppressed proof of their widespread collaboration and participation was unveiled in The Wehrmacht Exhibition, a damning collection of photographs and film footage that toured Deutschland between 1999 and 2004. The show shook the country to its core because it forced folks to face up to the fact that it took much more than a madman and his henchmen to wipe out six million.

Grace Kelly: Destiny of a Princess

Grace Kelly: Destiny of a Princess

September 16, 2006

In 1956, actress and Hollywood star Grace Kelly (1929-82), then at the height of her film career, unexpectedly dropped everything to marry Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Jinx, an American journalist and friend of the future princess, accompanied her on her journey to the wedding and covered the sensational event.

The Queen

The Queen

September 15, 2006

The Queen is an intimate behind the scenes glimpse at the interaction between HM Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair during their struggle, following the death of Diana, to reach a compromise between what was a private tragedy for the Royal family and the public's demand for an overt display of mourning.

Mansfeld

Mansfeld

September 14, 2006

At 15 he and his family became victims of state terror. At 16 he became a freedom fighter to participate in the 1956 Revolution against Soviet oppression. At 17 he is betrayed and arrested by the dreaded Secret Police (AVH). Now he has to spend the remainder of his life in a political prison, called Hell's Hallway, to reach the legal age of 18 before his death penalty can be carried out. Peter Mansfeld was 18 when he was unjustly executed by the totalitarian regime of Hungary. Today he is remembered as one of the national heroes of Hungary.

The Banquet

The Banquet

September 14, 2006

Crown Prince Wu Luan is in love with Little Wan but left heartbroken when she marries his father, the emperor. The emperor's brother, Li, kills him and Wu Luan tries to avenge his father's death.

Primo Levi's Journey

Primo Levi's Journey

September 12, 2006

In February, 1945, Primo Levi (1919-1987) and other Auschwitz survivors set off for home. The journey took more then eight months. Sixty years later, a film crew retraces Levi's steps. Levi's words, mainly from "The Truce" (1963), tell us what he experienced. In turn, we see Poland's hollow post-war factories, nationalism in the Ukraine, Soviet-style Communism in Belarus, the abandoned town of Prypiat (Chernobyl), poverty and emigration from Moldavia, Italian factories in Romania, and on across Hungary and Slovakia to Munich where Levi's rage found no listeners. Then home to Turin. An aged Mario Rigoni Stern remembers his friend. What has changed? Some issues of the war remain unsettled.

El Cantante

El Cantante

September 12, 2006

The rise and fall of salsa singer, Héctor Lavoe (1946-1993), as told from the perspective of his wife Puchi, who looks back from 2002.

Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue

September 11, 2006

Told from the point of view of an English trader working in the North Tower of the World Trade Centre, the poem-film Out Of The Blue was commissioned by Channel 5 and broadcast five years after the 9.11 attacks on America.

Dust to Dust: The Health Effects of 9/11

Dust to Dust: The Health Effects of 9/11

September 11, 2006

Five years after 9/11, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center continue to claim the lives of American citizens. The violent collapse of the buildings released hundreds of thousands of pounds of deadly materials into the air - including carcinogens such as asbestos and benzene, lead and mercury from the thousands of crushed computers, and other toxins such as PCPs, PAHs and silicon particulates.

The Old Summer Palace

The Old Summer Palace

September 8, 2006

Golden Door

Golden Door

September 22, 2006

The story is set at the beginning of the 20th century in Sicily. Salvatore, a very poor farmer, and a widower, decides to emigrate to the US with all his family, including his old mother. Before they embark, they meet Lucy. She is supposed to be a British lady and wants to come back to the States. Lucy, or Luce as Salvatore calls her, for unknown reasons wants to marry someone before to arrive to Ellis Island in New York. Salvatore accepts the proposal. Once they arrive in Ellis Island they spend the quarantine period trying to pass the examinations to be admitted to the States. Tests are not so simple for poor farmers coming from Sicily. Their destiny is in the hands of the custom officers.

Freedom's Fury

Freedom's Fury

September 7, 2006

A documentary on the 1956 Olympic semifinal water polo match between Hungary and Russia. Held in Australia, the match occurred as Russian forces were in Budapest, stomping out a popular revolt.

Verdun: Descent into Hell

August 30, 2006

Documentary concerning the battle of Verdun which, with its weapons of mass destruction, marked the beginning of modern warfare in what is considered to be the most gruesome military confrontation of World War I. The programme conveys the horror of this military inferno, illustrating the similar experiences of the French and German soldiers and their struggle for survival. It also provides the unknown soldier with a face through various letters, diaries and private photographs.

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus

August 30, 2006

In 1958 New York Diane Arbus is a housewife and mother who works as an assistant to her husband, a photographer employed by her wealthy parents. Respectable though her life is, she cannot help but feel uncomfortable in her privileged world. One night, a new neighbor catches Diane's eye, and the enigmatic man inspires her to set forth on the path to discovering her own artistry.

Invincible

Invincible

August 25, 2006

Inspired by the true story of Vince Papale, a man with nothing to lose who ignored the staggering odds and made his dream come true. When the coach of Papale's beloved hometown football team hosted an unprecedented open tryout, the public consensus was that it was a waste of time – no one good enough to play professional football was going to be found this way.

Nuremberg: Goering's Last Stand

Nuremberg: Goering's Last Stand

August 24, 2006

The Nuremberg trials, 1946 Goering and the Nazi high command stand trial. Within the prison a dangerous mind game is being conducted by Goering and the prison guards who stand watch over the perpetrators of the Holocaust.

Francisco de Miranda

Francisco de Miranda

August 18, 2006

In 1750, in the glare of the Caribbean, the man who created history known as the forerunner of independence in Venezuela. His name is Francisco de Miranda and, to be exact, is the largest globetrotter who has known the Americas, Miranda has a reputation as an inveterate wanderer, an eternal conspirator, a turncoat, a conqueror of nobles and courtiers, a lover of asylums, libraries, prisons and brothels, has written 63 volumes of his autobiography, a friend of princes, military and world-renowned artists, collector of women and unthinkable dreams, restless fugitive, owner of ten different names, and presented by the British press the moment as the future liberator of Spanish America.

A Thousand and One Monica

A Thousand and One Monica

August 16, 2006

There is no shortage of words to define the actress, screenwriter and director Monica Vitti: Intense, beautiful, sensual, eclectic, intelligent, muse... She was a shining star during the golden age of Italian cinema. She is a legendary figure who served as example for generations of young filmmakers. Monica Vitti’s story is the story of Italian cinema; her life is inextricably linked to the medium. This documentary shows the sheer physicality of her acting; her visceral style which demanded that everything, personality defects included, was integrated into her unique performances.