Behind the Smoke

Surviving 9/11(en)

9/11 was perhaps the defining historical event of the postwar era. Broadcast live around the world like horrifying theatre, it was a moment in history imprinted onto people's memories. But what was it like to actually live through, and how easy is it to move on from a day that society wants to go on remembering? Twenty years on, this film brings together 13 ordinary people who were caught in an event they weren't able to fully comprehend at the time and which they are still working through.

The last horse-drawn fire engines in Copenhagen(da)

9/11 Firehouse(en)

Documentary film recounting the story of Ten House, the fire station right next to the World Trade Center, and the experiences of its firefighters on 9/11

Prisoners of Fire(en)

June 26,1990, the Dude Fire rages across Zane Gray country in the towering ponderosa forests below the Mogollon Rim in Central Arizona, killing five prison crew members and a female supervisor on her first fire. Follow along with the survivors and firefighters as they share their experience as inmate firefighters and their harrowing story of courage, loss and redemption.

The Fire Triangle(en)

"The Fire Triangle" presents different types of fires (electrical, chemical, etc.) and firefighting techniques, while exploring the "triangle" conception of fire, consisting of heat, fuel and oxygen. Shot in Los Angeles with the cooperation of the LAFD, it dates to 1962.

La regla de Gala(es)

Gala is preparing for the firefighter exam when she gets her period accompanied by severe menstrual pain. Together with her father Alfonso, they must figure out how to manage the situation.

The Art of Eric Gill(en)

Overview of the life and work of the influential sculptor, architect, writer and teacher who founded austere artistic communities but whose art was often an untamed celebration of sexuality.

Making 'The Shining'(en)

Directed and edited by Stanley Kubrick's daughter Vivian Kubrick, this film offers a look behind the scenes during the making of The Shining.

Diamir - The Bewitched of Nanga Parbat(fr)

Mountaineering documentary on the Nanga Parbat expedition, in India, in 1982. Led by mountaineer Pierre Mazeaud, this international expedition brings together eight French people, two Germans, an Iraqi, an Austrian and an Englishman including Michel Afanassieff, Michel Berrueux, Walter Cecchinel, Kurt Diemberger, Hans Engl, Shah Jehan, Karim Imamdad and others. On July 14, 1982, Hans Engl reached the summit after twelve hours of struggle.

A Tale of Two Curries(en)

What even is a curry? A dish? A spice? A colonial mistake? Or something that’s always been part of who we are? In this documentary, Melissa unpacks this messy debate, tracing how a single word came to define (and flatten) an entire world of flavours, histories, and identities.

Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality(en)

In a world losing itself to screens, teenage mystic Carlo Acutis saw beyond our social media-addicted society and offered an answer—if we’re willing to listen. Carlo Acutis: Roadmap to Reality explores the life of the first millennial saint while following teens on a phone-free pilgrimage to his tomb, immersing them in his story, his passion for Christ, and a search for meaning in a digital age.

Universal State of Mind(fr)

Temiscaming, Québec(en)

Temiscaming, Québec is the story of a town's struggle to survive after its main source of employment, the CIP mill, closed down. Part I tells what steps the workers, townspeople and ex-CIP managers took to reopen a mill co-owned and co-managed by the workers; Part II explains the new corporate ownership of the mill, how it works, and its growing pains.

L'Opéra Hira Gasy de Madagascar(en)

Opera artist Hira Gasy from Madagascar, Emeline Raholiarisoa tells the story of this unique art that an international group is proposing to include as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Born in an artist's village, the author evokes the life of the troupe founded by her father Ramilison (known as Dadamily, Basigara) and more than six centuries of history of her country. The film is also haunted by death: many of the people filmed died of illness or road accidents, because in Madagascar, the health system is in ruins, the bush taxis are rolling coffins, and the drivers, who most often have bought their license, know neither the code nor safe driving. Why so many deaths? In this country, if you are not rich, and you are injured or sick, you die. A rebellious film that invites us to change things profoundly in the largest island in the Indian Ocean.

Saroyanland(tr)

Saroyanland is a docu-drama focusing on the journey of famous writer William Saroyan to the birthplace of his Armenian family Bitlis, in Turkey in 1964. While retaking the same road, the film aims to understand Saroyan's unique attitude to belonging, witnessing the self-discovery of a man who followed the traces of his Armenian ancestors.

Skyward(en)

IMAX documentary about the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, FL, USA Made for exhibition at the Expo '85, Tsukuba, Japan.

The Witness(en)

Transformed by the love of a kitten, a tough New York City construction contractor is inspired to rescue abandoned animals, become a vegetarian, and take his message of compassion to the streets. A construction contractor who grew up on the mean streets of Brooklyn, Eddie Lama is probably the last person you'd figure to be an animal activist. Indeed, Eddie was raised with a deeply ingrained aversion to animals, as he explains in the award-winning documentary "The Witness." But when a pretty woman asks him to take care of her kitten, he finds himself reluctantly agreeing as a ploy to get a date, not knowing that his life is about to change forever. In the end, it is the kitten who captures his heart, opening his eyes to the wonder of other living creatures and awakening him to the richness of the human-animal bond.

Belle & Sebastian: Fans Only(en)

Fans Only is a record of the development of Belle & Sebastian during their time with Jeepster, from If You're Feeling Sinister to Storytelling. Featuring all of the videos, live performances, interviews, out-takes, TV appearances, early documentary footage, exclusive material and behind the scenes insights into the evolution of the band.

Don't Breathe(en)

Don’t Breathe is a dark comedy set in Georgia that follows the tribulations of a middle-aged man, Levan, who is suddenly led to question his existence because of a routine medical examination. It sends him into a downward spiral of paranoia and doubt as he fumbles his way through the theatre of the absurd that we call life. Using humour and a playful tone, the film examines the fragility of human nature, when our bearings get lost and our imagination takes over, highlighting our common fears, doubts, hopes and resilience.

Seil und Tau Fabrikation in Howrah bei Kalkutta(en)

A short film showing the industrial process of jute works in India.