Half the Town

2 or 3 Things I Know About Him(de)

What would your family reminiscences about dad sound like if he had been an early supporter of Hitler’s, a leader of the notorious SA and the Third Reich’s minister in charge of Slovakia, including its Final Solution? Executed as a war criminal in 1947, Hanns Ludin left behind a grieving widow and six young children, the youngest of whom became a filmmaker. It's a fascinating, maddening, sometimes even humorous look at what the director calls "a typical German story." (Film Forum)

Stranger on My Couch(pl)

Warsaw is becoming a meeting place for people from different corners of the world, of different ages, with different life stories. What they have in common is a feeling of being lost and a dire need to run away from their solitude. The film shows an image of a contemporary city from couchsurfers’ perspective.

The Ugliest Car(pl)

The youngest protagonist of the documentary is Wartburg, an automobile over 50 years of age. The car is still on the road, driven by Bogdan, a 70-year-old who is taking his mother to visit the German factory where she was forced to work during WWII. In this road movie which takes place between Majdanpek and Germany, the trip becomes a journey into the past, retracing memories from the war and revealing a unique relationship between an old son and his elderly mother.

An American Tail(en)

A young mouse named Fievel and his family decide to migrate to America, a "land without cats," at the turn of the 20th century. But somehow, Fievel ends up in the New World alone and must fend off not only the felines he never thought he'd have to deal with again but also the loneliness of being away from home.

CORRECTIV Unveils: Right-wing Extremist Secret Plan Against Germany(de)

On January 10th, the investigative editorial team of CORRECTIV published research into a secret meeting of right-wing extremists, which no one was supposed to know about and which led to demonstrations and protests all over Germany. AfD politicians, CDU politicians, members of the WerteUnion, neo-Nazis and financially strong entrepreneurs came together in November 2023 in a hotel near Potsdam near the Villa on Wannsee, where the “final solution to the Jewish question” was once decided. They met to debate to expel millions of people from Germany, including non-German citizens with a migration background, as well as German citizens with a migration background and German citizens without a migration background who do not want to adapt to the ideological worldviews of those present. On January 17, 2024, the research premiered in the Berliner Ensemble as a staged reading with a political satirical character.

Opera About Poland(pl)

Pole, who are you? This film collage that combines archival and contemporary materials, documentary and staged pictures, press reports, social announcements, sale offers and speech excerpts is an attempt to answer this question. Referring to the Polish tradition of a creative documentary in the style of Wojciech Wiszniewski, the film presents various manifestations of Polishness: patriotic and religious rituals, everyday traditions as well as characteristic landscapes or intimate memories from childhood.

A Yiddish World Remembered(en)

Elliott Gould narrates this affectionate look at life in the shtetls of Eastern Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries. "It's unreal that all this could have just disappeared," says Polish native Mariem Adler Stok, one of the seniors whose memories of this "Yiddish world" give this documentary its life. The hour traces Jewish history in Europe and explores Jews' focus on education, their religious customs, clothing, food, music and theater.

Polsko(cs)

The Auschwitz Trial(de)

The biggest trial of Nazi war crimes ever: 360 witnesses in 183 days of trial - a stunning and gripping portrayal of the most terrible massacre in history.

Polonia: ¿zona libre de LGTBI?(es)

Jon Sistiaga takes an immersive trip to Poland, a country divided into two zones: on the one hand, the urban and pro-European, and on the other, the rural and ultra-Catholic, still anchored in the traumas of the war and the post-war period. Is Poland a homophobic country or does it have a homophobic government? How does the European Union allow this situation?

Mundial: The Highest Stakes(pl)

A documentary tale about sport and politics under martial law. All of Poland saw the great goals of Boniek and Smolarek during the Espana '82 championships. For a moment, it was forgotten that the background of the sporting performance was martial law, censorship, an army on the streets, prisons filled with oppositionists. The performance of the players was so successful that it was called "the most beautiful series of martial law". The game is watched by interned activists of "Solidarity", sports journalists and censors, cutting out all manifestations of the opposition from television broadcasts. We also get to know the performance in Spain from the perspective of the players, trying to meet not only their ambitions but also to bear the burden of fans' expectations and regime propaganda.

