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Year
Popular Documentary Movies
The One Amongst the Shadows
Lizbeth, a transsexual woman in charge of the funerary rituals in the small town of San Nicolas, has a gift that allows her to accompany the souls of the deceased with songs, prayers and music, in their journey towards the unknown. She embraces this skill with care, and it has made her a loved and respected figure in her community, where her intimate life is spent in solitude and silence.
Globes
While dancing, bees tell each other stories about the world around them. People also claim a role in those stories, sometimes very close and intimate, sometimes distant and on an industrial scale. Nina de Vroome's thoughts also swarm with the bees: from the smallest cell in a honeycomb to the global economy, her essayistic nature documentary Globes charts the bond between humans and bees. As accomplished storytellers, they both give shape to their lives under the sun.
One Pint at a Time
Craft beer generates tens of billions of dollars annually for the US economy. Despite beer’s Egyptian and African heritage, these traditions have been mostly forgotten and are rarely found in American brewing culture. Today, Black-owned breweries make up less than 1% of the nearly 9,000 breweries in operation. Eager to shift the historical perception of who makes and drinks beer, Black brewers, brand owners and influencers across the country are reshaping the craft beer industry and the future of America’s favorite adult beverage.
On the Divide
Brings us into the lives of three Latinx people in McAllen Texas, whose different beliefs end up coming to a head at the last abortion clinic in the US/Mexico border.
Zoila
When Gabriela finds out that Zoila, the Mapuche nanny from her childhood, does not appear in the family tapes, she begins to inquire about the maternal relationship that unites them.
The Siege
What lies behind the violation of every rule? An account reliving the yearly ritual that takes place at the autodrome in Mugello where fifty thousand participants from all around the world descend in search of the extreme.
Les ombres du Bataclan
On November 13, 2015, terrorists killed 130 people in several locations in Paris through attacks and suicide bombings. In the Bataclan club, 90 terror victims died. ARTE once again documents the international police investigations on the occasion of the beginning of the trial against the only surviving terrorist Salah Abdeslam and 19 other suspects. The Islamist attacks of November 13, 2015 shook Paris and the rest of the world. The system's weak points that effectively enabled the attacks were investigated in 2016 by a parliamentary study group, finally summarizing its finds in a dossier. Francis Gillery's documentary "Les ombres du Bataclan" is based on this dossier. It details the investigations and the course of events.
Steel Boat
By the Gyeongho river in Sancheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do Province, is located Sungsim-won where the patients of Hansen’s disease stay. It was built with the money raised from selling the relief supplies after the Korean War and has been precious home to many Hansen patients. Until Sungsim bridge was constructed over the Gyeongho river, the only vehicle that connected them with the outside world was a steel boat. Currently this small steel boat rests in Sungsim-won bearing the shadow of the painful time in the past.
Oxente, Bixiga!
Nordeste is a fiction, sang Belchior in São Paulo. If the paulista and the northeastern are inventions elevated along a path, they are also the shapers of cities carried in the body of everyone who comes and everyone who goes. The documentary looks at the presence of many northeasters, in this region called Bixiga, known for its Italian presence, claimed in its black and indigenous memory.
Darkness There and Nothing More
Filmmaker Tea Tupajic was seven years old when the civil war in the former Yugoslavia reached her hometown Sarajevo. The scars the war left play a major role in her work as an artist. She asked Dutch war veterans Frank and Harm to spend a night in conversation with her. The empty theater gradually darkens. Tupajic wants answers to some painful questions, but she also tries to discover something in the two men that can give her hope.
Danças Negras
A debate about the presence of black culture in Brazilian contemporaneity, as well as the various paradoxes found in the environment of a society marked by a racist and slavery tradition.
Beyond the Sight
The documentary Beyond The Sight tells the story of the director "No Dongju" who challenges the visual art of film as a visually impaired person. He is standing up against the incompetent image of disabled people in "Poverty Pornography", which takes extreme pictures of people placed under difficult circumstances and distributes them in the media. This film shows what kind of prejudices and perspectives our society has through the lives of human workers and director Noh Joo's filmmaking story.
Rabenu – I’m a Wonder Man
How did a controversial rabbi who passed away more than 200 years ago become the most influential figure in the lives of hundreds of thousands of Jews? In a special and surprising cinematic language, Rabenu – I’m a Wonder Man, delves into the biggest spiritual movement in Judaism today, and brings the magic of one of Judaism’s most mysterious Hassidic rabbis, Rebbe Nachman of Breslow, to the screen.
The Taste of Nature the Making of the World's Best Bean to Bar Chocolate
How does Adachi make the best chocolate in the world?
