America's Greatest Prison Breaks

Death and the Judge(fa)

The documentary, " Death and the Judge", revolves around Iran's most famous criminal judge, Azizmohammadi. He served as a criminal judge for 45 years and issued about 4500 death sentences; a record in not only Iran, but also the world. This documentary looks into his personal and professional life as he is followed within his home with his family, in the court of law, and in his retirement days. The ultimate purpose of the documentary is to deduce the role of death in the judge's life as he either takes life away from criminals or death comes to his loved ones. During his retirement, he is once again given the choice between the life and death of a person, despite no longer being a judge.

The Quiet Zone(en)

For those who electrical sensitivity, there aren’t many places to seek refuge. In a remote part of West Virginia, the so-called National Radio Quiet Zone offers one such escape.

Jailbreak: Love on the Run(en)

An Alabama corrections officer falls in love with a man awaiting trial for murder and risks it all to help him escape.

The Big One(en)

The Big One is an investigative documentary from director Michael Moore who goes around the country asking why big American corporations produce their product abroad where labor is cheaper while so many Americans are unemployed, losing their jobs, and would happily be hired by such companies as Nike.

Out of Mind, Out of Sight(en)

Four-time Emmy winner John Kastner was granted unprecedented access to the Brockville facility for 18 months, allowing 46 patients and 75 staff to share their experiences with stunning frankness. The result is two remarkable documentaries: the first, NCR: Not Criminally Responsible, premiered at Hot Docs in the spring of 2013 and follows the story of a violent patient released into the community. The second film, Out of Mind, Out of Sight, returns to the Brockville Mental Health Centre to profile four patients, two men and two women, as they struggle to gain control over their lives so they can return to a society that often fears and demonizes them.

This Man Escaped the Iron Curtain by Zip Line(en)

In 1986, Daniel Pohl was stuck in communist Czechoslovakia, looking for a way to escape life under totalitarian rule. His exit strategy was unusual, to say the least. After realizing that he could not rely on traditional forms of transport, Daniel chose to zip line his way to freedom. After teaming up with a physicist, the two devised a plan using a series of DIY pulleys. Thankfully, his journey proved to be mission possible as he successfully crossed the Iron Curtain, making a safe escape into Austria.

My Life Inside(es)

Rosa is a Mexican woman who, at the age of 17, migrated illegally to Austin, Texas. Some years later, she was jailed under suspicion of murder and then taken to trial. This film demonstrates how the judicial process, the verdict, the separation from her family, and the helplessness of being imprisoned in a foreign country make Rosa’s story an example of the hard life of Mexican migrants in the United States.

Old Thieves: The Legend of Artegio(es)

Is the story of a generation of thieves who achieved their greatest victories in the sixties; their distinctive code of ethics, the various categories of delinquents inhabiting the city’s streets, their alliances with high ranking police officials that allowed them to operate, the betrayals that followed, and the price they ended up paying.

Man on Wire(en)

On August 7th 1974, French tightrope walker Philippe Petit stepped out on a high wire, illegally rigged between New York's World Trade Center twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. After nearly an hour of performing on the wire, 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan, he was arrested. This fun and spellbinding documentary chronicles Philippe Petit's "highest" achievement.

The Art of Incarceration(en)

Narrated by Uncle Jack Charles and seen through the eyes of Indigenous prisoners at Victoria’s Fulham Correctional Centre, this documentary explores how art and culture can empower Australia's First Nations people to transcend their unjust cycles of imprisonment.

Prisoners of the War on Drugs(en)

From its beginning during the Reagan years through current times, the War on Drugs has left many victims stranded in the prison system. PRISONERS OF THE WAR ON DRUGS reveals life behind bars in the nation’s prisons. Each prisoner has his or her own story, but for most, the story is predictably similar; they have been criminalized for drugs or drug related offenses, locked up with easy access to substances, and given little opportunity for rehabilitation. This film provides an inside look at the prison system, its prisoners and a war on drugs we do not seem to be winning.

Rikers(en)

This film from Bill Moyers is the first documentary to focus exclusively on people formerly detained in New York City’s notorious Rikers Island Jail. They tell their compelling stories direct to the camera, revealing the violent arc of the Rikers experience – from the trauma of entry to extortion and control by inmates, to oppressive corrections officers, violence and solitary confinement.

Cruel and Unusual(en)

Five transgender women share their prison experiences. Interviews with attorneys, doctors, and other experts are also included.

Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo(en)

71 years in the making, this feature documentary experience reveals the extraordinary life journey of Hollywood's most unlikely hero, Danny Trejo.

The Work(en)

Set entirely inside Folsom Prison, The Work follows three men during four days of intensive group therapy with convicts, revealing an intimate and powerful portrait of authentic human transformation that transcends what we think of as rehabilitation.

Standard Operating Procedure(en)

Errol Morris examines the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.

