Gjama

Good morning, Margarita(es)

«All my mom’s teeth fell out, I’m only going for about three months and I return» was what Pancho dreamed of fulfilling when he crossed the US border without papers, but an accident during the trip transformed his life and his aunt Margarita.

The Romance of Celluloid(en)

Several behind the scenes aspects of the movie-making business, which results in the enjoyment the movie going public has in going to the theater, are presented. They include: the production of celluloid aka film stock, the materials used in the production of which include cotton and silver; construction crews who build sets including those to look like cities, towns and villages around the world; a visit with Jack Dawn who demonstrates the process of creating a makeup design; the screen testing process, where many an acting hopeful gets his/her start; the work of the candid camera man, the prying eyes behind the movie camera; a visit with Adrian, who designs the clothes worn by many of the stars on screen; and a visit with Herbert Stothart as he conducts his musical score for Conquest (1937). These behind the scenes looks provide the opportunity to get acquainted with the cavalcade of MGM stars and their productions that will grace the silver screen in the 1937/38 movie season.

The Fashion Side of Hollywood(en)

Compilation of lighting and costume tests from various films, most notably Sternberg's "The Devil Is a Woman" (1935).

Workers Leaving the Lumière Factory(fr)

Working men and women leave through the main gate of the Lumière factory in Lyon, France. Filmed on 22 March 1895, it is often referred to as the first real motion picture ever made, although Louis Le Prince's 1888 Roundhay Garden Scene pre-dated it by seven years. Three separate versions of this film exist, which differ from one another in numerous ways. The first version features a carriage drawn by one horse, while in the second version the carriage is drawn by two horses, and there is no carriage at all in the third version. The clothing style is also different between the three versions, demonstrating the different seasons in which each was filmed. This film was made in the 35 mm format with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and at a speed of 16 frames per second. At that rate, the 17 meters of film length provided a duration of 46 seconds, holding a total of 800 frames.

The Jump(fr)

At 22, Alain is already a living legend in Marseille. Of all the young divers who jump from the Corniche, he is the only one to dive head and neck forward "to break the water". If the jump allows him to control his impulses, he knows that he will not be able to brave forever the fear of heights.

Daybreak Express(en)

Set to a classic Duke Ellington recording "Daybreak Express", this is a five-minute short of the soon-to-be-demolished Third Avenue elevated subway station in New York City.

Liminality & Communitas(fi)

After the sunset, a man wonders between the edges of the highways gathering edible roadkill animals.

Events in a Cloud Chamber(en)

In 1969, Akbar Padamsee, one of the pioneers of Modern Indian painting, made a visionary 16mm film called Events in a Cloud Chamber. This was one of the only Indian experimental films ever made. The print is now lost and no copies exist. Over 40 years later, filmmaker Ashim Ahluwalia worked with Padamsee, now 89 years old, to remake the film.

Surfing For Change: Travel Guide to NIcaragua(en)

A short documentary focusing on the surfer culture and tourism in Nicaragua.

Seven Years in May(pt)

One night seven years ago, Rafael came home after work and discovered that people he did not know had come looking for him. He immediately fled, without looking back. From that moment on, his life changed, as if that night had never ended. One evening, around an improvised fire near a factory, he decides to confide his journey to a stranger. Rafael’s intimate account meets the collective testimony of an entire nation oppressed by poverty, police repression and institutional corruption.

An Experiment in Leisure(nl)

An Experiment in Leisure explores the link between free time and creativity, between leisure and the kind of imaginative contemplation it facilitates.

Land Without Bread(es)

An exploration —manipulated and staged— of life in Las Hurdes, in the province of Cáceres, in Extremadura, Spain, as it was in 1932. Insalubrity, misery and lack of opportunities provoke the emigration of young people and the solitude of those who remain in the desolation of one of the poorest and least developed Spanish regions at that time. (Silent short, voiced in 1937 and 1996.)

In the Image of God(it)

The fourth generation in his family to be born intersex, Jewish Rabbi Levi was assigned the female gender at birth and grew up thinking he was sick and defective. "In the Image of God" tells the story of his struggles and transitions, culminating today in a life as a religious leader and an LGBTQI+ activist living happily in Los Angeles with his wife.

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat(fr)

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

No Measure of Health(en)

No Measure of Health profiles Kyle Magee, an anti-advertising activist from Melbourne, Australia, who for the past 10 years has been going out into public spaces and covering over for-profit advertising in various ways. The film is a snapshot of his latest approach, which is to black-out advertising panels in protest of the way the media system, which is funded by advertising, is dominated by for-profit interests that have taken over public spaces and discourse. Kyle’s view is that real democracy requires a democratic media system, not one funded and controlled by the rich. As this film follows Kyle on a regular day of action, he reflects on fatherhood, democracy, what drives the protest, and his struggle with depression, as we learn that “it is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

Beelden van de arbeid(nl)

Short documentary showing the chain of production in Belgium.

Plant of Ford Motor Company - Antwerp(en)

Short documentary on the Antwerp Ford Motor Company plant.

The Story of Doctor Carver(en)

The story of Dr. George Washington Carver (1864-1943), black educator and horticulturist. He is perhaps most well known for developing over 140 products from all parts of the peanut plant, including the shells and husks. He also developed products based on sweet potatoes and soybeans, and developed a cotton hybrid that was named after him.

PRESENCE(en)

Presence narrates the journey of Thati, a woman determined to overcome her anxiety attacks through surfing. She finds refuge in the waves, where the surfboard becomes her ally and personal therapy.

