Africa Light / Gray Zone

Rich Hall's Presidential Grudge Match(en)

An examination of the sordid machinations involved in becoming president of the United States. Rich Hall looks back at some of the dirtiest and nastiest presidential campaigns of the past, proving that the 2016 race to the White House is not the first time the contest has got personal.

Gradually, Then Suddenly: The Bankruptcy of Detroit(en)

Once heralded as the spirit of American manufacturing, music, and democracy, Detroit kicked its fiscal can down the road for decades plummeting into insolvency, culminating in the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history. GRADUALLY, THEN SUDDENLY is the inside story of how a state-appointed Emergency Manager and the people of this iconic American city- confronting financial ruin-followed a treacherous path towards a new beginning.

My Imaginary Country(es)

This documentary explores the protests that exploded onto the streets of Chile’s capital of Santiago in 2019 as the population demanded more democracy and social equality around education, healthcare and job opportunities.

The Great Blue Heron(en)

Provides, through onsite study and observations of a young biologist, an introduction to the life cycle and habitat of the blue heron. Shows its cycles of migration, reproduction and growth and obstacle to survival.

Je pense donc je vote : Intellectuels en campagne(fr)

The Leopardess(de)

Leopards are considered to be extremely shy big cats. Only a few animals can match the elegance of these feline predators. The cautious hunters are rarely seen in the wild for more than a few seconds. The cats can be observed more extensively when they rest asleep in a tree and recover from the mostly nocturnal hunt. But a leopardess has switched to hunting in broad daylight. Its home along the brook bed of the Olare Orok offers everything a mother needs to protect and nourish its offspring: picturesque rocks and dense bush, a landscape in which the big cat can disappear in seconds to sneak up on potential prey, which includes warthogs and antelopes. But hyenas and lions are always ready to contest for its territory and nourishment. The renowned wildlife filmmaker Reinhard Radke managed to capture astonishing insights into the social life and hunting tactics of the ambush hunters in the Maasai Mara.

Illusion(cs)

Nabonga(en)

When a treasure hunter seeks a downed airplane in the jungles of Africa, he encounters one of the passenger's young daughter, now fully grown, and with a gorilla protector.

Sahara(en)

Seasoned adventurer and treasure hunter Dirk Pitt, a former Navy SEAL, sets out for the African desert with his wisecracking buddy Al in search of a confederate ironclad battleship rumored to have vanished long ago, the main draw being the treasure supposedly hidden within the lost vessel. When the daring duo come across Dr. Eva Rojas, a beautiful scientist who is juggling an escape from a warlord and a mission to stop the spread of a powerful plague, their desert expedition begins to heat up.

An Elephant Called Slowly(en)

Bill and Ginny are invited by a naturalist friend to take care of his home in Africa while he is away, and they find themselves adopted by three orphan elephants.

Édouard, mon pote de droite - Épisode 1 : Le Havre(fr)

A director follows his right-wing friend during his reelection campaign for Le Havre's mayorship.

Zoo Quest to West Africa(en)

In September 1954, David Attenborough, cameraman Charles Lagus, Jack Lester and Alf Woods, both from the Zoological Society of London, set out for Sierra Leone. They spent three months intently surveying the landscapes of Sierra Leone in search of nature’s rarest animals. Although predominantly searching for Picathartes gymnocephalus (the White-necked Rockfowl) they hoped to take back to London a representative collection of the whole of animal life in this part of Africa.

Broken Fall (Organic)(en)

Bas Jan Ader hangs from the branch of a tall tree, until he loses his grip and falls into a river below.

Boj o Hřensko(cs)

Eternal Mission(az)

The film "Eternal Mission" tells about the tumultuous fate of the delegation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic sent to the Paris Peace Conference in January 1919 under the leadership of Alimardan Bey Topchubashov, the Speaker of the Parliament.

The Three Investigators in The Secret of Skeleton Island(en)

The hobby detectives “The Three Investigators” want to take a little break. So they take advantage of an offer from Peter's father, who has accepted a job in South Africa and wants to take the detectives there. But Jupiter, Peter and Bob wouldn't be the three investigators marks feared by the criminal world if they just lounged around in the sun on their vacation. So it's no wonder that the clever boys soon have their next case to solve...

The Snows of Kilimanjaro(en)

Writer Harry Street reflects on his life as he lies dying from an infection while on safari in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)(en)

During the same summer as Woodstock, over 300,000 people attended the Harlem Cultural Festival, celebrating African American music and culture, and promoting Black pride and unity. The footage from the festival sat in a basement, unseen for over 50 years, keeping this incredible event in America's history lost — until now.

