in the name of tradition(2013)

Talmud(fr)

In this authoritative documentary, director Pierre-Henry Salfati traces the history of the Talmud the repository of millennia of Jewish wisdom. In doing so, he posits the question: What comprises this cardinal text of Judaism? Originally passed down orally from master to student, the Talmud is the hidden face of the Torah, or Old Testament. It is a vast body of legal, mythic, and philosophical texts, and a mixture of religious commentary and debate, of history and science, and of anecdote and humor. No other text has had such an influence on Jewish life as it details the principles, ethical codes, and laws that serve as a guide for conduct. In addition to an exhaustive exploration of the Talmud, the film also guides the viewer through the history of Jewish communities, concluding with present-day New York.

Third Party President: Citizen Rocky(en)

This feature length high definition documentary follows one of the Nation's most controversial yet progressive leaders, 2012 Presidential candidate and Former two-term Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson.

No Way Back: The Reality of Gender-Affirming Care(en)

Six young people discuss the "gender affirming" medical care they received for gender dysphoria and how they subsequently came to believe this was the wrong treatment.

Bhutan: Following in the Footsteps of Matthieu Ricard(fr)

Buddhist monk and photographer Matthieu Picard as he returns to the Asian country in the Himalayas where he spent a decade after seven years away, revisiting breathtaking landscapes and experiencing local traditions.

Nefertiti: The Raiders Of The Lost Tomb(en)

Experts look into the mystery surrounding the lost tomb of Queen Nefertiti, an ancient Egyptian ruler from the 18th dynasty.

Un ángel llamado Rebeca(es)

In Zainab's Heaven(fa)

A Hazara film director follows a gravestone maker, a water girl and a man who buried his limb, as their daily lives unfold in a graveyard.

Egypt's New Tomb Revealed(en)

American archeologists have found a new tomb in the desert valley. This is the first find of this magnitude since King Tutankhamun's tomb was uncovered in 1922, according to Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities. Called KV 63 - it is the 63rd discovered since the valley was first mapped - the new, intact tomb was found just 16 feet away from King Tut's resting place. A team of archeologists led by Otto Schaden discovered the tomb by accident while conducting "routine digs" on the nearby tomb of King Amenmesses, a 19th Dynasty pharaoh. Explore the wonders of the magnificent lost era.

Grozny Blues(ru)

«Grozny Blues» follows a few people around Grozny, the capital of war-torn Chechnya where daily life is defined by political repression, constricting customs, forced Islamification and the failure to come to terms with recent history. The film revolves around four women who have been fighting for human rights under worsening conditions for many years but get more and more disillusioned with the situation in Putin’s Russia. The building where they work is also home to a Blues Club that is frequented by a group of young people. Having only vague memories of the Chechen wars in the 90s, they try to make sense of the strange things that are happening in their country. In linking the personal and intimate to the political, Nicola Bellucci shows in a dramatic and yet very poetic way what it means to live in a divided society that navigates a no-man’s land between war and peace, repression and freedom, archaic traditions and modern life.

Les Anneaux d'Or(fr)

At the time of Tunisian independence, owners of large boats decide to sell, while many small fishermen soon find themselves without work. Their wives then decide to pool their gold rings to sell them and thus buy boats.

Zanzabuku(en)

Famed explorer Lewis Cotlow leads a hunting and archaeological expedition into Africa.

The Save the Children Fund Film(en)

Director Ken Loach explores the politics of race, class and charity in a capitalist society in this documentary funded by the Save the Children foundation.

Buddhism(en)

In this short documentary we learn the back story of the Buddha – the religion he founded and how it is manifested today. Travel through Southeast Asia to India, Burma, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon), Thailand, Japan, China and many other countries to discover the history and ideas behind Buddhism.

Future of the Church(en)

In their journey to find the formula for a fragmented and dying Church the two filmmakers find themselves getting closer to a much bigger Answer.

The Quran, The Origins Of The Book(fr)

The Quran is the Holy Book of Islam, a religion shared by more than a billion followers worldwide. For the Muslim tradition, since its revelation to the Prophet Muhammad between the year 610 and 632 of the Christian era in Mecca and Medina, the Koran is immutable, and has remained maintained. However, recent discoveries of Koranic manuscripts analyzed by scientists, dated around the year 680 - the oldest known in the world - revealed that the Koran has a history. During the first century of Islam, and before the canonical version of the Caliph Uthman imposed itself, the holy book of Islam would have known competing versions, a different organization of the suras, variable readings due to a writing, in its beginnings, very rudimentary… It is to this meeting of knowledge, at the crossroads between the Muslim tradition and scientific research, that this journey to the origins of the Koran invites.

The Colonel's Stray Dogs(en)

In 1981, seven Libyan exiles formed the core opposition group to Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Thirty years later, they are back to their country only to inherit the mess he left. The film is an intricate blend of rare first-hand accounts, propaganda archival material turned on its head, evocative cinematography and an untold history of a country.

Kanye West: 'Jesus Is King' and Iconic Sunday Service(en)

Kanye West meets with Zane Lowe to discuss his highly anticipated 'Jesus Is King' album and film. Kanye discusses his newfound faith in God, how the public perceived his battle with mental health and the process of creating a new style of music. Take a glimpse into one of the most creative minds in music.

Another Day of Life(en)

In 1975, Ryszard Kapuściński, a veteran Polish journalist, embarked on a seemingly suicidal road trip into the heart of the Angola's civil war. There, he witnessed once again the dirty reality of war and discovered a sense of helplessness previously unknown to him. Angola changed him forever: it was a reporter who left Poland, but it was a writer who returned…

Break Free - Two People. Two Years. One Dream(de)

When Lena and Ulli start the engine of their old Land Rover, Lady Terés, they have a plan: to drive from Hamburg to South Africa in six months. What they don't know yet is that they won't ever get there. Two totally different characters, jammed together in two square meters of space for almost two years, they experience what it really means to travel: leaving your comfort zone for good.

Resistance Climbing(en)

In 2014, during a trip, American Tim Bruns discovered cliffs in a small village five minutes north of Ramallah in Palestine and got to work equipping all the easy routes, then setting up climbing routes so that we can start teaching people how to climb. Bruns and Harris also opened Wadi Climbing, the first indoor climbing gym in Palestine. Today, gathered in the conflict-torn hills of Palestine, a diverse team of Bedouins, activists and urban professionals have embraced climbing as a much-needed respite from the burden of Israeli occupation. American writer and climber Andrew Bisharat visits the West Bank to explore his own roots and the power of climbing to transform lives. This documentary is part of the Reel Rock 17 series released in 2023.