2019-12-18
6.5
In three programmes shown over consecutive weeks in BBC2's Timewatch strand, Allan Francovich interviewed key Gladio players such as Propaganda Due head, Licio Gelli, Italian neofascist and terrorist Vincenzo Vinciguerra, Venetian judge Felice Casson, Italian Gladio commander General Gerardo Serravale, Belgian Senator Roger Lallemand, Belgian gendarme Martial Lekue and former CIA director William Colby. Also included was "hoaxer" Oswald LeWinter.
Through seven scenes, the film follows the life and destinies of stray dogs from the margins of our society, leading us to reconsider our attitude towards them. Through the seven “wandering” characters that we follow at different ages, from birth to old age, we witness their dignified struggle for survival. At the cemetery, in an abandoned factory, in an asylum, in a landfill, in places full of sorrow, our heroes search for love and togetherness. By combining documentary material, animation and acting interpretation of the thoughts of our heroes, we get to know lives between disappointment and hope, quite similar to ours.
A Russian conwoman with a dark past escapes to New York and seeks to steal the identity of her Ukrainian stylist.
Resulting from an ancient volcanic eruption, revered as sacred by the Chalun and Matsun Native American Tribes as the home of the Firebird/Thunderbird (California Condor) a supernatural being of power and strength. Pinnacles represents transcendent moments, spiritual guidance and forging new timelines within interpersonal landscapes.
Harold a shy college student from the province who develops a close bond and a secret love for his friend AM, a rich city girl who is passionate about her dreams. Because of their contrasting personalities, Harold is disillusioned and AM is idealistic and complications in their personal lives, the two never get past the “more than friends but less than lovers” stage and eventually separate. Now reunited after five years, AM and Harold spend fleeting hours wandering around their old haunts and wondering about their old selves, making Harold’s next-day flight the biggest “what if” of their lives.
The Bronx is the birthplace of hip hop, break dancing and graffiti. It's "A Mall of Culture" as he calls it. "Butch Da Baber", the young barber grew up, lives and works in the Bronx, New York.
Known for his unmistakable cascading strings and recordings such as Charmaine, Mantovani enthralled the world with his sublime arrangements. This is the story of the man and his music.
A group of Iga ninja risk their lives to protect Tokugawa Ieyasu from the villianous Koga Ninja. Kagemaru uses his amazing Iga ninja skills to fight the evil Koga Ninja in the name of justice! A stunning old-school Ninja action adventure, full of special effects! It splendid cast includes Matsukata Hiroki as 'Kagemaru' and Yamashiro Shingo as 'Amanojaki', Kagemaru's arch-enemy.
Follows five autistic children as they work together to create and perform a live musical production.
The feuding Lanes and Whittakers are brought together with the help of Roy Rogers, when a business tycoon tries to play one family against the other.
The story revolves around Cherry, a young girl who was kidnapped and declared missing for over a decade. She suddenly returns to her family after 12 years, and older sister Jing soon discovers that something is wrong with Cherry. It turns out Cherry has been carrying out crimes on the orders of her abductor, and Jing employs the help of friendly police officer to unravel her younger sister’s conspiracy.
The incredible journey when 4 best friends meet up for a promise thing.
A teenage escapee from a correctional facility falls in with a drug dealer operating near the Mexican border.
When champion amateur boxer and lifelong fighter Lola falls in love and has a baby, she struggles to give up her championship and leave the ring with her career unfinished.
The story of three young Cape Verdean sisters upon their arrival at a foreign European port, in an attempt to escape another devastating eruption of the volcano Fogo. In this unknown country, they roam, hand in hand, evoking their secret fears through music and singing.
Pete Smith, a lift bridge operator in a harbor, feels lonely in his cabin, his only visitor being a policeman on patrol, Sgt. Coughlin. One night, after hearing shots, Smith gives shelter to a wounded man, whom he hides from Coughlin. Before leaving, the man, Marcas, promises to return the favor and the coat he borrows from him. Later, Smith enters the police, and his chief, Mather, suspects he is protecting Marcas, who is actually a gangster. Marcas sends a girl, Mary Monks, to deliver a luxurious coat with a fur collar to Smith. Pete and Mary get along well, and for his sake, she betrays Marcas, who is eventually shot to death by the cops, after having stopped his mob from killing Smith. Mary goes away alone into the night, and when Mather finds out that Pete is protecting her, he drops away the evidence of her presence on the spot.
This movie takes place during the premiere of Mozart's Die Zauberfloete (The Magic Flute). Not really depicting his entire life and loves, much of this is fictionalized scatology. Although not without basis in fact, Mozart has attained a somewhat colorful reputation and this is really just more of the same. The music is a joy, but the movie bogs down in titillation. Mozart's last days were lived in poverty and disgrace--stemming chiefly from his embracing of the Freemason stance, which was essentially a heresy in Austria and the rest of Europe at that time. None of this is depicted and even a satyr could not sustain the lifestyle Mozart has been portrayed as having here. Still, this is an interesting movie and worth a listen to.
A new wave of Asian horror movie filmmakers is capturing the attention of film studios desperate for box office success. From Tokyo to Hong Kong and Bangkok to Seoul, this two-part documentary describes how Asian directors have successfully married the power of local myths and superstitions with cutting-edge filming techniques and innovative storytelling, producing some of the scariest moments in the history of cinema. True Asian Horror includes scenes from The Ring - the movie voted by cinemagoers around the world as the scariest movie ever - and modern horror classics such as The Eye and Phone. Sit back as the directors of these classic films reveal how they manage to frighten the life out of their audiences and hear film critics explain why Hollywood is terrified to turn its back on Asian moviemakers whose meteoric rise to the top has been just plain scary.