The American Matrix - Age Of Deception(en)

A shocking new 2 hour film by B.A. Brooks. This 2010 release is a follow up to "The Decline And Fall Of America" which was released in 2008. "The American Matrix - Age Of Deception" details news items that all people should be aware of such as the economic collapse of The United States and the formation of the a New World Order. See what has really been going on in America today.

Out of State(en)

Out of State is the unlikely story of native Hawaiians men discovering their native culture as prisoners in the desert of Arizona, 3,000 miles, and across the ocean, from their island home.

The University of Sing Sing(en)

An inside look at the notorious Sing Sing Correctional Facility, where one of the U.S.’s only in-prison college programs, Hudson Link, offers long-time inmates an education – and a new lease on life.

Lost for Life(en)

A documentary about juveniles who are serving life in prison without parole and their victims' families.

New Ali Baba(zh)

An evil wizard finds King Solomon's magic lantern, but Solomon's curse prevents him from taking it - only someone born the same month, same day and same hour as Solomon can take it. That someone is Ali Baba, a poor, kind-hearted lad who lives with his brother, Ali Mama (Eric Tsang). When Ali Baba sees the 40 thieves enter their hideout and learns the ritual needed for entrance, he steals some gold and jewels. The 40 find out and capture Ali Baba, but he is saved by the evil wizard and taken to retrieve the magic lantern. Ali Baba releases the genie...and you know the story. It all culminates in a chase, the wizard on a flying horse and Ali Baba on his flying carpet.

64: Part 2(ja)

1989: 64th and last year of the Showa era. A girl is kidnapped and killed. The unsolved case is called Case 64 ('rokuyon'). 2002: Yoshinobu Mikami, who was the detective in charge of the Case 64, moves as a Public Relations Officer in the Police Affairs Department. His relation with the reporters is conflicted and his own daughter is missing. The statute of limitations for the Case 64 will expire in one year. Then a kidnapping case, similar to the Case 64, takes place. The rift between the criminal investigation department and police administration department deepens. Mikami challenges the case as a public relations secretary.

Panda(fr)

Two teenagers are playing by night in a dirty parking lot. After they are driving on an empty road, they start to tease each other on the way to the sea, but they seem to be too young to drive and the road is a bit strange.

A Dark Place(en)

Alex, is a twenty-something struggling to put his life back together after past, reckless mistakes render his job search hopeless. While pressure at home mounts from his pregnant girlfriend, he runs into an old friend who changes his fortunes. Just when things are looking up, Alex discovers a secret that sends him into a self-destructive, downward spiral and brings his two best friends along with him.

Padre(es)

M6 awards 2000(fr)

Prehistoric Super Salesman(en)

Knick-knack salesman Woody Woodpecker is sent back in time to the Stone Age by a mad scientist and his time tunnel.

Fascinations(ro)

1969 Animation by Sabin Balasa

Nabil El Gamil Plastic Surgeon(ar)

Follows a plastic surgeon, Dr. Nabil, who owns a beauty clinic through which he is exposed to many comic situations along with his colleague.

Elton John at the BBC(en)

Elton John's career tracked in archive from performances, interviews and news clips.

Above It All(lo)

Noy, a male medical graduate who seems to lead a perfect life, is pressured by his parents to marry his beautiful rich girlfriend. When he can no longer deny and hide his sexual preference, he risks the consequences to tell his parents the truth. At the same time, Noy, a Hmong woman from a poor family in Xiengkhouang province, looks forward to celebrating her graduation after a long struggle to support herself in Vientiane. However, her parents' arrival brings not the joy she expected, but the need to decide whether to remain in Vientiane with her musician crush or get married overseas in order to repay her parents' debt.

World's Tiniest Masterpieces(en)

Miniaturist sculptor Willard Wigan makes artworks often only visible through a microscope. Can he carve a carpet fibre, then place it inside a human cell?

Der Mehlspeis-Adel(de)

But Deliver Us from Evil(en)

A demon (Succubus) wreaks havoc on a U.S city. Lilith, Adams first wife according to Jewish mysticism seeks revenge against all of God's creation. God expelled Lilith from the Garden of Eden because of her refusal to obey Adam, the man. Scorned she returns present day with a vengeance against man and his offspring.

Najib Amhali: Veni Vidi Vici(nl)

Brostitute(en)

This documentary takes a closer look at the seedy world of brostitution and brostitutes. This film digs deeper than any other film has when it comes to this secret world of bro-on-bro non-sexual love for profit.

Luk'Luk'I(en)

Wayne Wapeemukwa directs a complex portrait of five Vancouverites living on the fringes of society during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

R4CH43L(en)

Five year old Bob, finds out that his Ukrainian Catholic family is hiding Jews from the Nazis in the barn that overlooks the Kiev Jewish cemetery. He is witness to the routine murder of his neighbors and friends. Fifty years after his family is punished for their acts of humanity, Bob has a chance encounter with the Nazi executioner. He has never forgotten the face in his nightmares. Based on the memoirs of Robert A. Kramarczuk, PhD.