Breath of Life

Wilt Chamberlain: Borscht Belt Bellhop(en)

In 1954, before his senior year of high school, Wilt Chamberlain took a summer job that would change his life, working as a bellhop at Kutsher's Country Club, a Jewish resort in the Catskill Mountains. An unexplored and pivotal chapter in the life of one of basketball's greatest players, and a fascinating glimpse of a time when a very different era of basketball met the Borscht Belt in its heyday.

Kicking It(en)

Kicking It chronicles the lives of seven players taking a once in a lifetime opportunity to represent their country at the Cape Town 2006 Homeless World Cup. Najib from war torn Afghanistan; Alex from the slums of Kenya; Damien and Simon from the drug rehab clinics of Dublin, Ireland; Craig from the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina; Jesus from the overflowing public shelters of Madrid, Spain,

In My Genes(en)

Agnes may not seem like someone with much to laugh about. For one thing, she has albinism - a lack of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes - and her appearance has provoked prejudice from family, friends and strangers since she was born. But despite all odds, Agnes refuses to lead a life of sorrow. This fascinating and inspiring documentary also shares the stories of seven other people's individual experiences of living their lives with albinism in Kenya, a predominantly black society. While each person's story is unique, they all have one thing in common: they know what it is like to stand out uncomfortably from the crowd.

Once My Mother(en)

Australian filmmaker Sophia Turkiewicz investigates why her Polish mother abandoned her and uncovers the truth behind her mother's wartime escape from a Siberian gulag, leaving Sophia to confront her own capacity for forgiveness.

The Story of a Butcher Shop(ja)

The Kitades run a butcher shop in Kaizuka City outside Osaka, raising and slaughtering cattle to sell the meat in their store. The seventh generation of their family's business, they are descendants of the buraku people, a social minority held over from the caste system abolished in the 19th century that is still subject to discrimination. As the Kitades are forced to make the difficult decision to shut down their slaughterhouse, the question posed by the film is whether doing this will also result in the deconstruction of the prejudices imposed on them. Though primarily documenting the process of their work with meticulous detail, Aya Hanabusa also touches on the Kitades' participation in the buraku liberation movement. Hanabusa's heartfelt portrait expands from the story of an old-fashioned family business competing with corporate supermarkets, toward a subtle and sophisticated critique of social exclusion and the persistence of ancient prejudices.

From Mother to Daughter(fr)

Documents a woman's actual pregnancy; the emotions, the affects on her husband and first-born child, the birth itself via Caesarean section, and her struggle to return to work and a social life, while still being a good mother.

Les Chevaux du Vercors(fr)

Stoked: The Rise and Fall of Gator(en)

A documentary exploring the rise and fall of 80s skateboard legend Mark "Gator" Rogowski.

Her Name Is Sabine(en)

A sensitive portrait of Sabine Bonnaire, the autistic sister of the french actress Sandrine Bonnaire.

Harlan County U.S.A.(en)

This film documents the coal miners' strike against the Brookside Mine of the Eastover Mining Company in Harlan County, Kentucky in June, 1973. Eastovers refusal to sign a contract (when the miners joined with the United Mine Workers of America) led to the strike, which lasted more than a year and included violent battles between gun-toting company thugs/scabs and the picketing miners and their supportive women-folk. Director Barbara Kopple puts the strike into perspective by giving us some background on the historical plight of the miners and some history of the UMWA. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with New York Women in Film & Television in 2004.

Welcome to São Paulo(pt)

All the feature is given prestige to by the narration in Caetano Veloso's voice, that also signs one of the segments of the project. São Paulo is the largest city of the Southern Hemisphere, with an incessant dynamics of cultural mixtures, with immigrants of all the world and migrants of all parts of Brazil. The gathering of these peculiarities are seen through the 13 film directors's sensibilities and their segments.

Chevolution(en)

Examines the history and legacy of the photo Guerrillero Heroico taken by famous Cuban photographer Alberto Díaz Gutiérrez. This image has thrived for the decades since Che Guevara's death and has evolved into an iconic image, which represents a multitude of ideals. The documentary film explores the story of how the photo came to be, its adoption of multiple interpretations and meanings, as well as the commercialization of the image of Ernesto "Che" Guevara.

The Pervert's Guide to Cinema(en)

A hilarious introduction, using as examples some of the best films ever made, to some of Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek's most exciting ideas on personal subjectivity, fantasy and reality, desire and sexuality.

Sea Sorrow(en)

A very personal and dynamic meditation on the current global refugee crisis through the eyes and voices of campaigners, specially children, where past and present establish a dialogue. A reflection on the importance of human rights.

Gypsy Caravan: When the Road Bends(en)

A brief look into Romany culture and Rom (Gypsies) from around the globe as five famous Romany groups tour the USA.

Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train(en)

You Can't Be Neutral documents the life and times of the historian, activist and author of the best selling classic "A People's History of the United States". Featuring rare archival materials, interviews with Howard Zinn as well as colleagues and friends including Noam Chomsky, Marian Wright Edelman, Daniel Ellsberg, Tom Hayden and Alice Walker.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised(en)

Hugo Chavez was a colourful, unpredictable folk hero who was beloved by his nation’s working class. He was elected president of Venezuela in 1998, and proved to be a tough, quixotic opponent to the power structure that wanted to depose him. When he was forcibly removed from office on 11 April 2002, two independent filmmakers were inside the presidential palace.

