Eleven time Fiddler of the Year and even a Grammy nominee, but that's just part of the story. Though born with disabilities that left him blind and partially deaf, Michael Cleveland is considered by many to be the greatest fiddler of all time.
In 1996, Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos Gonzalez, British producer Nick Gold, and American guitarist Ry Cooder convened in Havana to produce a Cuban-Malian collaboration. When the Malians couldn’t get visas, the team turned their attention to reviving a forgotten generation of legendary son cubano musicians and formed an on-the-fly ensemble: the Buena Vista Social Club. Two decades since that fateful first session, we catch up to these master musicians, as they reflect on the magical unfolding of their lives—from humble origins to the evolution and surprising revival of their careers, all against the backdrop of Cuba’s dramatic history. Brimming with unseen concert, rehearsal, and archival footage, this film is an emotional, shimmering celebration of music’s power to transcend age, ideologies, and class, and to connect us to each other through our souls.
Comedian Harmonists tells the story of a famous, German male sextet, five vocals and piano, the "Comedian Harmonists", from the day they meet first in 1927 to the day in 1934, when they become banned by the upcoming Nazis, because three of them are Jewish.
You Gave Me A Song offers an intimate portrait of old-time music pioneer Alice Gerrard and her remarkable, unpredictable journey creating and preserving traditional music. The film follows eighty-four year old Gerrard over several years, weaving together verité footage of living room rehearsals, recording sessions, songwriting, archival work, and performances with photos and rare field recordings. Much of the film is told in Alice’s voice and via interviews with musical collaborators and family members who share the story of Alice and others chasing that high lonesome sound.
Beyond her enormous stage presence, Dalida (1933-1987) was an exceptional musical phenomenon: she was convincing in the most diverse genres, from chanson to disco to world music and Schlager, and sang in a total of twelve languages. Like hardly any other artist, she adapted to her respective audience and was thus able to achieve worldwide popularity. This show revisits her greatest hits and thus becomes a musical border crossing and voyage of discovery that will bring us closer to Dalida in all her musical and linguistic facets for the first time.
In "Gone with the Wind" she was an unforgettable Scarlett O'Hara. Beauty, two-time Oscar winner, celebrated Hollywood star and great Shakespearean interpreter - Vivien Leigh was all that. Behind the celebrity, however, was a fragile person. Her bipolar disorder clouded her success and her private happiness.
A gripping documentary about the courage and determination of a young English stockbroker who saved the lives of 669 children. Between March 13 and August 2, 1939, Nicholas Winton organized 8 transports to take children from Prague to new homes in Great Britain, and kept quiet about it until his wife discovered a scrapbook documenting his unique mission in 1988. Winton was a successful 29-year-old stockbroker in London who "had an intuition" about the fate of the Jews when he visited Prague in 1939. He quietly but decisively got down to the business of saving lives. We learn how only two countries, Sweden and Britain, answered his call to harbor the young refugees; how documents had to be forged and how once foster parents signed for the children on delivery, that was the last he saw of them.
A self-funded, non-profit feature documentary exploring and celebrating Iceland’s contemporary independent music scene at the beginning of the 21st century. Featuring music by Ólafur Arnalds, Seabear, DJ Musician, Hafdis Huld, Berndsen, Mugison, Lara Runars, Severed Crotch and others.
A self-funded, non-profit feature documentary exploring and celebrating Manchester's contemporary independent music scene at the beginning of the 21st century.
A self-funded, non-profit feature documentary exploring and celebrating Liverpool's contemporary independent music scene at the beginning of the 21st century, featuring interviews with Kevin McManus (Liverpool Vision), David Pichilingi (Liverpool Sound City), Craig Pennington (Bido Lito), Paul Du Noyer (NME and Mojo Magazine), David Lloyd (Seven Streets), Peter Guy (GIT Awards and Liverpool Echo), Mike Deane (Liverpool Music Week) and David McTague (Africa Oye).
Documentary about an African-American girl who grows up to help NASA put astronauts into space and bring them home safely. She was one of the main characters in the movie, "Hidden Figures." Includes interview with Johnson.
Documentary that addresses the phenomenon known as the "destroy route" or the "bakalao route" that placed the city of Valencia in the social and musical vanguard of the late 80s and early 90s.
A documentary about the making of Jean-Pierre Melville's 1949 film "Le silence de la mer"
In this biopic, Christian Rahadi – aka Chrisye – overcomes early failures, family strife and anxiety to become one of Indonesia's legendary musicians.
Friends and family of the late actor Burt Reynolds remember his life and career, accompanied by clips of his most beloved films.
Portuguese documentary regarding the early punk scene in Portugal.
A unique celebration of the Queen's ninety years as she reaches her landmark birthday in April. Film-maker John Bridcut has been granted special access to the complete collection of Her Majesty's personal ciné films, shot by the Duke of Edinburgh and the Queen herself, as well as by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Much of it has never been seen publicly before. Various members of the Royal Family are filmed watching this private footage and contributing their own personal insights and their memories of the woman they know both as a member of their own close family and as queen. Among those taking part are the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Kent and his sister Princess Alexandra, who has never before given an interview.
Glamorously eccentric and enigmatic Theremin master Armen Ra recounts his dynamic journey in this life-spanning documentary that mixes rare concert performances, candid interviews, and archive material with the magical power of music that can alchemize ancient sorrow into timeless beauty.
Director James Toback takes an unflinching, uncompromising look at the life of Mike Tyson--almost solely from the perspective of the man himself. TYSON alternates between the controversial boxer addressing the camera and shots of the champion's fights to create an arresting picture of the man.
After an unlikely casting onto a reality television show, 47-year old suburban telemarketer Ed Popil leaves his job to pursue a full-time entertainment industry career as his drag queen alter ego, 1960’s era housewife Mrs. Kasha Davis.