Margaret Kilgallen: Heroines(NaN)

Freeze: But is it Art?(en)

In 1988, art student Damien Hirst and a group of like-minded associates mounted an exhibition in a building in the East End of London. Entitled Freeze, it was a huge critical and commercial success, propelling Hirst and the group into the spotlight of the avant-garde. More than five years later, Hirst exhibits to international acclaim and is regularly derided in the tabloid press. This portrait of Hirst, which resumes the Omnibus season, is presented as a drug-induced nightmare after Hirst has been put to sleep by a sinister dentist, played by Donald Pleasence. In between interviews with fellow Freeze artists including Angus Fairhurst , Sarah Lucas and Tracey Emin , Hirst is seen preparing Mother and Child Divided, his work for last year's Venice Blennale. The piece consists of a cow and a calf, each sawn in half, pickled in formaldehyde and exhibited in four tanks.

100 Years of British Trains(en)

A fascinating compilation tracing the development of British trains throughout the 20th century. This program provides a record of the greatest days of steam; the magnificent express engines developed by the 'Big Four' - the GWR, SR, LNER, and LMS; many famous named trains like the Golden Arrow and the Brighton Belle, the War and Nationalism; and the amazing variety of elder locos from the 1950's.

Silicon Valley, Baby.(fi)

Finnish award-winning barista Kalle Freese travels to San Francisco with his girlfriend to start an instant coffee start-up with big goals. At stake are Kalle's health, relationship and the newly formed start-up.

The Center Of The Universe(en)

The Center Of The Universe chronicles four days in the life of German climber Alexander Huber in Yosemite Valley, California. Living the typical Yosemite vagabond lifestyle, Alex reflects on his goal of successfully free-climbing "El Corazon" (35 pitches, 8a) on the famous El Capitan face, which is a combination of the historic routes "Salathé," "Albatross," "Son of Heart," and "Heart Route," connected by newly laid out sections. 35 challenging pitches, combining technicality, stamina, and commitment, with difficulty levels up to 8a. The film showcases the unique style of climbing in Yosemite, as well as a piece of history of the famous valley, narrated by Heinz Zak, Jim Bridwell, Lynn Hill, Alexander Huber, and Chongo Chuck themselves.

If Stone Could Speak(en)

Stonecutters emigrated from northern Italy to Barre, Vermont, the "Granite Capital of the World." Follow the artisans and their families from quarries, workshops and schools in Italy to granite carving sheds in New England, as they seek their own identities, choosing what to keep and what to cut away from their American and Italian legacies.

ENCRUZILHADAS DO SOM(pt)

The documentary adresses the meaning of music and the musical diversity present in Umbanda (a Brazilian religion with afroindigenous roots). With interviews with four umbandistas from Fortaleza - Ceará, Crossroads of the Sound pays reverence to the enchanted dimension where the sounds cross each other to make the spirits dance.

Cseh Tamás énekel(hu)

Smoky little clubs, late nights, late nights of conversation over a glass of beer and a guitar. The lyricist Géza Bereményi and the composer-performer Tamás Cseh are the creators of the most topical and accurate songs of the 70s and 80s, expressing the mood of the "30s and 40s" of that time - a mood that was their own destiny. This stunning recording from 1980 includes songs like Tangó, Álomfejtés, Szabó Kálmán tegnap este..., A 100. éjszaka, A legjobb viccek, Születtem Magyarországon, A dédapa dala, Egy bogár, Krakkói vonat, Az ócska cipő, Filmdal.

Herr och Fru Konst(sv)

"Mr and Mrs Art" - Getting attention is like being struck by the light of the sun, says artist Karin "Mamma" Anderson. If you are lucky you are hit by its rays for a short while during a lifetime, but the light is transient. Artists Karin "Mamma" Andersson and Jockum Nordström bathing in the light of fame. Few other artist couples in Sweden can compete with them in terms of attention and success. They exhibit at all the major galleries and fairs around the world, win prizes and are constantly in demand. Filmmaker Bengt Bok has followed the couple from studio to venue and talked about the conditions of creation and the sweetness and the taste of blood in fame and being famous.

