Ajyal

Ces chansons de nos vacances(fr)

Fritz Berger: The Photographer of Memories(el)

In the spring of 1962, members of the Christian Peace Service aid group flew in from Bern, Switzerland and settled in the poorest villages in all of Greece. Led by photographer and social worker Fritz Berger, the group itself had one purpose: the provision of aid and development services to local communities inhabiting the southwest region of Lefkada. What followed were revolutionary advancements that would leave their lives forever changed.

Saynatakuna: Masks and Transfigurations in Paukartambo(es)

An ethnographic film that tells the story of the mask makers and dancers during the festival of the Virgen del Carmen in Paukartambo, Cuzco. The dancers reinterpret their history and socio-political forces that drive them to perform their rituals of magic and resistance. The 18 dance troupes reenact and satirize the different ethnic groups that passed through Paukartambo since the beginning of time. They connect and tell a story of the past, the present, and the future wearing hand-made colorful masks and intricate beaded costumes.

Bluegrass Country Soul(en)

Capturing the sights, sounds, and magic of Carlton Haney’s 1971 Labor Day Festival in Camp Springs, North Carolina; a three-day outdoor festival—the first of its kind—featuring bluegrass veterans and future stars alike sharing the primitive wood and cinder block stage. More than just capturing one of the largest bluegrass festivals of that decade, this documentary is also an interesting mixture of live performances, interviews, impromptu jam sessions and crowd footage of live music set in a small town surrounded by the now long gone red clay and tobacco shacks of North Carolina.

Circus of Books(en)

For decades, a nice Jewish couple ran Circus of Books, a porn shop and epicenter for gay LA. Their director daughter documents their life and times.

Fahrenheit 9/11(en)

Michael Moore's view on how the Bush administration allegedly used the tragic events on 9/11 to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Vier Minuten Deutscher Meister(de)

It is May 19th, 2001, the last gameday of the 2000/2001 Bundesliga season. A day which will go down in Bundesliga history as the most dramatic final. Ten years later, film director Judith Völker conducts her search for traces. She talks with players and decisionmakers, with celebrities and fans. Out of these memories, a moving review of the event, which is unforgettable (not only) for Schalke souls, is made.

The Society of the Spectacle(fr)

Guy Debord's analysis of a consumer society.

Coming Back for More(en)

Funk legend Sly Stone disappeared from the limelight for more than 20 years. Musicians and the media tried to find the recluse but failed. In 2005 Willem Alkema started searching for Sly. Sly didn't want to be found or filmed, but Willem didn't give up and finally followed Sly in his first steps on stage in decades.

The Wikipedia Promise(de)

In 2001, Jimmy Wales published the first article on Wikipedia, a collaborative effort that began with a promise: to democratize the spreading of knowledge, monopolized by the elites for centuries. But is Wikipedia really a utopia come true?

The RAF: The Red Army Fraction(de)

From the inner workings of the RAF. Former RAF-member Peter-Jürgen Boock reveal the many secrets and myths about the Baader-Meinhof gang a.k.a. RAF - Rote Armee Fraktion.

Brytpunkt-87(sv)

An examination of the music life in Stockholm and Gothenburg, what is the same and what is different?

Inside Deep Throat(en)

In 1972, a seemingly typical shoestring budget pornographic film was made in a Florida hotel: "Deep Throat," starring Linda Lovelace. This film would surpass the wildest expectation of everyone involved to become one of the most successful independent films of all time. It caught the public imagination which met the spirit of the times, even as the self-appointed guardians of public morality struggled to suppress it, and created, for a brief moment, a possible future where sexuality in film had a bold artistic potential. This film covers the story of the making of this controversial film, its stunning success, its hysterical opposition along with its dark side of mob influence and allegations of the on set mistreatment of the film's star.

Resplendor(pt)

The National Truth Commission, installed in 2011 to investigate crimes committed during a military dictatorship, brought to the public a still very obscure chapter of our history: the existence of an indigenous detention center in the city of Resplendor (MG), called Reformatório Krenak . First installed within the territory of the Krenak ethnic group, and later transferred to Carmésia, it imprisoned and tortured not only Krenak indigenous people, but several other ethnic groups such as the Pataxó, imposing restrictions on their ancestral practices under relentless surveillance by the military. The documentary shows how this concentration camp worked, and the consequences of this collective trauma for the affected indigenous peoples.

Black Waters(es)

“Aguas Negras” is an experimental documentary about the Cuautitlán River. The film examines the passage of time and the pollution of the river by focusing on conversations with multiple generations of women in the filmmaker's family that have grown up by the river in a municipality identified as having the highest perception of insecurity in the State of Mexico.

Cowboys: A Documentary Portrait(en)

Told in the cinematic tradition of classic westerns, “COWBOYS - A Documentary Portrait” is a feature-length film that gives viewers the opportunity to ride alongside modern working cowboys on some of America's largest and most remote cattle ranches. The movie documents the lives of the men and women working on these "big outfit" ranches - some of which are over one million acres - and still require full crews of horseback mounted workers to tend large herds of cattle. Narrated through first-hand accounts from the cowboys themselves, the story is steeped in authenticity and explores the rewards and hardships of a celebrated but misunderstood way of life, including the challenges that lie ahead for the cowboys critical to providing the world's supply of beef. “COWBOYS” was filmed on eight of the nation’s largest cattle ranches across ten states in the American West.

Le Monde secret de la petite brique LEGO(fr)

Saudi Solutions(en)

How to combine modernity and fundamentalist Islam. "Saudi Solutions" is a unique and revealing documentary about the lifestyles and attitudes of ambitious career womenin conservative Saudi Arabia - the only country in the Arabworld where women are obliged to cover themselves inabayas and aren't allowed to drive cars. Because of the strong influence of fundamentalist Islam on society, filmingis severely restricted in Saudi Arabia. With unique access to the Kingdom, Backlight had the opportunity to film the daily routines of Saudi working women. This documentaryfeatures a top gyneacologist, a TV news anchor woman, a photographer, and a university professor. It also introducesthe wealthy Prince Al-Waleed, who passionately promotes the acceptance of women into the workforce. He kindly invitesBacklight to his luxury desert camp, but there are no women to be found - only thousands of men.

Maria Bethânia: Música é Perfume(pt)

Brazilian singer Maria Bethania has a 40-year singing career. A documentary shows her concerts and famous family.

The Session(en)

In some of Cleveland, Ohio’s most dangerous neighborhoods, a unique subculture uses the powerful expression of Krump dance to combat trauma. Aaron, Paul and Conrad, along with their fellow Krumpers find mental, and emotional support via public and private dance convenings called "The Sessions."