Russian Institute: Lesson 4[2006]

Strange Object(en)

An archival investigation into the imperial image-making of the RAF ‘Z Unit’, which determined the destruction of human, animal and cultural life across Somaliland, as well as Africa and Asia.

Mad(fr)

Srirastu Subhamastu(te)

Sirish belongs to a well to do family which is headed by Prakash Raj. Things in his family get disturbed when Srirish’s brother loves and marries a middle class girl against his father’s will. In this crunch situation, Sirish falls in love with a yet another middle class girl called Anu(Lavanya) and reveals about this to his father. An upset Prakash Raj, gives him a piece of his advice and asks him to back off from the relationship. An adamant Sirish, challenges his father that he will win his love by not using his family name. In this process, he woos Anu and right when the time things start getting positive, Anu’s father arranges her marriage with some one else.Rest of the story is as to how Sirish manages to convince both Anu’s parents and his and finally comes out victorious.

La Pesée du coeur(fr)

Coldplay at the BBC(en)

Coldplay showcased several tracks from their new album in an open-air concert at the BBC Television Centre in London. The gig – broadcast live on BBC Two – featured new material such as 'Violet Hill' and '42', alongside old favorites including 'Clocks', 'Fix You' and 'In My Place'. The band left the main stage briefly to perform an acoustic version of 'Yellow' against the backdrop of the Television Centre building. The gig ended with a rousing version of 'Lovers in Japan' that involved showering the crowd with thousands of paper butterflies.

The Climate and the Cross(en)

An internal battle is simmering among US Christians over whether climate change is a call to protect the Earth, the work of God to be welcomed, or does not exist at all.

The Endless Summer Revisited(en)

A documentary mostly edited together from unused footage from The Endless Summer and The Endless Summer II, this documentary gives further insight into the making and success of the original classic surf documentary. It is written, produced and directed by Dana Brown, son of the director of the first two films, Bruce Brown (who executive produced this film). This film likely will appeal only to hardcore fans of the Endless Summer films, but it does feature more of the gorgeous cinematography for which the earlier films are famous. Written by Annie Bulloch

Meeting in July(cs)

A romantic story about Jakub, a student in the summer camp, and his teacher Klara.

Mente Distorcida - Corte do Diretor(pt)

Hugo and Raul Abilio are brothers from a rich family in 1947's Rio de Janeiro. Raul, the older brother, is antisocial, cold, insecure and suffers from mental disorders. Hugo, on the other hand, is completely different, He is charismatic, kind and self-confident. The two meet Helena, the new girl in town, and fall in love with her without knowing their interest in the same woman.

Shipmates Forever(en)

An admiral's son with no interest in carrying on the family tradition is a successful crooner. He finally joins the Navy to prove he can, but with no real love in it.

Suck It Up Buttercup(en)

A former honor student spirals down the deep, dark hole of an addiction to prescription pills.

Under the Big Top(en)

Director Karl Brown's 1938 circus drama stars Marjorie Main as a tough, fur-coat-wearing circus boss who raises her orphaned niece to be a trapeze star.

Cruel and Unusual(en)

A sleepy Oregon village turns deadly when Adam, introducing himself as an English professor working on his first novel, befriends Kate and Mike, a brother and sister trying to put their lives back together after the death of their father. The two welcome the stranger, unaware that their actions will lead them down a dangerous path into the mind and grip of a deadly serial killer.

The Devil's Share(fr)

Quebec, on the cusp of the 1960s. The province is on the brink of momentous change. Deftly selecting clips from nearly 200 films from the National Film Board of Canada archives, director Luc Bourdon reinterprets the historical record, offering us a new and distinctive perspective on the Quiet Revolution.

Earth Under Water(en)

Miami, New Orleans and New York City completely under water it’s a very real possibility if sea levels continue to rise. In Earth Under Water we’ll see these events unfold as leading experts forecast how mankind will be impacted if global warming continues. They’ll break down the science behind these predictions and explore ways humanity could adapt, including engineering vast dams near San Francisco, or building floating cities outside of New York.

El secreto de Victoria(en)

The Blind Side(en)

The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

Asian School Girls(en)

Kidnapped by a Los Angeles crime syndicate, a group of schoolgirls must fight and seduce their way to vengeance after one of them committed suicide, teaching the criminals a lesson in kicking butt and taking names.

William(en)

Two cutting-edge scientists give 'birth' to a Neanderthal—the first to walk the earth for some 35,000 years—in order to attempt to answer these questions. Part 'normal' child, part science experiment, William’s 'parents' struggle with the best way to raise him. As William grows toward adulthood, he is educated in the human experiences of love and intimacy. But his primitive impulses begin to emerge the more he tries to conform to human expectations, leading to tragic consequences for him and his loved ones.

