Bacon's Arena

Francis Bacon: Fragments of a Portrait(en)

Francis Bacon: Fragments of a Portrait explores the recurring themes in Bacon’s work, his influences and his life. The documentary is accompanied by a haunting score specially composed by Edwin Astley for the production.

Francis Bacon in His Own Words(en)

A collection of BBC archive material about painter Francis Bacon, including a previously unseen interview recorded in 1965.

Shakespeare in Love(en)

Young Shakespeare is forced to stage his latest comedy, "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter," before it's even written. When a lovely noblewoman auditions for a role, they fall into forbidden love -- and his play finds a new life (and title). As their relationship progresses, Shakespeare's comedy soon transforms into tragedy.

Alucardos: Portrait of a Vampire(es)

Terror, transsexualism, and an eternal cult film. What is on the mind of horror film director Juan López Moctezuma and his fans, Manolo and Lalo, who are not only obsessed with the Mexican horror film 'Alucarda', but also believe in their hearts that they are its true characters? After finding the director in a psychiatric hospital, they kidnap him to make him remember his gloriously twisted past. An unclassifiable documentary film that uses interviews, stock shots and recreations of a past that may only have existed in the nightmares of its protagonists.

Israel, Why(fr)

Using interviews and other footage shot especially for this documentary, French director Claude Lanzmann investigates the state of Israel in 1972. This movie concentrates on Israelis going about their business of everyday living.

Lessons for Zafirah(es)

A metaphor of the Flood in our times, The Flood is the rain of violence that washes over us. Noah´s Ark is the train that runs through Mexico toward the United States and migrants are the species attempting to save their lives. For the directors, cinema moves people not just by condemnation, but by confronting and fostering emotions which lead to new, constructive ideas. This documentary became a cinematographic diary for their first viewer, their three-year-old daughter, Zafirah.

The Way South(nl)

Johan van der Keuken went against the grain in 1980: from Amsterdam (on April 30 with the coronation riots and squatting actions) via Paris, southern France and Italy to Egypt. He made his personal travelogue in three parts for VPRO television. Later, he fused the three parts into one long movie.

The Blind Child(nl)

With the use of montage sequences, voiced over with the observations of the children, van der Keuken was able to use artistic expression to portray the sightless children’s unique perspective of the world.

When Cinema Reflects the Times: Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Edward Yang(ja)

From the 1980s to the 1990s, New Taiwanese Cinema gained international attention for adopting a completely different approach to that of the commercial films which had preceded it. This piece contrasts Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang, two rivals who were the driving force behind New Taiwanese Cinema. The closing of a cinema invites us to reflect on society and the passage of history.

Wimbledon, 2019 Official Film(en)

A look back at 2019’s Wimbledon Championships, where storylines included both Roger Federer and Serena Williams aiming for history and the emergence of a new young star in Coco Gauff.

El Camino(es)

Monsters and Magic(en)

A behind the scenes look at the making of "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad".

Uma Breve História da Imprensa LGBT+ no Brasil(pt)

A documentary that explores the history and impact of magazines, newspapers, fanzines, and other journalistic media produced by and for the LGBTQIAPN+ community in Brazil. The idea for the documentary came about in 2020, during the pandemic, when the director began studying the history of the LGBTQIAPN+ press, an investigation that resulted in a video for the filmmaker's YouTube channel, published in 2021. The film presents an overview of the LGBTQIAPN+ press, from the mimeograph in the 1960s to the internet today, and is also a portrait of Brazilian society and the evolution of the rights achieved by this community.

Mosul(en)

Described by some military commanders as the deadliest urban combat since World War II, the battle to drive ISIS out of Mosul as the terror group held civilians captive there was brutal and grueling. Shot over the course of the entire nine-month fight, this vivid documentary follows the experiences of four young soldiers in a team of Iraqi Special Forces tasked with leading the battle.

River Rat(en)

A man spends an evening by the river

Shadow of War(mo)

When Russian armed forces invaded Ukraine, Moldovans raced to the borders to assist refugees, offering warm food, rides, and shelter. At the same time, a group of Moldovan filmmakers formed an ad-hoc film collective to document the unwavering efforts of volunteers and the fate of refugees through multifaceted lenses. Despite these acts of solidarity, a segment of the population's Soviet nostalgia fuels a growing fear that the country could be drawn into the war.

A Cat And Dog Life(xx)

Dogs and cats go on show at two princely London venues – among them some of the fluffiest kittens London is ever likely to see.

Apolo(pt)

After naturally conceiving a child during the COVID-19 pandemic, trans-centered couple Isis and Lourenzo begin a journey across Brazil in search of respectful and specialized prenatal care, while fighting for their family's rights in what kills the most trans people in the world.

La Odisea de Kamatsu(es)

Kamatsu is an 80 year old Japanese man who came to Buenos Aires more than five decades ago because he heard that there was a hen that lay green eggs. In a game of expectation and reality, this documentary continually stumbles over its own preconceptions. The initial idea of understanding the migration, identity and tradition of a Japanese migrant derives in the story of some eggs, some notebooks and the authors' search for vision and meaning.