Jorden är platt(sv)

Father and Godfather(sq)

The events take place in a small Albanian village, around the '30ies. This isolated land, dominated by rituals and patriarchal relationships is the spirit that welcomes the newborn child of Abas. Servet, a co-villager, emigrant in the United States of America comes back in his homeland bringing a new vision and a new mentality, which serves as an inspiration for the 10 years old boy, Gjoleka, the son of Abas. Gjoleka founds himself in between of the ideas of his wild father, Abas and his illuminist godfather, Servet. Gjoleka symbolizes the young generation in the difficult realities that offer small and underdeveloped countries, where the outside world constitutes an irresistible attraction. The movie shows with a deep realism the human relationships, such as love, jalousie, hate, the impossibility to be integrated with another world, making this way a cruel autopsy of the weird society to which, "sometime" we belong.

Scooby-Doo: Agence toutou risques, vol. 1 : Le voleur de vélo(fr)

The United Monster Talent Agency(en)

A short comedy spoof about Universal Monsters and their everyday unconventional work done at their very own talent agency for their movies.

Death Jesus(en)

Chilean science fiction low-budget film about a death metal band trio who steal a crucifix from a church in order to make their album's cover. Christ's figure not only is brought to life but also joins the band as a singer, provoking Satan's himself anger.

Jaws(en)

A short film animation by Zaven Najjar about the movie "Jaws".

The Chair Carrier(ar)

Sayed is a defeated human being living in the slums of old Cairo where he is constantly bombarded with government propaganda. He crosses paths with an ancient Egyptian porter carrying a throne and wondering in search of his lost king. Now Sayed wants to be seated too 'even for 5 minutes to see how it feels'. This political allegory is a study of the inherent self-imposed oppression in third world nations.

Clara es el precio(es)

In a city on Spain’s Costa Brava, Clara Valverde, a young beautiful woman, lives with her husband Juan. Juan is an architect and has planned a daring urbanistic project. In reality, the project is not viable. Clara, to keep her marriage and finances a float, works as a porno actress in an underground film industry. In spite of her job and her marriage, Clara is still a virgin. Her marriage has never been consummated because her husband is impotent for which she blames herself. In her work she does not allow to be penetrated. One day she goes to a reunion with Kellerman, an American millionaire who seems to be interested into put into fruition Juan’s project. However soon Clara learns that what he really wants is to blackmail her. The owner of the house, Jorge, finds out Claras’s real occupation and if she does not have sex to the American would tell everything to her husband.

A Story of Love and Honor(cs)

A story of love and honor that takes place during the mid-nineteenth century during revolutions, as well as economic, political, and social hypocrisy. Two extraordinary but lonely artists share a passionate love, as evidenced by the preserved letters that they exchanged.

Hasta que la migra nos separe(es)

Mexican feature film

ESPY(ja)

The film deals with the recruitment of race car driver Jiro Miki (Masao Kusakari) and his dog, Caesar, to a group of people who use ESP, psychokinesis, and other special mental abilities to fight crime.

Street Of Love(ar)

The events of the play revolve around the academic and emotional conditions of young people in Kuwait and raises the issue of opposites in addition to the issue of loans in a meaningful comedic style.

Drained(en)

Truck driver Teddy's late night stop at a gas station takes a dark turn when he meets the mysterious hooker Katerina, leading to unexpected consequences.

Scream of the Bikini(en)

Scream of the Bikini is a 1960s action-spy-thriller by acclaimed South American director, Fernando Fernandez. Jasmine Orosco and Paola Apanapal are Bridget and Sophia: gorgeous super models by day, brutal bounty hunters by night. Murder, intrigue and pillow fights await our beautiful leading ladies at every turn, as they match wits and martial arts with a coterie of madmen and women bent on world domination. Filmed somewhere in South America in 1966, and poorly translated and dubbed by Germans, this unintentionally funny James Bond meets Barbarella love child plumbs the seedy depths of the international fashion model/psycho-killer underworld with a boldness that only a gun to the head can provide.

Satiricosissimo(it)

Ciccio loves very much the novel Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter, although his friend Franco does not understand him.

Palestinian Women(fr)

From Jerusalem to Haifa, stopping by Acre, Bethlehem and Ramallah, we travel across Israel and the West Bank to meet with Palestinian women shaping the cultural landscape. They are artists, chefs, performers, entrepreneurs, designers... and they tell us about their life, culture and identity in a divided and much disputed territory. The documentary features how these young women reinvent today their political and cultural battles.

Shoeshine(en)

During a ride on the Staten Island Ferry, a young Wall Street investment banker and an old shoeshine man begin chatting and discussing their life philosophies.

Made in YU(en)

The lives of three brothers who left their small village in Serbia to live in Sweden. The first one escaped from police, while the other two followed his path.

Night of the Skinwalkers(en)

Four couples stranded at a remote lakeside cabin on the eve of a reported alien invasion discover not everything is as it seems.

Jeevan Sangharsha(en)

A poet gets dejected with the materialistic society around him. The only person he gets some sympathy from is a washed out working girl who gives him shelter. Rejected by publishers, he gains fame when his death is reported by a newspaper.

Robinet in vacanza(en)

Marcel Perez arrives at the holiday resort wearing a pith helmet and carrying enough luggage to hold supplies for a monthlong journey through hostile territory. It's a good idea for a comic who never met a flight of stairs he didn't fall down.