Cinema Stars - No. 15

I Love You, East Garrison (A Video Essay by Haley Hoult)(en)

Haley Hoult, a student of Est Harrison High, creates a sarcastic video essay about his school.

In the Image of God(it)

The fourth generation in his family to be born intersex, Jewish Rabbi Levi was assigned the female gender at birth and grew up thinking he was sick and defective. "In the Image of God" tells the story of his struggles and transitions, culminating today in a life as a religious leader and an LGBTQI+ activist living happily in Los Angeles with his wife.

Music in the Afternoon(en)

Fellow violinist and artist Tony Conrad, in collaboration with software engineer Tom Demeyer, made for Steina the instrument seen in this title. Conrad and the Vasulkas all taught at the University at Buffalo in the Media Study Department from 1976 to 1979.

Seven Years in May(pt)

One night seven years ago, Rafael came home after work and discovered that people he did not know had come looking for him. He immediately fled, without looking back. From that moment on, his life changed, as if that night had never ended. One evening, around an improvised fire near a factory, he decides to confide his journey to a stranger. Rafael’s intimate account meets the collective testimony of an entire nation oppressed by poverty, police repression and institutional corruption.

Skate Manzanar(en)

A meditation on skateboarding, civil liberties and memory. Inspired by the essay by Martin Wong, "Return to Manzanar", based on a trip he took with "Giant Robot" publisher Eric Nakamura.

Exploring the Reef(en)

Jean-Michael Cousteau's documentary about the Great Barrier Reef keeps getting interrupted by characters from Disney's Finding Nemo.

Taris(fr)

Short documentary directed by Jean Vigo about the French swimmer Jean Taris. The film is notable for the many innovative techniques that Vigo uses, including close ups and freeze frames of the swimmer's body.

Met Dieric Bouts(nl)

A filmed essay about the painter Bouts.

Pérola do Atlântico(pt)

Short film narrating the luxuries of Madeira.

Breadline(en)

In a forgotten seaside town in the north of England, seventy eight year old Dave hands out food and kindness to those in need. After ten years of austerity, this nuanced portrait of a volunteer-run food bank penetrates the harsh reality of contemporary Britain.

Lana Kaiser(de)

In 2002, Lana Kaiser became well known in the first season of the German version of the Idol television franchise. She was born in 1985 and went by her birth name Daniel Küblböck. At only 17 years old she polarised the audience with her androgynous appearance and open bisexuality. On September 9th 2018, Lana disappeared from a cruise ship on her way to North America. Most media outlets and the majority of the public didn‘t consider calling her by her chosen name, Lana Kaiser. Philipp Gufler's video installation is a personal portrait of the singer and entertainer.

10 Year Retrospective: Cast and Crew Look Back(en)

The cast and crew reflect back on the making of the film Léon - The Professional (1994).A series of interviews with people in different places, all of them involved in the film.

Notes on a True Story(it)

On the evening of March 11, 1950, Annabella Bracci, a 12-year-old girl, was brutally killed and thrown into a pit on the outskirts of Rome, near the village of Primavalle. A brief and poetic account of the events and their impact on an impoverished community. A handful of wild flowers and a painful catch in the voices.

The Cabinet of Jan Švankmajer: Prague's Alchemist of Film(en)

The original 54-minute documentary, as broadcast by Channel Four on 20 June 1984, after which the animated links by the Quay Brothers were recompiled as a separate short.

Lobo Mexicano(es)

About the mexican wolf in northwest Chihuahua, the search for its conservation among local communities, landowners, and the Livestock Assurance Fund.

Catwoman: The Feline Femme Fatale(en)

A documentary about the history of Catwoman from DC.

Iran: A Skier's Journey(en)

They were cautioned not to travel to Iran. Too dangerous, too restrictive, too unknown. But skiers Chad Sayers and Forrest Coots went anyway. What they found: bustling bazaars, intricately adorned mosques, steamy bathhouses, powder-coated slopes and small pockets of rich ski culture. This poetic film from Jordan Manley is a meditation on a complex country that can be both welcoming and impenetrable, as seen through the eyes of skiers.

Diario ruso(es)

Self Portrait(xx)

A contemplation of life.

It Rains(es)

Is that what mass graves are like, one body on top of the other and nothing else? Through the rain, Oliver sends signals to his mother to help her unearth the truth.