Aidez l'Espagne(ca)

The Colegio de Arquitectos de Catalunya commissioned Pere Portabella to make this film for the Joan Miró retrospective exhibit in 1969. There were heated discussions on whether it would be prudent to screen the film during the exhibit. Portabella took the following stance: "either both films are screened or they don't screen any" and, finally, both Miro l'Altre and Aidez l'Espagne were shown. The film was made by combining newsreels and film material from the Spanish Civil War with prints by Miró from the series "Barcelona" (1939-1944). The film ends with the painter's "pochoir" known as Aidez l'Espagne.

A Home On the Clouds(it)

A couple receives a letter of eviction: they must leave their home in Trento within 60 days. They are two political refugees: he is Afghan and she is of Iranian origin. They have a 10-year-old son, Sepanta, who grew up in Italy, and has no memory of his grandparents, either paternal or maternal. They decide to dedicate these 60 days to their son, to offer him a different idea of home, and thus undertake a journey to his mother's native country. But an unexpected event upsets the plans.

Democracy Is ...(en)

The film is a controversy on democracy. Is our society really democratic? Can everyone be part of it? Or is the act of being part in democracy dependent to the access on technology, progression or any resources of information, as philosophers like Paul Virilio or Jean Baudrillard already claimed?

Schism(es)

The Frozen North(en)

For more than 30 years a man by the name of Dick Proenneke lived alone in the Alaskan Bush. His only neighbors were the wolves and grizzly bears and his only transportation was his canoe and a good set of legs. Through the years, Dick kept written journals of daily life at Twin Lakes but would also document much of his adventure on film with his 16 mms Bolex camera. The Frozen North is Dick's own filmed account of his life alone in this "One Man's Wilderness", produced from original footage not included in "Alone in the Wilderness" or "Alaska Silence & Solitude".

A Wonderful Life(en)

A farcical short film showing a sequence of events for a not-so-average family. Centering on the teenage boy as the main character and his brother and mother as they go about their daily life taking everything in their stride until the bitter end. This film centres on dialogue and staging, with a clear focus on circumstance. It draws inspiration from classics such as The Ipcress Files, Goodfellas and the work of Wes Anderson in its visual style and delivery.

Wangan Midnight(ja)

Direct to video adaptation of the comic by Michiharu Kusunoki.

Woman to Woman(en)

While on leave in WW I France an English officer and French cabaret star fall in love with one another and plan to marry. However, he is recalled to the front, wounded and has memory loss.

Home(sq)

Hava's brothers decide to divide their paternal property. According to traditional customs, the right to inheritance belongs to male descendants only whereas Hava has no right to inherit. The eldest brother is obligated to find a husband for his sister. Hava must be married and live at her husband's house.

Josh Widdicombe: What Do I Do Now...(en)

Josh Widdicombe, "…the undisputed king of the exasperated petty gripe...”, is back with his new stand-up show.

Love Revolution(cn)

Duped (The Jezbel Experience)(en)

Alexandria Wright meets Elijah Martinez and the demonic journey begins. Elijah Martinez finds himself ensnared in a romantic involvement with Alexandria Wright, an unfaithful Covert Narcissist. She convinces him they are soulmates and they take a vow before God for His blessing with the penalty of betrayal being death. After years pass, Alexandria forgets the vows and begins cheating behind Elijah's back. Just a week before Christmas, she abruptly betrays him. To his astonishment, she swiftly transitions to a new relationship, bringing with her the unsettling secret of transmitting an incurable sexually transmitted disease to her new partner. Then came Karma. Her victims arrive to spit on her dirty grave as her demise finally arrives.

Punahousut(fi)

The tarragon regiment moving to the small town charms the women of the locality. Only trade counsellor Ottilia Mähönen considers them brutal barbarians and is horrified when her daughter Irja gives her room to cavalry master Osmo Kyrö who needs accommodation.

Studio One Forever(en)

A documentary film about Studio One which, from 1974 to 1994, was the center of queer nightlife in West Hollywood as well as the staging ground for the rise of the LGBTQ rights movement and fight against the AIDS crisis.

Depth Two(sr)

1999: While NATO was bombing Yugoslavia, a truck containing 53 dead bodies plunged into the Danube near the border with Romania. No enquiries were carried out. Previously, in Suva Reka, Kosovo: Serbian police herd villagers together. A woman experiences terrible things, bodies disappear into remote mass graves. People as little more than mere matter.

It Knows You're Alone(en)

After finding an old nautical phone washed up on the shore, Natalie begins having dreams of the device ringing, followed by the presence of a shrouded woman in black. Natalie's already fragile grip on reality begins to slip.

Un Caso Excepcional(es)

A young actress arrives late to a casting, making up a great excuse without knowing a small detail.

Chasing the White Dragon(en)

Six small town characters are trapped in the nightmare of crystal methamphetamine addiction and each must make the decision to escape the nightmare before their world implodes.

Das Stundenhotel von St. Pauli(de)

West German crime film directed by Rolf Olsen and starring Curd Jürgens, Andrea Rau and Corny Collins. It is set in the red-light district of St. Pauli in Hamburg.

Alicia Bustamante(pt)