David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts(en)

Widely considered Britain’s most popular artist, David Hockney is a global sensation with exhibitions in London, New York, Paris and beyond, attracting millions of visitors worldwide. Now entering his 9th decade, Hockney shows absolutely no evidence of slowing down or losing his trademark boldness. Featuring intimate and in-depth interviews with Hockney, this revealing film focuses on two blockbuster exhibitions held in 2012 and 2016 at the Royal Academy of Art in London. Director Phil Grabsky secured privileged access to craft this cinematic celebration of a 21st century master of creativity.

Cézanne: Portraits of a Life(en)

Dedicated to the portrait work of Paul Cézanne, the exhibition opens in Paris before traveling to London and Washington. One cannot appreciate 20th century art without understanding the significance and genius of Paul Cézanne. Filmed at the National Portrait Gallery in London, with additional interviews from experts and curators from MoMA in New York, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and correspondence from the artist himself, the film takes audiences to the places Cézanne lived and worked and sheds light on an artist who is perhaps one of the least known and yet most important of all the Impressionists.

A Woman's Place(en)

A Woman's Place is the first film about the UK women's liberation movement. Crockford and her co-producers Ellen Adams and Tony Wickert document the movement's first national conference and march and examine its demands. The film records impassioned discussions and speeches, as well as the humour of the marchers. It also includes interviews with members of the public who give their perspective on women's liberation Crockford made the film as an attempt to see 'whether other people could be engaged by what I believed in'.

All Rendered Truth: Folk Art in the American South(en)

A film documenting the soulful art, environments, and voices of self-taught artists on the back roads of the American South.

Not Withholding Anything from You(fi)

How do artists view their own work? How does actor Esko Salminen immerse himself in his roles, how does the writer/director Saara Turunen create a whole new world for the stage, and why does musician PK Keränen pick up his guitar time and time again? Is creativity a conscious or subconscious process, a pleasure or a compulsion? Veikko Aaltonen’s documentary takes us straight into the heart of creativity with artists from different fields and generations. Celebrating the various forms of passion and creative work, the film presents a compelling case for the significance of art.

Biggie: The Life of Notorious B.I.G.(en)

The first authorized biography of Christopher Wallace, allowing Christopher to narrate his own life story. Using archival footage and previously unknown audio to tell the story along with interviews with those that knew him the best.

Always Forward(es)

Plastic artist Aparicio Arthola talks with his student about the catarsis in his creative process, the loss, death and uncertainty of art life in Nicaragua

They Will Not Silence Our Voices(es)

"Nobody told us that they would kill us, but neither did they tell them they would not silence us". Women journalists from several parts of Mexico who cover the beat of hard news, reveal the challenges they face when doing their work with various actors: their sources, law enforcement officers, drug trafficking and the state. Mexico is one of the most dangerous countries in which to practice journalism. Several reporters have been assassinated since 2000. Within this context, female journalists face a double challenge: firstly, to work in a country with a high level of anti-press, violence, and, secondly, the state and situation of their gender in a country riddled with femicide.

I Have Lived Many Lives(de)

A portrait of the leading female Bolshevik (and later Worker’s Opposition) revolutionary leader Alexandra Kollontai using her own words.

Benutzt und gesteuert – Künstler im Netz der CIA(de)

Constable: A Country Rebel(en)

The Haywain by John Constable is such a comfortingly familiar image of rural Britain that it is difficult to believe it was ever regarded as a revolutionary painting, but in this film, made in conjunction with a landmark exhibition at the V&A, Alastair Sooke discovers that Constable was painting in a way that was completely new and groundbreaking at the time. Through experimentation and innovation, he managed to make a sublime art from humble things and, though he struggled in his own country during his lifetime, his genius was surprisingly widely admired in France.

Radical Harmonies(en)

Interviews and performance footage are used to provide an overview of the women's music scene.