Bucolic(pl)

Danusia and her daughter Basia live far away from the modern world, in tune with the rhythm and laws of nature, among animals and the spirits of the dead. The peace and sense of security offered by their enclave come at a price - the women increasingly long for contact with other people. Bucolic is an affectionate observation of people who live in a different way. It evokes a curiosity about their world and a desire to take a closer look.

The Balcony Movie(pl)

Composed from the conversations that the director holds with people passing by in the street under his Warsaw apartment, each story in 'The Balcony Movie' is unique and deals with the way we try to cope with life as individuals. All together, they create a self-portrait of contemporary human life, and the passers-by present a composite picture of today's world.

The Prince of Egypt(en)

The strong bond between two brothers is challenged when their chosen responsibilities set them at odds, with extraordinary consequences.

As If It Were Yesterday(fr)

Documents the little-known heroism of the Belgian Resistance who, during the Nazi occupation, hid over 4,000 Jewish children, rescuing them from deportation and extermination, , often risking their own lives. Directed by Myriam Abramowicz and Esther Hoffenberg, children of parents who spent the war in hiding, the film inspired the creation of The Hidden Child, a world-wide network of hidden children, which, for three decades, has organized reunions of hidden children with the families who hid them in Belgium during WWII.

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.

An Article of Hope(en)

An inspiring documentary film that details the life mission of Col. Ilan Ramon, the first and only Astronaut from Israel, who blasted off on the Shuttle Columbia. He carries with him a cherished artifact, a miniature Torah scroll, that had survived the Holocaust. From the "Depths of hell to the heights of space," his simple gesture would serve to honor the hope of a nation and to fulfill a promise made to generations past and future.

Minoru: Memory of Exile(en)

The bombing of the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, by a nation he knew only by name, thrust nine-year-old Minoru Fukushima into a world of racism so malevolent he would be forced to leave Canada, the land of his birth. Like thousands of other Japanese Canadians, Minoru and his family were branded as an enemy of Canada, dispatched to internment camps in the interior of British Columbia, and finally deported to Japan. Directed by Michael Fukushima, Minoru's son, the film artfully combines classical animation with archival material. The memories of the father are interspersed with the voice of the son, weaving a tale of suffering and survival, of a birthright lost and recovered.

Impreza(pl)

The whole family is helping with preparations for Danuta and Maciej’s golden wedding anniversary party. Danuta knows exactly what she wants and delegates her wishes to those around her. Her German niece Alexandra, the maker of this film, has travelled to Warsaw to take part. Barely has she sat down at the kitchen table when a heated discussion ensues. Be it abortion or migration, it soon dawns on Alexandra that her view of the world could not be more different from that of her right-wing conservative relatives in Poland. Alone in her ‘liberal’ view Alexandra is mocked as a victim of western propaganda… Filmmaker Alexandra Wesolowski uses a family gathering as an opportunity to portray her own family and allows us intimate insight into Polish society and the populist national-conservative Europe of today.

Eight Crazy Nights(en)

Davey Stone, a 33-year old party animal, finds himself in trouble with the law after his wild ways go too far.

Six Hours: Surviving Typhoon Yolanda(en)

In the middle of a broadcast about Typhoon Yolanda's initial impact, reporter Jiggy Manicad was faced with the reality that he no longer had communication with his station. They were, for all intents and purposes, stranded in Tacloban. With little option, and his crew started the six hour walk to Alto, where the closest broadcast antenna was to be found. Letting the world know what was happening to was a priority, but they were driven by the need to let their families and friends know they were all still alive. Along the way, they encountered residents and victims of the massive typhoon, and with each step it became increasingly clear just how devastating this storm was. This was a storm that was going to change lives.

Duelo de cabrones(es)

Viva el chubasco(es)

The struggle between two rival families brings many complications into the life of a people. The priest, with the agreement of the women, get a strike of crossed legs until peace is a fact.

Night Life in Reno(en)

A story of love, humor and drama against the background of America's "Biggest Little City." An (interrupted) indiscretion by John Wyatt with a floozy prompts his wife, June, to make a trip to Reno, Nevada in order to get a quickie six-week-waiting-period divorce. John, penitent over his past actions (since he got caught), follows his wife to Reno and manages a reconciliation after a murder gives him a chance to prove his true devotion.

Mad, Mad, Mad Swords(zh)

The star in Mad Mad Mad swords is a common man with numerous weaknesses and a complete worthless student of a prestigious school. To the suprise of all, however, he manages to defeat a string of renowned swordsmen, including the one-armed swordsman and the blind swordsman, by tricks and luck.