Herbert. Barbarian in the Garden
Polish author Zbigniew Herbert is one of the most remarkable poets of the 20th century. His works have been translated into 40 languages, acclaimed and awarded around the world, mainly because of its timeless and universal dimension. In Poland, his significance is even greater, as Herbert was a moral guide in his native country. His poetry was of great importance during the fight against communism. Many Poles learned his poems by heart and remember them up to this day. However, behind the crystalline beauty of his poetry, there is a man struggling with everyday life. His story told by his wife, Katarzyna, and people who were close to him unveils a picture of a unique, yet complex artist. A model of intelligence, humour and charm, on the one hand, Herbert has been struggling with anger, physical pain and mental illness, on the other.
The Still Side
An island off the pacific coast of Mexico. There is no one in sight, but we find traces of a bustling past. Interwoven into the soundscape and amorphous space of what remains, the past and future cross paths and we as spectators are invited to join on a journey beyond time.
#Mickey
#Mickey is a hybrid documentary about a genderfluid Youtube celebrity from Mexico. Born in 1994 in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mickey began recording herself at age 11. She found in social networks a way to explore her gender identity and overcome the deep homophobia of her environment and became a Youtube sensation with more than 250 thousand online followers.
Road for Two
Thirty-five years after their first meeting, which would change their lives, Argentine guitarist Lucio Yanel and his Brazilian pupil Yamandu Costa reunited to redo, on a trip, the paths that originally led Yanel to the interior of Rio Grande do Sul. Aboard a motor home, with his guitars and memories, master and disciple cross the border of Brazil towards Corrientes, the Argentine's homeland, reflecting on the transformations brought about by the inexorable passage of time.
Yusan no Nyobo
Adapted from the novel "Yu-san no Nyobo ~ Mou Hitori no Ishihara Yujiro" by Muramatsu Tomomi, this NHK / BS4K one -shot drama tells a love story of a woman who continues to be the "wife" of superstar Ishihara Yujiro.
The Faithful: The King, The Pope, The Princess
A lollipop officially licensed by the Vatican sparks filmmaker Annie Berman's 20-year exploration of fandom, memorabilia, and legacy within the orbits of three cultural icons: Pope John Paul II, Elvis Presley, and Diana, Princess of Wales.
The Wall
The Original Motodrom is the oldest traveling Wall Of Death in the world. Built in 1928, it will soon be a 100 year old circus. The four “Motorellos” Capt Donald Ganslmeier, El Clemente, Peter Petersen, and The Flying Dutchman are keeping the soul of these machines alive by riding The Wall Of Death to entertain hundreds of thousands of people. For them, the same passion still burns. Shot over five years – June 2015 to August 2020 – ‘The Wall’ gives viewers a rare, in depth look into a disappearing profession and way of life. Beautiful and at times heartbreaking, we see through the expert eye of filmmaker Stéphane Gautronneau how the passion of these riders alone is what keeps the Wall Of Death alive today.
Breaking Meth
See the rise, the danger and the fight against the life-threatening crystal meth. In 2020 no fewer than 32 methamphetamine labs were rolled up in the Netherlands, while they were hardly found two years earlier. Rick shows how devastating these drugs are. He has been addicted for twenty years. There is also an answer to the question: what do Mexican cartels have to do with production in the Netherlands?
Zero to Zero
With many Covid-19 patients battling for their lives, a hospital faces its toughest challenge ever. Exclusive frontline access reveals the staff and patients' resilience in the face of this new enemy.
Sava
Mira Furlan plays the voice of Sava. Once the longest river in Yugoslavia she converses with her people on a 990km odyssey downstream through divided lands she seeks to understand.
A Once and Future Peace
A hybrid animated / live-action documentary that explores the past, present and future of Peacemaking Circles, and how this ancient restorative justice practice has been reimagined to keep youth out of prison. The film tracks the parallel stories of a troubled teen facing serious jail time, and the former Cambodian gang leader serving as his mentor.
Back Home
Due to the impact of the global Coronavirus pandemic, the author of the film comes back to her birthplace after having spent the last 10 years abroad. She goes about her daily routine under lockdown along with her parents: her father teeming with good humour who takes government restrictions with reservations, and her mother who voluntarily locks herself in her room because of fears she could infect other flatmates with the virus she may not even have. Sara Shazli observes city bustle outside the windows and domestic life through the camera lens in her own perspective, treating familiar situations with both tragic and comic distance. Being locked down with her parents helps her in rediscovering family ties and her relationship to home.
Marapu, Fire & Ritual
Marapu, Fire & Ritual is a story that follows Pak Ledi, Poho Maga’s uncle, as he overcomes his family’s tarnished reputation by taking responsibility to fix the past. He believes it is the right timing to conduct a sacred four day ritual to invite the Marapu spirits back into the village. But not everyone agrees to this. Pak Ledi must first unite the village leaders.
