Out of the Shadows: The Films of John Cassavetes(1993)

The Sun Never Sets(en)

Smithsonian Magazine once asked the rhetorical question, 'Can a weekly paper in rural New Mexico raise enough hell to keep its readers hungry for more, week after week?' The Rio Grande Sun, published in Espanola, New Mexico is considered one of the best weekly newspapers in the country. The Sun is known for its investigative reporting. It broke the story that its own rural community had the highest per capita heroin overdose rate in the country. It has led the fight for open records and open meetings in a county where political shenanigans are the rule. The film follows the Sun's reporters and editors as they write about the news, the sports, the art and culture of a large rural county. John Burnett, an NPR correspondent, reports on the Sun's Police Blotter--'the best in the country.' Tony Hillerman, the celebrated author and newspaper editor, speaks eloquently about the value of community newspapers. The Sun Never Sets is narrated by Bob Edwards, Peabody Award winning news anchor.

Become Successful and be the Master of the World(en)

Filmed mostly on a Mini DV camera Gavin has thought of a quick way to become successful and be the master of the world but he has to wait for it all to fall into place… he has to wait for the postman to start production documenting the process of being master of the world.

Without Water(en)

A resilient crop-farmer endeavours to preserve his land, legacy and way of life in the face of Australia’s ongoing ‘big dry’.

Another Day in Missouri(en)

An inside look at Jessica Piper, a Democratic Candidate running for a House seat in District 1 of Missouri. This is a snapshot of her mind and what it feels like to run a campaign in an overlooked place.

Guide to a Midwest Hometown(en)

Coming back during Winter, Alex Powell explores both the places and personal connections found in his hometown and how they've changed. “Guide to a Midwest Hometown” explores what makes the barren places at home feel sentimental and special, and the good and bad feelings that come when being back home. Inspired by "How To With John Wilson".

Fieldwork Footage(en)

Under the tutelage of anthropologist Franz Boas (her former Columbia professor) and Harlem Renaissance arts patron Charlotte Osgood Mason, Zora Neale Hurston spent nearly two years, from 1927 to 1929, studying the folkloric customs, work songs, spirituals, and vernacular language of African American communities along the River Road and from New Orleans to Florida.

K-RRETE(es)

John Singer Sargent: Fashion and Swagger(en)

Filmed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and the Tate Britain, London, the exhibition reveals Sargent’s power to express distinctive personalities, power dynamics and gender identities during this fascinating period of cultural reinvention. Alongside 50 paintings by Sargent sit stunning items of clothing and accessories worn by his subjects, drawing the audience into the artist’s studio. Sargent’s sitters were often wealthy, their clothes costly, but what happens when you turn yourself over to the hands of a great artist? The manufacture of public identity is as controversial and contested today as it was at the turn of the 20th century, but somehow Sargent’s work transcends the social noise and captures an alluring truth with each brush stroke.

Carving Thy Faith(tl)

A five-year visual ethnography of traditional yet practical orchestration of Semana Santa in a small town where religious woodcarving is the livelihood. An experiential film on neocolonial Philippines’ interpretation of Saints and Gods through many forms of rituals and iconographies, exposing wood as raw material that undergoes production processes before becoming a spiritual object of devotion. - A sculpture believed to have been imported in town during Spanish colonial conquest, locally known as Mahal na Señor Sepulcro, is celebrating its 500 years. Meanwhile, composed of non-actors, Senakulo re-enacts the sufferings and death of Jesus. As the local community yearly unites to commemorate the Passion of Christ, a laborious journey unfolds following local craftsmen in transforming blocks of wood into a larger than life Jesus crucified on a 12-ft cross.

Tony Conrad: Completely in the Present(en)

Feature documentary on the pioneering life and work of iconoclastic filmmaker/musician/composer/artist Tony Conrad.

Body Parts(en)

An eye-opening investigation into the making of Hollywood sex scenes, shedding light on the real-life experiences behind classic scenes of cinema and tracing the legacy of exploitation of women in the entertainment industry.

Cigarette Philosophy(es)

Recording Josephine: Magnolia Electric Company at Electrical Audio(en)

"Recording Josephine" showcases the personalities and recording process involved in the making of the album, "Josephine" by Magnolia Electric Company. The album was recorded at engineer Steve Albini's Electical Audio in Chicago.

My Friend Haden(en)

Documentary filmmaker Renton Hinderer takes a look back at his long relationship with one of his closest friends to understand the paths we choose in life, and how friendship is eternal through it all.

Monica in the South Seas(fi)

Finnish filmmaker and artist Sami van Ingen is a great-grandson of documentary pioneer Robert Flaherty, and seemingly the sole member of the family with a hands-on interest in continuing the directing legacy. Among the materials he found in the estate of Robert and Frances Flaherty’s daughter Monica were the film reels and video tapes detailing several years of work on realising her lifelong dream project: a sound version of her parents’ 1926 docu-fiction axiom, Moana: A Romance of the Golden Age.

Interview with Júlio(pt)

An excerpt about the troubled, passionate and intriguing relationship of an actor with his own life.

Niños del paraíso(es)

In the Juan Fernández Archipelago, 700 kilometers from the central coast of Chile, is Robinson Crusoe Island. There, a group of children who are in their last year of primary school will soon graduate, leaving the island where they learned to live.

Salt of the Earth(en)

An Australian icon found on every supermarket shelf, and coating every game day pack of hot chips. But the story of the South Australian man who invented the famous Chicken Salt has never been told. While he sold the company in the late 70’s to the brand names you see in your cupboard today, he maintains that the original recipe, held secret for more than 40 years, tastes even better.

Champagne(en)

The true story of a young teenage girl whose mother is incarcerated for murder. Living in a Catholic Children's home run by an order of nuns, she provides poignant commentary about her mother, her own situation and her outlook for the future.

At The Helm | The Making of Lotawana(en)

This hilarious, behind-the-scenes adventure shows the unforgettable, year-long production that Trevor Hawkins and his skeleton-crew of endearing renegades went through to bring their gritty film, Lotawana, to life.