Clarissa Dickson Wright tracks down Britain's oldest known cookbook, The Forme of Cury. This 700-year-old scroll was written during the reign of King Richard II from recipes created by the king's master chefs. How did this ancient manuscript influence the way people eat today? On her culinary journey through medieval history she reawakens recipes that have lain dormant for centuries and discovers dishes that are still prepared now.
To many African Americans, soul food is sacrament, ritual, and a key expression of cultural identity. But does this traditional cuisine do more harm to health than it soothes the soul?
Living in France, a Rwandan psychotherapist committed to rebuilding her country returns this time to learn to play the inanga, the traditional zither. A moving journey through a festive Rwanda, in search of her cultural identity.
A 1970s American elementary school program encouraging students to figure out for themselves the universal building blocks of human community — family, work, faith, etc. — inflamed political sensitivities so intensely it was shelved and forgotten. Archive footage of the documentary film series at the program's core, classroom exchanges, and the ensuing controversy frames larger issues of education, politics and ideology.
Between scenes from his concert in São Paulo's oft-inaccessible Theatro Municipal, rapper and activist Emicida celebrates the rich legacy of Black Brazilian culture.
The Halari Oshwals are a small community dispersed around the world yet held together by a history of sacrifices. But times have changed. This globalization has led to many problems within the community, and their numbers are dwindling. An Oshwal woman from Canada worries about the preservation and survival of her heritage in the hands of generations to come. She sets out on a pilgrimage to visit Oshwal communities in Kenya, where she was born; the UK, where she lived for a while; and India, where her parents originated. She discovers a shared concern for the future of the community and its traditions in the face of globalization and geographical disconnect, and explores what this means for the younger generation and their Oshwal identity.
From the immutable protocol of the Empire of Japan during Masako's wedding with Emperor Naruhito, to the marriage of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle, very much anchored in the 21st century, Stéphane Bern reveals behind the scenes of princely weddings. With rare images and thanks to the greatest specialists of crowned heads, it tells the splendor of these timeless weddings, from exceptional wedding dresses to prestigious guests, from the preparations for these unique festivities to the day of the ceremony scrutinized by the cameras of the whole world.
In the Faroe Islands, hundreds of pilot whales are slaughtered each year in a hunt known as the “Grind.” This gruesome tradition has drawn outrage from activists, most notably the international conservation group Sea Shepherd, who routinely sail to the islands to try to block whaling boats. Yet the Faroese are equally determined to maintain their tradition, defending the practice as more sustainable and less cruel than getting meat from slaughterhouses. Director Vincent Kelner spends time with both Faroese hunters and Sea Shepherd crusaders, building to a nuanced look at a disturbing event with much larger implications for the way humans relate to other creatures.
Arguably Russia’s most famous folk song, Dark Eyes has captured hearts around the world for the past 100 years. This portrait explores the song’s somewhat controversial history, its musical versatility and its cultural relevance. Performances by Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Liberace, a 13-piece orchestra and a Russian folk group make it clear why Dark Eyes has stood the test of time.
Follows Yo, Siyuan and Mia, three young women who, using the mobile application Replika, have formed romantic relationships with virtual partners. This short documentary captures the richness of these bonds, from philosophical questions to intimate moments to the real sense of security and companionship afforded by these artificially intelligent lovers.
A look at the state of the global environment including visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planet's ecosystems. Featuring ongoing dialogues of experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolse
Tracing the story of a student uprising this documentary explores how the NRA manages to keep a permissive gun law alive, and why it has such a strong hold over American society.
A chronicle of Cyndi Lauper's meteoric ascent to stardom and her profound impact on generations through her music, ever-evolving punk style, unwavering feminism and tireless advocacy. This documentary takes the audience on an engaging exploration of a renowned and pioneering artist who has left a remarkable legacy with her art.
Guy Debord's analysis of a consumer society.
When Bruce Chatwin was dying of AIDS, his friend Werner Herzog made a final visit. As a parting gift, Chatwin gave him his rucksack. Thirty years later, Herzog sets out on his own journey, inspired by Chatwin’s passion for the nomadic life, uncovering stories of lost tribes, wanderers and dreamers.
Who was the real Robin Hood? This age-old question and many more are answered in this exciting documentary. Come and explore the true story behind the beloved myth of Robin Hood the outlawed hero who famously stole from the rich and gave to the poor. In it you will track down the legend of the myth, its origins, and its many interpretations over the years; take a trip back to medieval times and visit the real Robin Hood country; and examine the far-reaching influences the Robin Hood legend has had throughout popular culture. With a myth so famously enduring and intriguing as its subject, this documentary will prove to be both satisfying and fascinating for anyone interested in Robin Hood.
For years, right-wing politicians and pundits have repeatedly criticized the left for playing “the race card” and “the woman card.” This new film turns the tables and takes dead aim at the right’s own longstanding – but rarely discussed – deployment of white-male identity politics in American presidential elections. Ranging from Richard Nixon’s tough-talking, law-and-order campaign in 1968 to Donald Trump’s hyper-macho revival of the same fear-based appeals in 2020, "The Man Card" shows how the right has mobilized dominant ideas about manhood and enacted a deliberate strategy to frame Democrats and liberals as soft, brand the Republican Party as the party of “real men,” and position conservatives as defenders of white male power and authority in the face of transformative demographic change and ongoing struggles for racial, gender, and sexual equality.
This documentary chronicles the story of Darrell Night, an Indigenous man who was dumped by two police officers in a barren field on the outskirts of Saskatoon in January 2000, during -20° C temperatures. He survived, but he was stunned to hear that the frozen body of another Indigenous man was discovered in the same area.
In interviews, various actors and directors discuss their careers and their involvement in the making of what has come to be known as "cult" films. Included are such well-known genre figures as Russ Meyer, Curtis Harrington, Cameron Mitchell and James Karen.