How to Kill a Cloud
Scientist Hannele Korhonen has one ultimate passion: to work at the top of the atmospheric science community in the world. She wishes to be totally independent and concentrate on her science while maintaining high ethical values. Her life changes dramatically when she is awarded a 1,5 million USD research grant by the United Arab Emirates. The funder expects her to find ways to make the migratory clouds above the UAE to rain on the country suffering of drought. The opportunity to get proper funding for such a special research is perfect. Gradually she learns that the aim of the funder is to benefit one country, not science at large. Korhonen’s enthusiasm morphs into an ethical dilemma and inner conflicts.
Our Purgatory
This collective film, a cinematographic performance, in a way a tribute to the poet and priest Jakub Deml, presents the experiences of individual creators upon encountering his texts from the ensemble "My Purgatory". It wavers between spontaneous, even raw film, and conceptual performance. A "heretical mass" of four interpenetrating parts in color (Closure, Pilgrimage, Home, Cemetery), which define typically Deml motifs. The fifth part, in high contrast black and white, is a reaction to the illusion of a colorful world, a voice from the graveyard that frames the eternally absurd human quest for immortality.
Les Mots de Taj
At 14, Tajamul fled from Afghanistan to Amiens, France. Now that he is 20, he wants to make the journey backwards with his adoptive father, and tell his story for all the refugees who cannot speak anymore.
Life & Life
Reggie Austin is in San Quentin prison, serving a life sentence. When a film crew goes to the prison to film a documentary and stage a concert to honor sax great Frank Morgan (who once served there), Reggie steps up to perform. It changes his life forever.
Greg Mortimer: en busca de una tierra solidaria
It is southern summer and a cruise is about to leave for Antarctica. Hours earlier, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 pandemic. What seems to be the safest place in the world, becomes the worst nightmare of those who travel on the cruise when the first positive case is detected on board. Upon verifying the massive contagion inside the ship, all the countries refuse to receive it, except Uruguay. The country that had implemented an operation to repatriate thousands of citizens and resident migrants, was the only one that provided humanitarian aid to the Greg Mortimer cruise ship that, at the time of docking in the port of Montevideo, was collapsed by illness and anguish. A story where empathy, solidarity and organized action were key to containing the impacts of the disaster.
Bad Nazi - Good Nazi
He is known as the Nazi officer who saves "The Pianist" -Wladyslaw Szpilman, in the Roman Polanski film, but his German hometown from which he ran the local school and went to the war, still refuses to recognize him as a hero. 70 years after the end of the war, a group of residents demand to commemorate the Nazi Officer, Wilm Hosenfeld, in the local school and the reactions are stormy. In the meantime, Hosenfeld's grandchildren discover their grandfather's secret diaries in which he documented Nazi war crimes and they embark on a journey of discovery. During this journey, they will find out that their grandfather was a serial savior and aside from "The Pianist", another 60 people owe him their lives.
Homes
The camera stands in a house, the lens pointing through the window, outdoors, where the occupants of the home are standing. They respond patiently to the camera operator’s directions: a small step to the left, a little bit forward, no, back just a bit, yes, that’s perfect. Dozens of people pose in this way for a full minute. There’s a man who lives alone, a large family, an older woman on a trampoline. Some are entirely at ease, others more self-conscious. Rabbits, dogs, and cats are allowed to join these portraits, too. All of them are captured within the natural frame of the windows, along with the lace or floral curtains.
Mosul, My Home
For many of us, when we first hear the name Mosul City, we immediately think of the brutal reign of the so-called ‘Islamic State,’ of humanitarian crisis, devastation and slow recovery. However, this film tells the story of Mosul beyond these stereotypes, examining the aftermath of war, the environment of the city and its communal places, as well as the once thriving energy of the city and its multi-ethnic inhabitants.
Emily @ the Edge of Chaos
Emily @ the Edge of Chaos interweaves Emily Levine’s live performance with animation, appearances by scientists, and animated characters. The film uses physics, which explains how the universe works, to explain our metaphysics – the story of our values, our institutions, our interactions. Using her own experience and a custom blend of insight and humor, provocation and inspiration, personal story and social commentary, Emily takes her audience through its own paradigm shift: from the Fear of Change to the Edge of Chaos.
Burning Flower
Lim Seonn-yeo, 68, has never left a deep mountain village in Samcheok, Gangwon Province. Her husband, the protector of the illiterate Seonn-yeo, passed away, leaving her a will to "learn to read and write." She says that she has lived her life without any regrets because ignorant people have no dreams, but now she prepares for breaking up. She bids farewell to the cow she had been with all her life and to the house where she lived with her husband.
Under Tomorrow's Sky
Winy Maas, co-founder of MVRDV architects, always has 100 projects going at once. Documentary filmmaker Jan Louter followed him for two years to make "Under Tomorrow's Sky", a candid and open-hearted look at the highs and lows of the architecture profession.
Around Japan With a Movie Camera
Intense interest in Japan by the West made it a favourite destination for filmmakers from the earliest days of film. This selection of films from 1901 to 1913, newly restored by the BFI National Archive, takes us on a fascinating journey through Meiji Japan.