A documentary about how Russia has been using popular culture as a weapon against Ukraine for decades. Together with industry participants, the film's narrator, musician Albert Tsukrenko, explores the financial, political and psychological reasons for the vulnerability of Ukrainian artists and reflects on how to break this vicious circle. Unfortunately, our own Ukrainian talents are becoming the ammunition in this weapon. Several generations of original Ukrainian musicians at different times in the 1970s and 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and 2010s switched from Ukrainian to Russian in their work. Whether willingly or unwittingly, they became tools of Russian show business, which has always sought to blur the cultural border between Russia and Ukraine and worked to promote the imperial myth of "one nation".
THE VOICE THAT ROCKED AMERICA is an one-hour documentary about Top 40 radio personality Dick Biondi. Dick's powerful connection with his audience has endured for decades, and the bands he promoted have never forgotten his generosity. Dick's story will be told through archival photos and footage, recreations, and interviews with recording artists, broadcasters, fans, friends and Dick Biondi himself. The film is narrated by Pam, whose life was changed when she met her teenage idol.
Keyla's Letter delves into the ambitions, hobbies, and interests of Keyla Aldana (she/they), the founder and one of three administrators on the very popular Harry Styles Instagram update account, @harryflorals. Behind their voice-over narration is a documentation of the days leading up to and during two separate Harry Styles concerts that took place in Los Angeles, California.
A film written and directed by Jeremy Deller which explores the social history of the UK between 1985 and 1993 through the lens of acid house and rave music. The film is based on a real-life lecture given to a class of students in London.
Plastic Galaxy explores the ground breaking and breathtaking world of 'Star Wars' toys. Through interviews with former Kenner employees, experts, authors, and collectors, the documentary looks at the toys' history, influence, and the passions they elicit today.
Nazi propaganda film contrasting Germany in the days before Adolf Hitler became Chancellor with the Germany of "today" and how much better it is.
Three young prodigies and their families exploring the popular and competitive world of piano playing in China.
Arguing that advertising not only sells things, but also ideas about the world, media scholar Sut Jhally offers a blistering analysis of commercial culture's inability to let go of reactionary gender representations. Jhally's starting point is the breakthrough work of the late sociologist Erving Goffman, whose 1959 book The Presentation of the Self in Everyday Life prefigured the growing field of performance studies. Jhally applies Goffman's analysis of the body in print advertising to hundreds of print ads today, uncovering an astonishing pattern of regressive and destructive gender codes. By looking beyond advertising as a medium that simply sells products, and beyond analyses of gender that tend to focus on either biology or objectification, The Codes of Gender offers important insights into the social construction of masculinity and femininity, the relationship between gender and power, and the everyday performance of cultural norms.
"Turntables" explores the vibrant world of vinyl records through Vishwas, a dedicated store manager in Hauz Khas, New Delhi. Amidst the bustling streets, Vishwas shares his passion for analog music, fostering a community united by the timeless allure of vinyl.
Camoflauge is the true story of Jason Johnson (aka Camoflauge) a rapper from Savannah, GA. He is known for representing his city to the fullest, putting Savannah on the hip hop map. In May 2003, his life was tragically cut short when he was fatally shot outside of Pure Pain Recording Studio. He was 21 years of age. Thirteen years later, his murder still unsolved, family, friends and fans break the silence by reflecting on how the city he loved turned against him. This documentary invites audiences to watch Savannah finally heal over the death of their hero.
A feature documentary about Ohio-based artist Sparks McFly and his friends as they attempt to conceptualize, write, record, and produce a rap album over the course of just 7 days.
How the Islamic State has created a powerful propaganda factory that manipulates and twists at its convenience the subjects and icons of the Western popular culture in order to lure into darkness certain young people and recruit them to achieve a dreadful purpose, an industry of fear that overcomes the infamous Nazi machinery and the methods used by both sides during the Cold War.
Documentary about the Emmanuelle movies, looking at their making as well as their social and cultural impact.
The story of Fantômas, the first villain of modernity, from his birth in 1911 as a novel character to his contemporary vicissitudes, passing through Louis Feuillade, André Hunebelle, surrealism and Moscow.
What's the point of music? You might be tempted to answer that it's an enjoyable pastime or an art form, but nothing really essential. For the first time, a documentary shows the opposite. Music is a biological necessity for human beings: it helps build our brains. In recent years, the discoveries of international neuroscience researchers have revolutionized our understanding of the impact of music on our brains. This film is a behavioral and neurological investigation whose ambition is to unveil the mystery of music's powers in our lives.
Frank Zappa: Phase Two is a 2002 documentary about Frank Zappa. It features a lot of footage from Scheffer's previous film, but new material from Malcolm McNab's private achive.
It is a revealing documentary about the iconic musician and the impact he has had on the music industry and society. Through an archive of previously unpublished stories and media, the film uncovers Muzaffarli's lesser-known public and social activities, giving audiences a fresh perspective on the man behind the music.
In the racially turbulent UK of the early 70s, a group of black musicians came together in South London with a common love of rhythms and a message of peace. Cymande – with the dove as their symbol – combined jazz, funk, soul and Caribbean grooves to form a unique sound. Despite success in the USA they faced indifference in their native Britain, becoming disillusioned and disbanding. But the music lived on, as new generations of artists imbibed and reworked their pioneering sounds in fresh ways. From Soul II Soul to De La Soul, MC Solaar to The Fugees, the Dove had spread Cymande's message far and wide, prompting their return after forty years. This is their story.
Violinist and songwriter Kishi Bashi travels on a musical journey to understand WWII era Japanese Incarceration, assimilation, and what it means to be a minority in America today.
Propaganda short film depicting the rise of Nazism in Germany and how political propaganda is similarly used in the United States. The film was made to make the case for the desegregation of the United States armed forces.