A Private Music Lesson with Yvonne Loriod(1991)

Attenborough's Wonder of Song(en)

Sir David Attenborough chooses his favourite recordings from the natural world that have revolutionised our understanding of song. Each one - from the song of the largest lemur to the song of the humpback whale to the song of the lyrebird - was recorded in his lifetime. When Sir David was born, the science of song had already been transformed by Charles Darwin’s theory of sexual selection: singing is dangerous as it reveals the singer’s location to predators, but it also offers the male a huge reward, the chance to attract a female and pass on genes to the next generation. Hence males sing and females don't.

Apparition of the Eternal Church(en)

The movie captures the responses of 31 authors, musicians, filmmakers and dancers to Olivier Messiaen's monumental organ work "Apparition of the Eternal Church." Listening to the 10-minute piece through headphones, the documentary subjects-most of whom are outsiders to the church and do not know what they're hearing-put Messiaen's project to the test: Is it possible to portray, through time-bound, invisible sound, the spiritual, the architectural, the eternal? The result is a collective interpretation improvising its way through an aesthetic landscape defined by violent contradictions. Resolution abuts eternity, eroticism asceticism, spiritual ecstasy physical torture. Together, the music and its interpreters conjure something like what William Blake famously called the marriage of heaven and hell.

Olivier Messiaen: The Music of Faith(en)

Olivier Messiaen played a leading role in the evolution of 20th-century music. In this classic interview, the late composer talks on topics such as his love of nature and his fervent Christian faith, two themes that profoundly shaped his work; his views on rhythm and tonal color; his relationship with his mother, the poet Cécile Sauvage; and his professorship at the Paris Conservatoire. Film clips of Messiaen improvising on the organ and notating birdsong for his compositions—plus excerpts of his music, some of which are performed by his wife, the celebrated pianist Yvonne Loriod—provide a deeper appreciation of his special genius. (79 minutes)

Bratři Okamurovi(cs)

Fire in Thessaloniki(sr)

Footage of the devastating fire in Thessaloniki that took place in 1917. A Serbian Colonel called Mihailo Mihailović aka Mika Afrika captured the event.

Making Badlands(en)

An overview of the making of Badlands (1973).

Star Wars Dreams(en)

A look at the history of America's multi-billion dollar missile defence system, from President Eisenhower to Reagan and Bush.

Funk Brazil(fr)

Gary Numan: Machine Music Live(en)

Recorded live on the Machine Music Tour at the Dome, Brighton on 3rd June 2012, electronic pioneer Gary Numan plays his first ever singles tour featuring everything from the punk debut ‘That’s Too Bad’ to his first electronic release ‘Down In The Park’ and the hits including ‘Are ‘Friends’ Electric?’, ‘Cars’, ‘Complex’, ‘We Are Glass’, ‘I Die: You Die’, ‘This Wreckage’ and ‘Berserker’ plus recent hits such as ‘Rip’ and ‘Crazier’.

The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala(en)

In celebration of its 100th anniversary in 1983, the Metropolitan Opera hosts a four-hour performance uniting some of the world's most spellbinding opera singers and conductors. The event includes a ballet from Samson et Dalila and boasts incredible classical performances from Kathleen Battle, Plácido Domingo, Jose Carerras, Leonard Bernstein, Marilyn Horne, Leona Mitchell, Luciano Pavarotti and many more.

Free Tibet(en)

A film about the Tibetan Freedom Concert in San Francisco in 1996.

Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed(en)

An American story. Traces the career of Joe Louis (1914-1981) within the context of American racial consciousness: his difficulty getting big fights early in his career, the pride of African-Americans in his prowess, the shift of White sentiment toward Louis as Hitler came to power, Louis's patriotism during World War II, and the hounding of Louis by the IRS for the following 15 years. In his last years, he's a casino greeter, a drug user, and the occasional object of scorn for young Turks like Muhammad Ali. Appreciative comment comes from boxing scholars, Louis's son Joe Jr., friends, and icons like Maya Angelou, Dick Gregory, and Bill Cosby.

Kabbalah Me(en)

'Kabbalah Me' is a personal journey into the esoteric spiritual phenomenon known as Kabbalah. Throughout history, Kabbalah was studied by only the most holy Talmud scholars. The misinformation, innuendo and prohibition surrounding Kabbalah kept its wisdom from most Jews; many were even unaware of its existence. In 'Kabbalah Me', director Steven Bram embarks on a spiritual investigation that leads him to reunite with the Hasidic branch of his family and connect to the community of Judaic scholarship. Eventually his curiosity takes him on a pilgrimage to Israel, where he immerses himself in history and traditions of the Holy Land. Along the way, leading authorities discuss the complex, mystical world of Kabbalah its varying interpretations and the myriad paths of its rituals and lessons. Bram's new commitment to spirituality and religious observance draws skepticism from family and friends but ultimately leads to profound changes across all aspects of his life.

Please Hold(en)

An experimental documentary engaging with decades of DIY activist media, two death bed/legacy videos, and the wisdom of many living AIDS workers, as we all sit together in one (changing) format, video—VHS, hi-8, digital, Zoom—to address these and other questions: How do neighborhoods, sweaters and scarves, videotapes and queer bars hold ghosts? How do we let them go?

Millencolin: The Melancholy Connection(en)

A documentary that looks inside the making of Pennybridge Pioneers, with archival footage of the band and Bad Religion/Epitaph founder Brett Gurewitz who produced Pennybridge Pioneers and played Acoustic Guitar on "The Ballad."

Tony Benn: Will and Testament(en)

Tony Benn (87), the longest serving Labour MP in history, looks back over his life and career.

Comrades(en)

Channel 4 documentary on Liverpool’s Militant Tendency, following former Labour party MP and Militant member Terry Fields on his 1992 general election campaign.

Sand bellies(es)

The Algerian region of Tindouf is home to more than 170,000 Sahrawis, who have been living in refugee camps since 1976, when Morocco occupied the Western Sahara region. In a place of inhospitable conditions and scarcity, the Sahrawi population lives on dwindling humanitarian aid. Six percent of them face the added difficulty of coeliac disease.