F for Fake

Serial Killer Culture(en)

Serial Killer Culture examines the reasons why artists and collectors are fascinated by serial killers.

Filmfarsi(en)

A found-footage essay, Filmfarsi salvages low budget thrillers and melodramas suppressed following the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Long Live Hunting!(cs)

This documentary essay introduces a peculiar trio of men united by their passion for hunting. Each of them conceives of hunting in his own way, luring the viewer to an exotic safari, to an antlered trophy collection or to a sitting in the woods.

The Imperial Lullaby(it)

The armies of Fascist Italy conquered Addis Ababa, capital of Abyssinia, in May 1936, thus culminating the African colonial adventure of the ruthless dictator Benito Mussolini, by then lord of Libya, Eritrea and Somalia; a bloody and tragic story told through the naive drawings of Pietro Dall'Igna, an Italian schoolboy born in 1925.

The Green Fog(en)

A tribute to a fascinating film shot by Alfred Hitchcock in 1958, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, and to the city of San Francisco, California, where the magic was created; but also a challenge: how to pay homage to a masterpiece without using its footage; how to do it simply by gathering images from various sources, all of them haunted by the curse of a mysterious green fog that seems to cause irrepressible vertigo…

The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism(en)

Taking its lead from French artists like Renoir and Monet, the American impressionist movement followed its own path which over a forty-year period reveals as much about America as a nation as it does about its art as a creative power-house. It’s a story closely tied to a love of gardens and a desire to preserve nature in a rapidly urbanizing nation. Travelling to studios, gardens and iconic locations throughout the United States, UK and France, this mesmerising film is a feast for the eyes. The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism features the sell-out exhibition The Artist’s Garden: American Impressionism and the Garden Movement, 1887–1920 that began at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and ended at the Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme, Connecticut.

Aquela Mesma Estação(pt)

A.B.(en)

A documentary-style capturing of the life of Ab, a young struggling artist trying to find her way, all while dealing with unwanted company.

Whiteley(en)

A visual journey into the life and legacy of one of Australia's most celebrated artists, Brett Whiteley.

Cagnat, le dessin sinon rien(fr)

Coco Chanel Unbuttoned(en)

The story of original influencer Coco Chanel, whose designs still represent the zenith of female sexuality, style and power.

Christo: Works in Progress(en)

“Christo: Works in Progress” takes us around the world on a showcase of the artist’s grand environmental installations. With both critique and praise from members of the communities that have hosted Christo and his works, the film takes a deep look into the process and outcome of pieces such as Wrapped Coast, Running Fence, and Wrapped Walkways. While discussing his inspirations and motives, Christo states, “The work of art is not the fabric, steel poles and cable, the work of art is the hills and the ocean, the sky, the gates, the rocks, the people, the light- this is the work of art.” (Christo Vladimirov Javacheff) Though his work may appear to be visually distracting from the landscapes he creates in, Christo’s aim is to bring attention to the land itself and encourage people to take note of their surroundings.

Le regard de Georges Brassens(fr)

An atypical portrait of singer, songwriter, poet Georges Brassens.

Visions of Europe(en)

Twenty-five films from twenty-five European countries by twenty-five European directors.

What Is to Be Done? A Journey from Prague to Ceský Krumlov, or How I Formed a New Government(cs)

Quite a few years have passed since November 1989. Czechoslovakia has been divided up and, in the Czech Republic, Václav Klaus’s right-wing government is in power. Karel Vachek follows on from his film New Hyperion, thus continuing his series of comprehensive film documentaries in which he maps out Czech society and its real and imagined elites in his own unique way.

Moonface: A Woman in the War(es)

A walk through the life and career of the legendary French photojournalist Christine Spengler, known as Moonface, one of the few female war reporters in the seventies, also a writer and surrealist painter, who worked in Chad, Northern Ireland, Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq and other places where unfortunately war and death prevailed for years.

Jacques Martin, derrière vos applaudissements(fr)

From Le Petit Rapporteur to Sous vos applaudissements, from La Lorgnette to L'Ecole des fans, everyone remembers the mythical programs of Jacques Martin, the Sunday afternoon emperor. Through rare archives and the testimonies of his close friends and collaborators, this documentary reveals the hidden sides of this sacred television monster who would have liked to be an artist.

Counter Shot: Departure of the Filmmakers(de)

Harumi(en)

In the hills of Los Angeles the reclusive, stylish and enigmatic 96-year-old Harumi Taniguchi spent decades painting, writing poetry and dancing in her home designed by architect Richard Neutra.

To Stay Alive: A Method(en)

Iggy Pop reads and recites Michel Houellebecq’s manifesto. The documentary features real people from Houellebecq’s life with the text based on their life stories.

Othello(en)

When a secret marriage is planned between Othello, a Moorish general, and Desdemona, the daughter of Senator Brabantio, her old suitor Roderigo takes it hard. He allies himself with Iago, who has his own grudge against Othello, and the two conspire to bring Othello down. When their first plan, to have him accused of witchcraft, fails, they plant evidence intended to make him believe Desdemona is unfaithful.

