The Man Behind the Microphone

Bukovyna, Ukrainian Land(uk)

Dovzhenko and Solntseva's documentary about the Bukovina region.

Victory in Soviet Ukraine(ru)

A wartime documentary directed by Alexander Dovzhenko and Yuliya Solntseva, depicting the final campaigns that drove Nazi forces from Ukraine in 1944–45. Combining frontline footage, liberated cityscapes, and scenes of returning civilians, the film chronicles both the devastation of occupation and the triumph of Soviet arms. It stands as both a historical record of the Ukrainian front and a patriotic celebration of victory at the close of the Second World War.

Tres instantes, un grito(es)

More Than a School(en)

A documentary following the lives of several students involved in an experimental "school without walls" program at a Long Island high school.

Passing Quietly Through(en)

A blunt and human encounter between a nurse and an aging man.

Another Chance(en)

A short 1983 documentary about an alternative to prison.

Lila(en)

A 1980 short about the life and work of 80-year-old practicing psychiatrist Lila Bonner-Miller, who is at once a doctor, a church leader, an artist, a great-grandmother, and a remarkable example to all who know her.

Due to Ya Ya(en)

A short 1971 study of the filmmaker's grandmother. A look into the private world and special memories of an 86-year-old Greek immigrant. Set in a tiny New England mill town near the seacoast.

Little Pyongyang(ko)

A tale of one North Korean's struggle to leave behind the homeland, this stylised documentary unveils the depths of loss and longing, and the desire for legacy amongst a community of North Korean defectors who have escaped their homeland to live in the leafy London suburb of New Malden.

Making Tracks(en)

Amber Lawrence is a country music singer who spent her childhood not on the stage but at the running track. And one thing running taught her, is practice makes perfect.

Jungle Sisters(en)

In 2008 the Indian Government launched an initiative to train 500 million of the rural poor to work in tits growing industrial sector; a policy that new prime minister Nerendra Modi intends to continue. This is the story of two village girls caught up in India's rapid expansion into the globalised world. Jungle Sisters follows best friends Bhanu and Bhuntu as they make the journey of their lives. Travelling 1000 miles to find a new future in Modi's business-friendly India, they take their place in the ranks of factory workers. But as the reality of life on the factory floor forces them to make a dramatic decision, the film becomes an epic tale of love, hope and survival.

Scrum(en)

"Scrum might technically refer to restarting a play in order to gain control of the ball, but it’s really about a group of guys packing close together in one place—in this case, gay rugby’s 7th Annual Bingham Cup in Sydney, with 1,000 participants from 15 countries. The documentary zeroes in on three determined gay athletes vying for a spot on the elite Sydney Convicts team: Aki, the Japanese outsider who worked tirelessly for two years so he could travel to Sydney; Brennan, a hunky Canadian jock who was built for contact sports but rejected by his former, straight teammates after they discovered he was gay; and Pearse, the Irish backpacker bullied in school, tired of being continually put down."

Marcela(cs)

The life of Marcela, an ordinary Czech woman is explored throughout several decades of her life. We are engaged to struggle and fight back with Marcela as her tragic life unfolds before our eyes especially when dealing with her daughter’s unexpected death, which almost drives her to suicide. The film was initially part of a series about the fate of six married couples, but the events that happened throughout Marcela’s life were the reason why the director decided to focus solely on a documentary about her.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey(en)

Beloved by children of all ages around the world, Elmo is an international icon. Few people know his creator, Kevin Clash, who dreamed of working with his idol, master puppeteer Jim Henson. Displaying his creativity and talent at a young age, Kevin ultimately found a home on Sesame Street. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage, interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O’Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney and others and offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.

Gaea Girls(en)

This fascinating documentary is based around the Japanese wrestling organisation Gaea's rural training camp, and traces, in the main, the careers of four hopefuls. In charge are two magnificent specimens, the butch champion Chigusa Nagayo, still venting her hurt at the hands of her army father as she tries to whip her surrogate daughters through the pain and commitment barriers; and her sophisticated and slightly menacing Chairman. It's a gruelling, physical film, as you would expect, but the makers don't make heavy weather of it. And it certainly disposes of any idea that the game is faked.

Shinjuku Boys(en)

This documentary is set in the New Marilyn night club in Tokyo, Japan - where the hosts are transgender men. They can only make their living as hosts in a nightclub with other wannabes like them. The young women who come there often have relationships with them but the underlying fear is whether such a relationship can withstand the pressures on a girl to get married and have children. All three boys deal with this in different ways. These three hosts, the Shinjuku Boys, take us into their lives.

Three Miles North of Molkom(en)

Three miles north of Molkom, hidden deep in the lakeside forests of Sweden, lies Angsbacka; a 21st Century playground for adults. Once a year, their gates open to a thousand international participants, placed in 'Sharing Groups' at random. A Swedish celebrity, a Californian hippy, a Finnish grandmother and a back-packing Australian rugby coach, who stumbled on the wrong party, are amongst the group that take us on an unforgettably quirky, two-week emotional roller-coaster. Firewalking, Shamanism, Tantric Sex and myriad other physical, psychological and esoteric experiences, guide our unlikely heroes towards enlightenment, love, loathing and themselves. Will they ever be the same again?

By Woman's Hand(en)

In 1920 a group of young Montreal women artists formed the nucleus of what would later become known as the Beaver Hall Hill Group. Members recount how they created an artistic environment of mutual support that lasted for more than three decades.

Chris & Don: A Love Story(en)

Chris & Don chronicles the lifelong relationship between author Christopher Isherwood and his much younger lover, artist Don Bachardy, and it combines present-day interviews, archival footage shot by the couple from the 1950s, excerpts from Isherwood's diaries, and playful animations to recount their romance.

Abel Raises Cain(en)

Filmmaker Jenny Abel explores the life and career of her father Alan Abel, known to many as "the world's greatest hoaxer."