Vanessa Vinson Vibes(el)

Vanessa seeks to find herself in the face of goals as high as the mountains that stand before her. She tries to give meaning to her mountaineering expeditions by promoting her ecological concerns and social media identity. Her roles are multiple, making matters even more complicated as what is at stake becomes difficult to balance.

A Prayer Before Dawn(en)

The amazing true story of Billy Moore, an English boxer incarcerated in Thailand’s most notorious prison. Thrown into a world of drugs and violence, he finds his best chance to escape is to fight his way out in prison Muay Thai tournaments.

Black God, White Devil(pt)

Wanted for killing his boss, Manuel flees with his wife Rosa to the sertão, the barren landscape of Northern Brazil. Thrust into a primordial violent region, Manuel and Rosa come under the influence and control of a series of frightening figures.

Scooby-Doo Safari, So Goodi!(en)

When the gang goes on safari, they encounter a variety of freaky, glowing demon animals.

Fellini's Casanova(it)

Casanova is a libertine, collecting seductions and sexual feats. But he is really interested in someone, and is he really an interesting person? Is he really alive?

La Collectionneuse(fr)

A bombastic, womanizing art dealer and his painter friend go to a seventeenth-century villa on the Riviera for a relaxing summer getaway. But their idyll is disturbed by the presence of the bohemian Haydée, accused of being a “collector” of men.

Mantra Warrior: The Legend of The Eight Moons(th)

A story inspired by the original RAMAYANA, retold in a futuristic universe, involving brave warriors who possess ancient powers from another dimension.

The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer(ja)

After the Japanese defeat to the Russians, Kaji leads the last remaining men through Manchuria. Intent on returning to his dear wife and his old life, Kaji faces great odds in a variety of different harrowing circumstances as he and his fellow men sneak behind enemy lines.

Pushpa 2 - The Rule(te)

Pushpa struggles to sustain his sandalwood smuggling business in the face of tough opposition from the police, led by arch-rival Bhanwar Singh Shekhawat .

Alienoid: Return to the Future(ko)

Ean has a critical mission to return to the future to save everyone. However, she becomes trapped in the distant past while trying to prevent the escape of alien prisoners who are locked up in the bodies of humans. Meanwhile, Muruk, who helps Ean escape various predicaments, is unnerved when he begins sensing the presence of a strange being in his body. Traveling through the centuries, they are trying to prevent the explosion of the haava.

The Child(fr)

Bruno and Sonia, a young couple living off her benefit and the thefts committed by his gang, have a new source of money: their newborn son. Bruno, 20, and Sonia, 18, live off the young girl's allowance and the petty thefts committed by him and his gang. Sonia has just given birth to Jimmy, their child. The carefree Bruno, who until then had only cared about the here and now, must now learn to become a father.

V(te)

DCP Aditya, a celebrated cop, faces his most unsettling case yet involving a mysterious serial killer who has been brutally killing his targets and leaving behind notes challenging Aditya to nab him. Teaming with Apoorva, an aspiring crime novelist, and the police force, Aditya finds himself walking on thin ice upon discovering the killer has another challenge for him: to prevent four more murders from happening or give up his medals and resign. What he is yet to find out is the killer's past and his desperation to carry out the killing spree without fail.

No Man of God(en)

The complicated relationship that formed between the FBI analyst Bill Hagmaier and serial killer Ted Bundy during Bundy's final years on death row.

Let Them All Talk(en)

A celebrated author takes a journey with some old friends to have some fun and heal old wounds. Her nephew comes along to wrangle the ladies and finds himself involved with a young literary agent.

Home(en)

An ex-felon returns home from prison and must confront the demons of his past.

Hard Eight(en)

A stranger mentors a young Reno gambler who weds a hooker and befriends a vulgar casino regular.

Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle(ja)

Humanity's desperate battle to reclaim the Earth from Godzilla continues. The key to defeating the King of the Monsters may be Mechagodzilla, a robotic weapon thought to have been lost nearly 20,000 years ago.

That Sugar Film(en)

One man's journey to discover the bitter truth about sugar. Damon Gameau embarks on a unique experiment to document the effects of a high sugar diet on a healthy body, consuming only foods that are commonly perceived as 'healthy'. Through this entertaining and informative journey, Damon highlights some of the issues that plague the sugar industry, and where sugar lurks on supermarket shelves.

Red Joan(en)

London, England, May 2000. The peaceful life of elderly Joan Stanley is suddenly disrupted when she is arrested by the British Intelligence Service and accused of providing information to communist Russia during the forties.

Smoking Causes Coughing(fr)

After a devastating battle against a diabolical turtle, a team of five avengers — known as the "Tobacco Force" — is sent on a mandatory retreat to strengthen their decaying group cohesion. Their sojourn goes wonderfully well until Lézardin, Emperor of Evil, decides to annihilate planet Earth.

The Venerable W.(en)

A view of the religious tensions between Muslims and Buddhist through the portrait of the Buddhist monk Ashin Wirathu, leader of anti-Muslim movement in Myanmar.