Tribal Justice(en)

Two formidable Native American women, both chief judges in their tribe's courts, strive to reduce incarceration rates and heal their people by restoring rather than punishing offenders, modeling restorative justice in action.

My Enemy, My Brother(en)

The eight-year Iran-Iraq War was one of the most brutal conflicts to devastate the region in the 20th century. Zahed was 13 years old when he enrolled in the Iranian army. Najah was 18 when he was conscripted into the Iraqi army, and he fought against Zahed in the Battle of Khorramshahr. Fast forward 25 years, a chance encounter in Vancouver between these two former enemies turns into a deep and mutually supportive friendship. Expanded from the 2015 short film by the same name.

Trudell(en)

A chronicle of legendary Native American poet/activist John Trudell's travels, spoken word performances and politics.

Venedig - Unsterbliche Serenissima(de)

Linda and Irina(fr)

Guillaume Brac films Linda and Irina in this pivotal time of adolescence, where everything is a balancing act between doing what one wants and living up to parents’ expectations, in the run-up to that long-awaited adulthood.

Home(hr)

She watches him through the window as he loads the final pieces of furniture into the truck. They are counting down the last hours in their home. Their seven-month-old baby is asleep, unaware of the trouble brewing. They will either vacate the apartment peacefully, or they will be forcefully evicted. Their home, her father's legacy, used to be their safe haven, their family nest. Now, corrupt courts, greedy bankers, and unscrupulous real estate investors have turned it into a site of their worst nightmares. As tension rise, they struggle to preserve their relationship. In the morning, as police knocks on their door, their future seems uncertain, but their options are very clear: either accept injustice or show resistance.

Anjuman(en)

The film is a tragedy based on a courtesan 'Anjuman', who born from a rich noble father and a courtesan mother. After her father's death she and her mother was abandoned by her paternal family. Her mother works as a courtesan to bring her up and wishes oneday her daughter will join the same business like her.

Donald on Ice(en)

Huey, Dewey and Louie are building a snowman for the big snowman contest, but Donald's skating mishaps destroy their first attempt. Can their revenge be far away?

Zoey(en)

After losing his job, Tommy heads back to his home town of New York City. With zero job prospects, Tommy starts selling cocaine with Donnie, his brother, a veteran drug dealer. Tommy keeps seeing a gorgeous young woman, Zoey. But before he gets the chance things head sideways when she gets attacked in the street. Tommy fights off the attacker and finally meets Zoey. His life and outlook improve instantly as their relationship develops. But keeping his web of lies neat quickly proves futile.

Driven to Abstraction(en)

Unravels a mutating tale of self-delusion, greed, and fraud---the $80 million forgery scandal that rocked the art world and brought down Knoedler, New York City's oldest and most venerable gallery. Was the gallery's esteemed director the victim of a con artist who showed up with an endless treasure trove of previously unseen abstract expressionist masterpieces? Or did she eventually suspect they were fakes, yet continue to sell them for many millions of dollars for fifteen years? Whatever the truth, two women from very different worlds were, wittingly or not, caught up in the greatest hoax ever of modern American Art.

El farol de la ventana(es)

Whatever It May Be(es)

Violeta, a manic and stalker mythomaniac, becomes obsessed with a client of her photocopier shop

Le divorcement(fr)

In this rambling comic tale about a man and a wife, with four children, who calmly announce to the children that they want to divorce one another, it is impossible to tell who is dissatisfied with whom about what. They had seemed to be a perfect couple. Their flabbergasted children have mixed feelings, and the most difficult thing about the divorce, besides understanding why it is taking place at all, is deciding what will happen with the couple's numerous pets.

Under Age(en)

A trial melodrama about a mother who encourages her 14 year old daughter to have sex with a 16 year old Mexican boy.

Le Club des Vedettes(fr)

Macadam Popcorn(fr)

Mathieu Sapin's next graphic novel is about French independent cinemas. Taking us on a journey across France, he explores the challenges facing this fragile cultural ecosystem. On his way, Matthew discovers a community of enthusiasts and the diversity of French offerings that is admired the world over.

On the Other Side of the Pillow a Rose Was Blossoming(en)

Marija, Marija always unfortunate. Never catch her glance, she'll bring you misery!

I Miss U(th)

Bee is falling in love with her senior surgeon co-worker. But his girlfriend who recently died in an accident isn't quite ready to give him up yet.

The Conversation Is Over(pt)

The film was to be a documentary, but evolved during production to a fictional film. It nevertheless adheres strictly to the poems and letters exchanged by two of the most outstanding names of the Modernist Movement, Fernando Pessoa (in Lisbon) and Mário de Sá-Carneiro (in Paris). Their endless conversation was dramatically and suddenly terminated.

Rap's Hawaii(en)

Hawaiian comedy institution Rap Reiplinger brings to life his most beloved characters in this Emmy-winning special, which features extensive performance clips and a thoughtful biography of the comedian. The bits -- which still live on in everyday Hawaiian repartee -- include "Da Old Man," "Aunty Marialani Cooking Show," "The Soda Taste Test," "Fate Yanagi," "Candidate Willie Maunawili" and more.