In Pursuit of Excellence: The Story of Mercedes Benz(2004)

The Future of Cities(en)

This is a conversation starter first, a video second.

The Story of The Escort Cosworth(en)

Everything Ford had hoped for - and more, much, much more. Not many cars become legends the moment they roll out of the factory but Ford's Escort RS Cosworth is one of them. Hand-built to take on the emerging Japanese dominance in World Rally, the "Cossie" proved a success on the forecourt as much as on the World's rally stages. But what is the true story behind this memorable car? Was the prototype really a hacked-about Sierra? Was it really driven incognito up and down the A12 This fascinating 1990s film, finally available on DVD, holds all the answers as the men behind the project explain its development… and the men behind the wheel show us what it was made of!

To Kill a Mockingbird: All Points of View(en)

A 60th anniversary retrospective documentary on the influence and context of the 1962 film, To Kill a Mockingbird.

The Bug: Life and Times of the People's Car(en)

The Bug is about one of the most recognizable and beloved vehicles on the planet: The Volkswagen Beetle. From its dark past in pre-WWII Germany to the Summer of Love, this car captured the hearts and minds of millions of people around the world. This film explores not only the history of this automotive icon, but also the intense emotional connection it has with its owners past and present... including Ewan McGregor and his experience with his first VW Bug as a sixteen year old.

Ôrí(pt)

A look at the Brazilian black movement between 1977 and 1988, going by the relationship between Brazil and Africa.

The History of White People in America: Volume II(en)

In this daring follow-up to The History of White People in America, comedian Martin Mull takes us on an in-depth look at such topics as White Religion, White Stress, White Politics, and White Crime.

Blow It to Bits(fr)

A mix of Rock and Roll and Blues are the secret for successful rebellion. When I took my camera to the middle of France where the GM&S factory was threatened by a permanent shut down, I felt like something extraordinary was about to take place. And it did. The lyrics were written by workers who have had enough! The tune was composed by people not afraid to go against even the rules of revolt! The volume was loud enough to attract the media. Their working-class concert spread across France like wild fire. I sat out of sight, camera in hand, filming like catching fish in a barrel.

Zero to Macao(en)

A raw and intimate portrait of Vivian Siu, an amateur female racing driver with a burning desire to race the world’s greatest street track, the legendary Macau Grand Prix. Notorious amongst drivers for being the ultimate test of skill and courage, it’s terrifying blind corners and relentless high speed straights, present a unique challenge that has been the making of champions for 70 years. Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton and many other famous names all took on the formidable Guia circuit. Self-funded and with almost zero driving experience, Vivian leapt from junior karting to becoming the first female driver in Formula 4 Chinese Championship within just a few months. But the gulf between reality and her dream became evident on every level and most gave her little chance of success.

Henry Ford, l'inventeur du siècle américain(fr)

Clarkson's Top 100 Cars(en)

This video continued the trend of its predecessors, with Clarkson driving some super cars around a track and destroying a "bad" one, this time around a Morris Marina, which he disposes of by hooking up to a crane and knocking down a few other despised cars in a giant game of Car Skittles. Elsewhere the video focuses on Clarkson's personal top 100 cars, which he promoted on Granada Television's Men & Motors channel in 2001.

The Perfumed Garden(ar)

THE PERFUMED GARDEN is an exploration of the myths and realities of sensuality and sexuality in Arab society, a world of taboos and of erotic literature. Through interviews with men and women of all ages, classes, and sexual orientation, the film lifts a corner of the veil that usually shrouds discussion of this subject in the Arab world. Made by an Algerian-French woman director, the film begins by looking at the record of a more permissive history, and ends with the experiences of contemporary lovers from mixed backgrounds. It examines the personal issues raised by the desire for pleasure, amidst societal pressures for chastity and virginity. The film discusses pre-marital sex, courtship and marriage, familial pressures, private vs. public spaces, social taboos (and the desire to break them), and issues of language.

Slasher(en)

A documentary on a stereotypically shady used car salesman, one who convinces customers to buy vehicles that others have deemed unfit for sale.

The Blackboard(en)

A documentary exploring the issue of racial identity among African-Americans through the lens of skateboarding.

Cars Without a Home(cs)

Jan Schmidt and Pavel Juráček turn their attention to the problem of Czechoslovakia's unloved cars in this whimsical documentary short.

504(fr)

Car Crash: The Delorean Story(en)

Former General Motors high-flyer John DeLorean had a plan to build a stylish European sports car, at a price that would make it attractive to the American market. The site he chose for his state-of-the-art factory was on the outskirts of Belfast, a city best-known for sectarian violence and high levels of unemployment. The unexpected marriage of high-tech glamour with the gritty reality of 1970s Northern Ireland captured the public's imagination but this early optimism would end in failure. Although the cars looked great, the windows leaked and the engines seized; as his financial problems mounted the maverick DeLorean faced charges of drugs trafficking. Adrian Dunbar narrates the story.

Avec l'amour(mk)

A simple story, but larger than life portrayal of the universal human saga represented through Dionis, a retiring biology professor, his wife and his fantasy of turning his unusual car collection into a museum in a small uneventful town.

Masters of the Pillow(en)

Traces the making of UC-Davis professor Darrell Hamamoto's first-ever Asian American porn movie ("Skin on Skin") from planning to production. Hou interviews filmmakers Justin Lin ("Better Luck Tomorrow") and Eric Byler ("Charlotte Sometimes"), professor Elaine Kim and playwright David Henry Hwang to get at whether Asian America truly needs its own "porno practices" as a way of decolonizing the community's collective sexual imaginations and confronting how sexuality and masculinity are treated in the Asian American community.

Mercedes Benz: Story of a thousand hours(en)

Figuring out what drives the people at Mercedes Benz to strive for great storytelling.

Winning: The Racing Life of Paul Newman(en)

The world knows Paul Newman as an Academy Award winning actor with a fifty-plus year career as one of the most prolific and revered actors in American Cinema. He was also well known for his philanthropy; Newman's Own has given more than four hundred and thirty million dollars to charities around the world. Yet few know the gasoline-fueled passion that became so important in this complex, multifaceted man's makeup. Newman’s deep-seated passion for racing was so intense it nearly sidelined his acting career. His racing career spanned thirty-five years; Newman won four national championships as a driver and eight championships as an owner. Not bad for a guy who didn't even start racing until he was forty-seven years old.