An intimate portrait of a community fighting to save lives and keep hope alive in a neighborhood ravaged by the overdose crisis.
Elvis and Priscilla are one of the most famous celebrity couples of all time. But the story that lies beneath the glamorous facade is more toxic than what first meets the eye. Elvis has defined Pricilla's life. His comment that she was "young enough that he could train her any way he wanted", in the end, came true. Though their relationship was bound by true love, what were the conditions that let it flourish?
Tim Landers, a prolific songwriter and founding member of the emo/pop-punk band TRANSIT, struggled. He fought battles, often privately, with substance misuse and his own mental health needs. "Don’t Forget To Leave" paints a poignant portrait of Landers, from his early success up until the posthumous release of Weathervane by his band Cold Collective. His story is chronicled through archival footage and interviews with members of A Loss For Words, The Story So Far, Frank Turner, Man Overboard, Transit and Cold Collective, family members and mental health professionals.
Unveiling the harsh reality of substance use in Thunder Bay, Ontario, this universally themed documentary, told through personal narratives and expert insights, exposes a lack of resources while aiming to shatter stigmas and ignite compassion for those grappling with addiction.
The life of Donald M. Morgan, one of Hollywood’s most prolific artists, is a unique, rags-to-riches story about a man who’s had a life-changing effect on the people around him, both personally and professionally. By sharing stories of his lengthy career, working with filmmakers like Robert Zemeckis, John Carpenter and Joseph Sargent, Morgan recounts pivotal moments in the art of filmmaking for over four decades, through interviews with fellow greats Owen Roizman (The Exorcist) and Jack N. Green (Unforgiven). But at the heart of the film is an emotional journey along the road to recovery in an industry that is ripe with dysfunction and addiction. Inspiring, heartbreaking, and funny, “Cinematographer” shares the story of one of the film industry's finest human beings.
Cocaine has always gotten a bad rap, and for a reason. It is a drug used by the rich and the poor legally and illegally, Mexican cartels fought over it with Colombia once associated with the brutal cocaine wars, and a source of tension between the American and Mexican borders on the people who are illicitly bringing in cocaine from one side of the border to another and will do anything to do it. So it can be surprising at times to the viewer throughout the course of the documentary special, that it was never always like this.
Funk legend Sly Stone disappeared from the limelight for more than 20 years. Musicians and the media tried to find the recluse but failed. In 2005 Willem Alkema started searching for Sly. Sly didn't want to be found or filmed, but Willem didn't give up and finally followed Sly in his first steps on stage in decades.
Like it or not, porn is here and it is harmful. In this controversial film, award-winning filmmaker Justin Hunt dissects the impact of pornography on societies around the globe, from how it affects the brain of the individual, to how modern technology leads to greater exposure to youth, to watching it literally tear a family apart. In what may well be one of the most devastating issues in modern culture, this film will break down the damage that porn is doing to us a human race and leave you thinking that it's clearly time that we start taking porn addiction a bit more seriously.
The true-life story of a Harlem's notorious Nicky Barnes, a junkie turned multimillionaire drug-lord. Follow his life story from his rough childhood to the last days of his life.
Dash Snow rejected a life of privilege to make his own way as an artist on the streets of downtown New York City in the late 1990s. Developing from a notorious graffiti tagger into an international art star, he documented his drug- and alcohol-fueled nights with the surrogate family he formed with friends and fellow artists Ryan McGinley and Dan Colen before his death by heroin overdose in 2009. Drawing from Snow’s unforgettable body of work and involving archival footage, Cheryl Dunn’s exceptional portrait captures his all-too-brief life of reckless excess and creativity.
Megacities is a documentary about the slums of five different metropolitan cities.
A portrait of musician and artist Peter Doherty as he tries to pursue his musical career while battling his addiction. Torn between the needs of his inner life and the demands of the outside world, Doherty dares to face all the demons to overcome this misunderstood disease.
A feature documentary investigation into the colourful and sometimes controversial life of Vancouver lawyer, city councillor and socialist icon Harry Rankin.
A cheap, powerful drug emerges during a recession, igniting a moral panic fueled by racism. Explore the complex history of crack in the 1980s.
Tobacco, climate change, pesticides,... Never has scientific knowledge seemed so vast, detailed and shared. And yet it appears to be increasingly challenged. It is no longer surprising to see private corporations put strategies in place to confuse the public debate and paralyze political decision-making. Overwhelmed by excess of information, how can we, as citizens, sort out fact from fiction? One by one, this film dismantles the workings of this clever manoeuvre that aims to turn science against itself. Thanks to declassified archives, graphic animations and testimonies from experts, lobbyists and politicians, this investigation plunges us into the science of doubt. Along with a team of experts (philosophers, economists, cognitive scientists, political men, or even agnotologists), we explore concrete examples of doubt making and try to understand the whole process and the issues behind it.
In the 50 years since he carved his first totem pole, Robert Davidson has come to be regarded as one of the world’s foremost modern artists. Charles Wilkinson (Haida Gwaii: On the Edge of the World) brings his trademark inquisitiveness and craftsmanship to this revealing portrait of an unassuming living legend. Weaving together engaging interviews with the artist, his offspring, and a host of admirers, Haida Modern extols the sweeping impact of both Davidson’s artwork and the legions it’s inspired.
Sir Elton John looks back on his life and the astonishing early days of his 50-year career in this emotionally charged, full-circle journey. As he prepares for his final concert in North America at Dodger Stadium, Elton takes us back in time and recounts his struggles with adversity, abuse, and addiction, and how he overcame them to become the icon he is today.
Reindeerspotting is a documentary film of a group of young guys living in Rovaniemi, Arctic Circle, dabbling in petty crime and hard drugs. One of them, Jani, has lost five years of his life and two fingers to his debotators. He wants to leave Lapland and his old life behind. Robbing a supermarket is a start for his getaway. A few years back a documentarist, Joonas Neuvonen, was a young men living on social welfare, using drugs on daily basis. He started to film his friends and their life. This is the story of Jani.
Over a decade in the making, Swagger of Thieves follows rock band Head Like a Hole from the top of the charts to the bottom of a needle. Staring down their age, two pals and the main guts of HLAH, frontman Nigel Booga Beazley and 'co- conspirator' Nigel Regan strut the hard road out of hell, fighting to reconnect and return their band to past glory, amidst disgruntled band mates, a changed music industry, and disappointed wives. Struggling to place past addictions and sabotaged dreams behind them in their continuing quest for rock music relevance, the ever-collapsing binary stars of any Head Like a Hole lineup, are certain (not) to polish their legacy here. Swagger of Thieves captures what it means to be in a band with a reputation. Unrelentingly raw, wild and honest, to the point of being one of the most insightful music documentaries ever made. Essential viewing. New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF), Melbourne International Documentary Film Festival (MIDFF)