Documentales

Filmmaker Sam Green (The Weather Underground), in collaboration with writer and editor Joe Bini (Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired, Grizzly Man), takes the stage with the legendary classical-music group Kronos Quartet to create a "live documentary" that chronologically unfolds the quartet's groundbreaking, continent-spanning, multi-decade career. Wildly creative and experimental in form, A Thousand Thoughts is a meditation on music itself-the act of listening closely to music, the experience of feeling music deeply, and the power that music has to change the world. Green narrates the piece live onstage while the Kronos Quartet performs the score, and a rich blend of archival footage, photos, and interviews with members of the Kronos Quartet--as well as longtime collaborators like Philip Glass, Laurie Anderson, Terry Riley, Tanya Tagaq, and Steve Reich--unspools on screen. The magic of cinema combines with the energy and urgency of live performance to create incredibly rich moments that remind us of the value in the unique, the handcrafted, the ephemeral, and something that is never experienced the same way twice.

"Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90)" examines the early DIY punk scene in the Nation's Capital. It was a decade when seminal bands like Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Government Issue, Scream, Void, Faith, Rites of Spring, Marginal Man, Fugazi, and others released their own records and booked their own shows-without major record label constraints or mainstream media scrutiny. Contextually, it was a cultural watershed that predated the alternative music explosion of the 1990s (and the industry's subsequent implosion). Thirty years later, DC's original DIY punk spirit serves as a reminder of the hopefulness of youth, the power of community and the strength of conviction.

A retrospective look at the "Best Hip Hop Radio Show of All-Time".

An authorized documentary on the late musician Kurt Cobain, from his early days in Aberdeen, Washington to his success and downfall with the grunge band Nirvana.

Fresh Dressed chronicles the history of Hip-Hop <> Urban fashion and its rise from southern cotton plantations to the gangs of 1970s in the South Bronx, to corporate America, and everywhere in-between. Supported by rich archival materials and in depth interviews with individuals crucial to the evolution of a way of life--and the outsiders who studied and admired them--Fresh Dressed goes to the core of where style was born on the black and brown side of town.

The story of the Scottish indie labels Fast Product and Postcard Records.

Ethics and passion in their purest form. Welcome to the world of Sarah Records, active between 1987-1995, and possibly the most indie of all indie labels.

'All Things Must Pass' is a documentary that explores the rise and fall of Tower Records, and its legacy forged by its rebellious founder, Russ Solomon.

An Israeli film director interviews fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon to reconstruct his own memories of his term of service in that conflict.

'To act is to begin something new' said Hannah Arendt, one of the greatest thinkers of all time. In this bombastic film, learn about the thinking processes and mechanisms of activism and risky thoughts.

Documentary about the uncredited co-creator of Batman, Bill Finger.

At the height of his stardom, the world's biggest pop star, Michael Jackson, began long-running relationships with two young boys, aged between seven and ten, along their families. They now allege that he sexually abused them.

Nicu, a young homeless boy, is adopted by Bruce Lee, the notorious "King of the Underworld" and goes to live with him in the tunnels underneath Bucharest. As Nicu grows up, he starts to realize that he is not the perfect father.

Five stories that tell how a handful of football stars took the risk of losing everything and put their fate in the balance to make a difference by becoming the symbol of a fight.

In 1940, the World is immersed in the II World War, and Spain suffers a severe postwar. In this context, the British Consulate in San Sebastian hosts a spy network formed by Basque, Aragonese and French reporting on German troop movements and the passage of goods. Established a weekly connection between Canfranc, Saragossa and San Sebastian. Using information from this network of spies helped defeat Nazi Germany. The spies involved in the events explain us their history.

Handmade utopias - a filmic search for the worldwide phenomenon of the micronation movement. Do-it-yourself states that have distanced themselves from the economic and political mainstreaming of globalization. A road movie covering land, water and the wildest realms of the imagination. Simultaneously creative documentary and pulsating cultural portrait, the film traces a new "unplugged" generation - their motives, their anxieties and their dreams. A film that shows how this generation realizes its escapist fantasies in new economic and political forms and how they collide with oppressive everyday realities.

The life and career of the renowned stage magician turned scientific skeptic of the paranormal, James Randi.

Follows the routines of those employed at Studio Ghibli, including filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata, and Toshio Suzuki as they work to release two films simultaneously, The Wind Rises and The Tale of the Princess Kaguya.

An examination of the life, times, and legacy of Uruguay's last president, José "Pepe" Mujica.

Latin History for Morons: John Leguizamo's Road to Broadway captures John's quest to cram 3,000 years of history into 90 minutes of stage time and bring a whole new set of historical characters back to life as one man. Infused throughout the documentary is John's special brand of humor and openness. The road to his ultimate goal - his next Broadway hit - unfolds in a fun, intriguing, and poignant adventure that not only offers an intimate look into the journey of a passionate artist, but also shines a light on the rarely-told stories of Latino heroes who made their mark on America. Featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the one-man show taking shape, the film follows John's riveting process - from his early inspirations and research, to his first-ever comedy club tour, through workshops of the show - before culminating in performances at the historic Public Theater as he aims for a Broadway run. Along the way, John navigates the challenges of writing (and re-writing) history lessons meant to enlighten and entertain.

In remote Patagonia, a 100-year-old community of Afrikaans Boers struggles to keep their language and culture alive, while longing to be reunited with their distant families in South Africa.

An exploration of the history and emotional power of cinema sound, as revealed by legendary sound designers and visionary directors, via interviews, clips from movies, and a look at their actual process of creation and discovery.

An old mining town on the Arizona-Mexico border finally reckons with its darkest day: the deportation of 1200 immigrant miners exactly 100 years ago. Locals collaborate to stage recreations of their controversial past.

Filmmaker Bing Liu searches for correlations between his skateboarder friends' turbulent upbringings and the complexities of modern masculinity.