Smash TV - Skinemax(en)

Skinemax is Koyaanisqatsi for a generation raised on late night television and B-movie VHS tapes. It's long form entertainment for short attention spans. An hour long VJ odyssey, it will move your body and warp your mind. A nostalgic look back at a half remembered childhood growing up in the 80s and early 90s, Skinemax takes a close look at the culture of that era. The images that motivated, delighted, and terrified us on the silver screen, set to propulsive modern music that pines for a simpler time.

Crazy Crying Lady(th)

A woman is afflicted with an unusual condition; she cries all the time, at the slightest provocation regardless of whether she's happy or sad, beset by anxieties or problem-free. Nicknamed "Madame Ho", this pitiful woman strives to play a more visible role in a household that continually belittles her.

Rewind 3: The Final Chapter(en)

An unfortunate highschooler finds an ancient book that summons Allentown's deadliest maniacs back from the dead.

Bumblebee Kids - 123's, Vol. 2(en)

BumbleBee's 123s is Designed to Give Your Child a Head Start in Math & Counting. Traditional number DVDs teach children to recite sequences of numbers, but fail to teach math or quantitative reasoning skills. BumbleBee's 123s focuses on the presentation of mathematical reasoning skills. Volume 1 of this two DVD set introduces the numbers 1 to 5 as well as the one-to-one correspondence of an object and number when counting. The second volume of this set introduces numbers up to 10 and helps build logical ordering skills. Both volumes of BumbleBee s 123s include interactive games. This set includes two early learning DVDs. BumbleBee s 123s features a fun cast of kids to provide important peer modeling. Supporting materials including flashcards and posters are available FREE on our Website. The set has a 60 minute approximate running time plus interactive games.

Crackula Goes to Hollywood(en)

A mysterious man from Alaska, known to be from the dark side, becomes addicted to sucking crack blood. He single handedly ends up cleaning the streets of Hollywood of all crack users and drug dealers.

Underground(en)

After a wild bachelorette party, a group of young women find themselves trapped in an underground bunker complex. A disturbing finding turns their night into an absolute nightmare. Will they be able to escape from this vast concrete maze?

Stealing a Survivor(en)

Ray Martin is in a bit of a pickle. His father's chauffeur business is failing financially and is on the verge of collapsing. Ray must find a way to save the company. At the same time; Gervase Peterson's career in Hollywood is hanging on by a thread and he needs to salvage whatever is left of his career. Through a chance meeting, Ray wrangles together an eclectic bunch of strangers and friends to get Gervase's career back on track and save his father from bankruptcy.

Try Again(is)

The short film Reyndu aftur (Try Again) follows a young man whose suicide attempt is interrupted by an ex-girlfriend. By mistake, he tells a spontaneous lie that has unpredictable consequences, forcing him to deal with various problems of everyday life and face up to the fact that everybody is burdened with issues of their own. Should he give life a second chance or the just give in to the rope?

Orlando Baxter: Glorified Baby Sitter(en)

Orlando Baxter exploded onto the Boston comedy scene in 2005, and quickly established himself as one of the areas hottest young comics. In 2007 Orlando was a finalist in NBC’s Stand Up for Diversity Showcase. His fresh perspective and unique relatability quickly solidified this high school teacher into a fan favorite. In 2010, he became a finalist in both the New York Comedy Contest and the Boston Comedy festival. And in 2012 he toured across the country with national headliner Jo Koy, as the opening act in the Lights Out tour. In 2014 Orlando made his second TV appearance on AXS TV’s Gotham Live. He was also a finalist at the prestigious Montreux Comedy festival in Switzerland. In 2018, he performed stand-up on TBS’ Conan. Orlando is a regular headliner at numerous comedy clubs throughout New England, and performs all over the country.

The Darktown Revue(en)

With a series of long takes and frontal camera set-ups, Michaeux provides a record of several cabaret acts, using intertitles to separate the individual numbers. This quietly outrageous film begins with the high-toned Heywood Choir singing "Watermelon time" and concludes with Amon David playing a preacher using heavy blackface. Amon Davus was known as "the Back Biting Comedian, Par Excellence", and his sermon is one of Michaeux's many notable send-ups of the clergy.