The Portrait

Bruxelles: à la Foire du Midi(fr)

The first film by Chantal Akerman, a short silent 8mm film shot during the Brussels summer Midi Fair, that was one of four short films she made as a short of entrance exam at INSAS were she studied for just a couple of months.

Deleted(en)

A short documentary following the last 5 hours of a 59-years-old man, Ahmed before becoming homeless due to the late payments and bureaucracy by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Sin lugares para el rosa(es)

Everyday on Mexico

King of Porn(en)

Meet Ralph Whittington, who amassed one of the largest private collections of pornography ever. His collection can now be seen and studied at the Museum of Sex in New York City. Produced by Jeff Krulik. Premiered at AFI Theater, Kennedy Center, Washington DC as part of the I QUIT MY DAY JOB FILM FESTIVAL in 1996. –JK

The Movies March On(en)

A "March of Time" presentation of the evolution of movies compiled primarily from film clips of silent movies through the early sound pictures to the present (1939) date. Industry executives such as Jack and Harry Warner, Walt Disney, Cecil B. DeMille, et al are seen taking bows in the live (non-archive) footage.

Radio Hams(en)

A "Pete Smith Specialty" - a fairly serious look at radio hams in the usual jokey format. Shows aircraft using morse code.

The Road to Casino Royale(en)

Documentary that traces the tangled rights to Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale," the first James Bond story, which took over a half century to reach the screen in recognizable form.

The Nuclear Boy Scout(en)

David Hahn in the mid-nineties was a teenage boy scout working towards his merit badges. One badge in particular, the Atomic Energy Merit Badge, caught his imagination when it required him to make a model of a nuclear reactor out of cotton buds etc. David went further and sought out household sources of the materials he would need to make his reactor. Here he talks us through what he did and the surprising results he got.

The Song of Stone(ja)

While extracting and polishing their blocks of stone, stonecutters used to say “the stone is coming to life". This paradox provided Matsumoto with the best metaphor for what making a film is all about. In his opinion, filmmakers work images in the same way that stonecutters work stones.

I Want to Be A Pilot(en)

Omondi lives in the biggest slum in East Africa. Everyday he sees airplanes fly over him. He dreams of becoming an airline pilot and flying far away.

Jackson Pollock 51(en)

The photography of German photographer Hans Namuth is largely credited for Pollock’s rise to fame, and as the painter gained a higher profile, along with Abstract Expressionism in general, Namuth returned to capture Pollock’s “action painting” on video for the short documentary below. In a cinematically brilliant move, Namuth asked Pollock to create a painting on glass, so that he could film underneath, giving the viewer the experience of actually being the canvas. Lacking a lighting crew, they shot in the cold Long Island expanse of grassland outside of Pollock’s home.

Dog(sl)

Experimental 8mm film by Karpo Godina.

Greece: Secrets of the Past(en)

GREECE: SECRETS OF THE PAST, directed by two-time Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Greg MacGillivray, is the stirring story of how a Greek archeologist of the 21st century is uncovering the secret history of his ancient ancestors who forged a society that continues to astound the world today with its ideas, inventions and achievements. Set against the breathtaking, azure vistas of the Greek Isles, the film merges a contemporary archeological “detective story” with some of the most advanced and painstaking digital re-creations ever undertaken for an IMAX® theatre film, with scenes that restore such centuries-old spectacles as the original Parthenon and the volcanic eruption that buried Santorini in 1646 BC.

Chiyo(ja)

Chiyo is a poetic exploration of the suburbs in Japan through the filmmaker’s reflection on the life of her grandmother. With a series of everyday moments in Yashio from a summer fair to Buddhist rituals, the film embodies micro-narratives, seeking cinema’s ability to offer a contemplative space.

Another Sunny Day(en)

Imagine how life must be for someone whose skin has no protection whatsoever from the sun. And now imagine living in a country that averages over 80% sunshine during any given year. Welcome to Paulus's life in Namibia.

Oom Land(af)

50 years ago the Volkswinkel - the People's Shop - opened for business in Rehoboth. The man behind the success story is Oom Land. Here you get to meet him.

Die Demonstration(de)

Amon Duul II: Plays Phallus Dei(en)

Directed by German filmmaker Rüdiger Nüchtern, this behind-the-scenes rock documentary captures Amon Düül II, as the progressive rockers record their debut album, "Phallus Dei," in a Munich recording studio in 1968. Blending performance footage with a collection of psychedelic nature clips, Nüchtern's meditative film captures the true essence of the legendary krautrock collective. The movie premiered at the Edinburgh Film Festival.

Beyond Oil(fr)

Documentary on industrial lubrification.

Homeground(en)

Singapore is a football nation. Every weekend, thousands of amateur players, from schoolboys to office executives to retirees, gather to play the Beautiful Game. Not for glory, not for fame; but for passion, football and friendship. This spirit is forged in the neighbourhoods; void decks, street soccer courts, open fields or any patch of grass. All across Singapore, footballers have a place they call their ‘Homeground’. For the first time, this football culture is captured on film. Homeground is a love letter to playing spaces we call home, and a tribute to all amateur footballers in Singapore