George Washington(en)

Set in the landscape of a rural southern town, "George Washington" is a stunning portrait of how a group of young kids come to grips with a hard world of choices and consequences. During an innocent game in an abandoned amusement park, a member of the group dies. Narrated by one of the children, the film follows the kids as they struggle to balance their own ambitions and relationships against a tragic lie.

Don Quixote(en)

Don Quixote, accompanied by Sancho Panza, wander the roads of Spain protecting the weak and doing good deeds in the name of his beloved Dulcinea. (Orson Welles' Don Quixote was filmed between 1957 and 1972, left unfinished at his death in 1985, and was eventually edited by Jesús Franco and released in 1992.)

Frank & Zed(en)

Featuring an all-puppet cast, Frank and Zed tells the story of a doomed village, whose King made a fateful deal to stop a demon from destroying the village years before. Now, as the prophecy comes true upon the King’s death, the villagers brace for an orgy of blood. Living in a destroyed castle not far from the village are Frank and Zed, a Frankenstein-type monster and his brain-eating companion. As the villagers prepare for their impending doom, the two monsters are pulled into a war of epic, puppet-mutilating proportions. This debut feature film by Jesse Blanchard is a hilarious tale of misguided fears, innocent brain consumption, and a loving friendship.

The Forgiveness of Blood(en)

A seventeen-year-old boy and his younger sister’s dreams and aspirations are put on hold when their father is accused of murder.

The Hard Case(en)

A short film about a player and a gambler.

The Real Cabaret(en)

Few musicals can claim to capture the mood of a historical period as well as the 1972 classic Cabaret. Liza Minnelli's unforgettable portrayal of singer Sally Bowles and the film's stylish recreation of the era have become defining images of Weimar Berlin. In this documentary, actor Alan Cumming explores the truths behind the fiction. He meets many of those closely involved with the original film, including Liza Minnelli, and talks to cabaret artists, among them acclaimed performer Ute Lemper. Alan explores the origins of the Cabaret story in the writings of Christopher Isherwood and uncovers the story of the real life Sally Bowles, a woman very different from her fictional counterpart. He talks to the composer of Cabaret about the inspiration for the film's most famous songs and discovers the stories of the original composers and performers, among them Marlene Dietrich. Finally, Alan reveals the tragic fate of many of the cabaret artists at the hands of the Nazis.

SF Lolita Fantasy Ome-1(ja)

As Gonad the Barbarian plans to rule the galaxy, the Sex Wars saga continues in full animation as Princess Orgasma, the great Princess Layme and Pussy La'Mour search out new sexual adventures in the far-flung erotic regions of outer space.

F.H.A.R.(fr)

Demonstration by FHAR, the Homosexual Revolutionary Action Front, the 1st of May 1971. People discuss at the University of Vincennes and show a common determination to break prejudice and open minds. They refuse to hide anymore, and talk about this revolution of desire.

The Goodbye Girl(en)

After being dumped by her live-in boyfriend, an unemployed dancer and her 10-year-old daughter are reluctantly forced to live with a struggling off-Broadway actor.

Naqoyqatsi(en)

A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

Grey Gardens(en)

Edie Bouvier Beale and her mother, Edith, two aging, eccentric relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, are the sole inhabitants of a Long Island estate. The women reveal themselves to be misfits with outsized, engaging personalities. Much of the conversation is centered on their pasts, as mother and daughter now rarely leave home.

American Movie(en)

American Movie is the story of filmmaker Mark Borchardt, his mission, and his dream. Spanning over two years of intense struggle with his film, his family, financial decline, and spiritual crisis, American Movie is a portrayal of ambition, obsession, excess, and one man's quest for the American Dream.

King of Kings(en)

Who is Jesus, and why does he impact all he meets? He is respected and reviled, emulated and accused, beloved, betrayed, and finally crucified. Yet that terrible fate would not be the end of the story.

The Other Side of Hope(fi)

A restaurateur befriends a Syrian refugee who has recently arrived in Finland.

Chico & Rita(es)

Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. Rita is a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them, but their journey - in the tradition of the Latin ballad, the bolero - brings heartache and torment.

Superlopez(es)

Juan López must balance an office job with heroic feats to save the love of his life and native planet Chitón.

The Trial(en)

Josef K wakes up in the morning and finds the police in his room. They tell him that he is on trial but nobody tells him what he is accused of. In order to find out about the reason for this accusation and to protest his innocence, he tries to look behind the façade of the judicial system. But since this remains fruitless, there seems to be no chance for him to escape from this nightmare.

It's Such a Beautiful Day(en)

Bill struggles to put together his shattered psyche.

Funny Girl(en)

The life of famed 1930s comedienne Fanny Brice, from her early days in the Jewish slums of New York, to the height of her career with the Ziegfeld Follies, as well as her marriage to the rakish gambler Nick Arnstein.