The Doctor...the Schoolgirl(it)

Claudia, a perky eighteen year-old girl, is crushed when her step mother prevents her from going on a vacation to London. She discovers her step mother is having an affair with a doctor and so, with the help of her friends, sets about getting her revenge.

Charlie Bartlett(en)

Awkward teenager Charlie Bartlett has trouble fitting in at a new high school. Charlie needs some friends fast, and decides that the best way to find them is to appoint himself the resident psychiatrist. He becomes one of the most popular guys in school by doling out advice and, occasionally, medication, to the student body.

Cruel Intentions 2(en)

After his precocious behavior has gotten him bounced out of one more in a string of exclusive private schools, 16-year old Sebastian Valmont has arrived in New York City to live with his father and stepmother. The cunning and handsome Sebastian may have met his match, however in his equally manipulative and beautiful stepsister Kathryn Merteuil.

Evil(sv)

Stockholm, in the 1950s. Erik is expelled from the local school for getting into one brawl too many. To protect Erik from his violent stepfather’s reaction to his expulsion, Erik's mother arranges for Erik to spend a year at Stjärnsberg Boarding School, the only school willing to accept him. This is Erik's last chance to graduate to Upper School and he promises his mother, for his and her sake, to do all he can to stay out of trouble.

The Life Before Her Eyes(en)

As the 15th anniversary of a fatal high school shooting approaches, former pupil Diana McFee is haunted by memories of the tragedy. After losing her best friend Maureen in the attack, Diana has been profoundly affected by the incident - her seemingly perfect life shaped by the events of that day.

Rushmore(en)

When a beautiful first-grade teacher arrives at a prep school, she soon attracts the attention of an ambitious teenager named Max, who quickly falls in love with her. Max turns to the father of two of his schoolmates for advice on how to woo the teacher. However, the situation soon gets complicated when Max's new friend becomes involved with her, setting the two pals against one another in a war for her attention.

if....(en)

In an English boys' boarding school, social hierarchy reigns supreme and power remains in the hands of distanced and ineffectual teachers and callously vicious prefects in the Upper Sixth. Three Lower Sixth students, Wallace, Johnny and leader Mick Travis decide on a shocking course of action to redress the balance of privilege once and for all.

The Machine Girl(ja)

The life of a young, Japanese schoolgirl is destroyed when her family is killed by a Ninja-Yakuza family. Her hand cut off, she replaces it with various machines-of-death, and seeks revenge.

Hello, Goodbye(ja)

Hazuki and Aoi are classmates but their relationship outside class is fraught, and outside school non-existent. But when both girls are drawn to helping an elderly woman, they're forced to interact, confronting their differences and similarities as well as their deepest secrets.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time(ja)

When 17-year-old Makoto Konno gains the ability to 'leap' backwards through time, she immediately sets about improving her grades and preventing personal mishaps. However, she soon realises that changing the past isn't as simple as it seems, and eventually, will have to rely on her new powers to shape the future of herself and her friends.

The Cat Returns(ja)

Young Haru rescues a cat from being run over, but soon learns it's no ordinary feline; it happens to be the Prince of the Cats.

Here on Earth(en)

Three lives of three young people intersect over the course of one summer. A rich student and a young working-class man accidentally destroy a diner when their impromptu road race takes a disastrous turn. Ordered by a judge to spend the summer repairing the building, they find themselves becoming rivals for the affections of the owner's daughter.

Nursery University(en)

Set in New York City, the epicenter of a phenomenon cropping up in communities across the United States, "Nursery University" reveals the oddly competitive process of nursery school admissions. The film tells the story of five families attempting to place their toddlers in preschool classrooms that have limited space and high price tags.

Masterminds(en)

A rebellious teen uses his talent for pranks to outwit the security consultant who has taken the students at his prestigious private school hostage.

Linda Linda Linda(ja)

Only three days before their high school festival, guitarist Kei, drummer Kyoko, and bassist Nozomi are forced to recruit a new lead vocalist for their band. They choose Korean exchange student Son, though her comprehension of Japanese is a bit rough! It's a race against time as the group struggles to learn three songs for the festival's rock concert—including a classic '80s song by the Japanese punk rock band The Blue Hearts called "Linda Linda".

The Hole in the Fence(es)

As every year, the Los Pinos school, a prestigious school of the confessional type, sends its students on retreat to the countryside. Under the watchful eye of teachers and priests, the children are led on the path of their physical and moral development. Through the gaze of several middle and upper class teenagers, the film shows how their upbringing affects the future of society itself.

The Falling(en)

England, 1969. The fascinating Abbie and the troubled Lydia are great friends. After an unexpected tragedy occurs in the strict girls' school they attend, a mysterious epidemic of fainting breaks out that threatens the mental sanity and beliefs of the tormented people involved, both teachers and students.