Die Eloquenz der Tiere (1/2)(2018)

Tierbabies(de)

Thüringen, Deine Sprache(de)

Are dialects and regional languages still spoken in Thuringia, and what do they sound like? The West Thuringian dialect spoken in the Wartburgkreis district, around Eisenach and Bad Salzungen, can sound quite distinctive, as the example from Ruhla shows. Near Mühlhausen, there is the Vogteier Platt dialect, and in the Rudolstadt and Saalfeld area, the Ilmthuringian dialect transitions into the Southeast Thuringian dialect. Around Meiningen and in the Sonneberg area, the dialect sounds Franconian. And the Altenburg dialect belongs to the East Thuringian dialect...

Die Eloquenz der Tiere (2/2)(de)

Knut - Aus der Kinderstube eines Eisbären(de)

He is already a real star: little polar bear Knut, born on December 5, 2006, is the first polar bear cub at Zoo Berlin for more than 30 years. The little sensation attracts all the attention, because for the first time a camera is looking into the nursery of a hand-reared polar bear. The Berliner Abendschau regularly reports from Knut's nursery and shows his first clumsy steps. After mother polar bear Tosca refused to accept the little white ball, animal keeper Thomas Dörflein took over mother and father duties from day one. Knut and Dörflein have now been living together in a small room at Berlin Zoo for three months.

Jäger der Lüfte - Habichte, Bussarde und Adler(de)

Birds of Passage(fr)

Cathy’s birthday’s on 29th February, which is an impossible day as it is, because it’s a leap day. Then her dad comes up with the bright idea of giving her a duck egg to hatch for her tenth birthday. The chick appears when Cathy and her best friend Margot are watching, and the chick thinks Margot is its mummy. But Margot is bound to a wheelchair and will soon have to go to a special home. Unable to look after the duckling on her own, her parents decide to ged rid of it... Cathy and Margot end up in an adventure which teaches them a lot about how to rescue a migratory bird, but even more about themselves.

Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod(de)

Stage program is based on the book series of the same name by Bastian Sick, which was created from the collection of Zwiebelfisch columns. In an entertaining way, it deals with doubts about grammar, spelling and punctuation as well as expressions in the German language that Bastian Sick considers unattractive. A PC game has also been published to accompany the book.

Song of the Rivers(de)

An allegorical documentary about the workers of the world, whose common destinies and hopes for peace are symbolically united by the rivers that run through their respective lands. The film was shot on the Volga, the Mississippi, the Nile, the Yangtze, the Amazon and the Ganges and combines these images of five continents with the music of Dmitri Shostakovich and the poetry of both Bertolt Brecht and Paul Robeson.

O Gigante(pt)

Compilation of images by cameraman William Gericke (credited as producer and cinematographer), who for 50 years traveled around Brazil and recorded some rare images of the country's history in the 20th century.

Algeria, Special Weapons Sections(fr)

This documentary by director Claire Billet and historian Christophe Lafaye details the massive and systematic use of chemical weapons during the Algerian War. Algerian fighters and civilians, sheltering in caves, were gassed by "special weapons sections" of the French army. The gas identified on military documents is CN2D, whose widespread use forced insurgents to flee "treated" sites, at the risk of dying there. The method is reminiscent of the "enfumades" used by the French expeditionary force during the conquest of Algeria in the 19th century. Between 8,000 and 10,000 such operations are believed to have taken place on Algerian soil between 1956 and 1962. This historical aspect is little known due to the difficulty of accessing archives, many of which are still classified, raising questions about memory, historical truth, and justice.

The Ornament of the World(en)

Filmed in Cordoba, Granada, Seville, and Toledo, this documentary retraces the 800-year period in medieval Spain when Muslims, Christians, and Jews forged a common cultural identity that frequently transcended their religious differences, revealing what made this rare and fruitful collaboration possible, and what ultimately tore it apart.

Whale Wisdom(en)

Whales have long been a profound mystery to us. They live in a world so removed from our own that we can barely imagine their lives. Their environment is different, their senses are different, their relationships are different. How might such almost alien creatures see the world?

Beneath the Olive Tree(en)

The departure point for this film is a series of notebooks created during the Greek civil war of 1946-49 and first discovered years later, under an olive tree. Inside their pages, diary-like, deported women recount their experiences in Greek concentration camps. Many of them were active in the resistance under Nazi occupation. Actress Olympia Dukakis, who serves as the film’s narrator, was also the individual who originally called director Toska’s attention to the unique documents.

Froth(ru)

From the Barents Sea, a chill wind seems to blow constantly across a semi-deserted town at the edge of the world. Nevertheless, a little community holds out here. In a flawlessly filmed portrait of this extraordinary place, the theme linking the residents is their determination to chart their own course. Bardak was a marine, but his garrison broke up and his comrades sought a better life elsewhere. He stayed behind among the many empty buildings that are slowly but surely being consumed by the elements. Meanwhile, Dima, a young poacher​, flouts as many rules as he can, but gives friendly directions to lost tourists and reads lovingly to his little daughter. Ferryman Alexander is locked in a silent generational battle with his teenage daughter Masha; her eyes are on the outside world. Further along, a little team of ships from the Second World War turns up, and a woman steadfastly runs a weather station.

Opening the Closet(pt)

Abrindo o Armário dives into the process of liberation and conquests of the gay movement in Brazil. Through interviews, archival images and artistic performances, the film shows how homosexuals from different generations faced resistance, conquered spaces and fought for the right to construct a political, social and collective identity.

Hands together(es)

Full-length documentary about the mystery of the hands of Che Guevara, Victor Jara and Juan Peron. What happened, what is hidden, what is known, what is unknown, and what about it’s the symbolic effects.

Holy Land: Startup Nations(en)

With the most tech startups and venture capital per capita in the world, Israel has long been hailed as The Startup Nation. WIRED’s feature-length documentary looks beyond Tel Aviv’s vibrant, liberal tech epicenter to the wider Holy Land region – the Palestinian territories, where a parallel Startup Nation story is emerging in East Jerusalem, Nazareth, Ramallah and other parts of the West Bank, as well as in the Israeli cybersecurity hub of Be’er Sheva. And we will learn how the fertile innovation ecosystem of Silicon Wadi has evolved as a result of its unique political, geographical and cultural situation and explore the future challenges – and solutions – these nations are facing.

Berlin Super 80(de)

Berlin Super 80 is a compilation of 18 short movies shot in Super 8 by West German experimental film makers during the late 1970s/early 80s. Featuring music by Malaria, Reflections, Einstürzende Neubauten, Frieder Butzmann and Die Tödliche Doris. It’s a hit or miss affair with films that range from the brilliant to the banal. Well worth watching for the flashes of genius.

Chicago Filmmakers on the Chicago River(en)

A documentary feature that reveals the creative process of Chicago moviemakers. Using the city's famous river as a location, directors are placed in a variety of boats and share stories of how Chicago has influenced their careers.

Kino-Pravda No. 8(ru)

Dziga Vertov-directed Soviet newsreel covering: A bet is placed on the outcome of the Trial of the Socialist Revolutionaries / The verdict / People in streetcars and on the street / A crashed aircraft / Reconstruction of streetcar line 13 / Peacetime use of tanks – airport construction work.