Gates to the Lemkos' Land

The Resurrection of a Nation

January 2018 •English

The 20th century was the roughest in history for the Carpatho-Rusyns of Central Europe. After World War II, when they were declared Ukrainians by the new Communist regimes in every country where they live, Carpatho-Rusyns in Czechoslovakia and elsewhere became extinct overnight -- and this was their existence for more than 50 years. But with the 1989 Velvet Revolution, led by the playwright and former dissident Václav Havel, Carpatho-Rusyn ethnicity revived in every country - including the United States. This is the story of that revival.

Murder Ballads and Other Legends from Ladomírová

January 1998 •Slovak

The documentary film is not a search for the survived truth of the inhabitants of the Ruthenian village Ladomírová. It captures their subjective memories, often frozen in time and in everyday life. Only strong impressions of sadness, joy, suffering, which reflect the great history of the 20th century. There is no truth about the past, it is only the human mind that actually makes morytates - bloody enlightening stories and legends.

Maryjka

April 1933 •Polish

In a mountain village one woman's beauty and popularity with the men incurs the wrath of the others. AKA The Stray.

Marijka the Unfaithful

March 1934 •Czech

“The Carpathians are medieval!” one character bellows, and this tale of the tree-chopper Petro, his faithless wife Marijka, and various scheming businessmen and foremen does little to disprove the assertion. Interestingly filmed with a nonprofessional cast recruited from the region, Faithless Marijka may have a neorealist conceit, but its direction is utterly futuristic, filled with the lightning-fast montage techniques and low-angle camera of the Soviet avant-garde (along with its invigorating agitprop).

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors

October 1965 •Ukrainian

In the Carpathian Mountains of 19th-century Ukraine, love, hate, life and death among the Hutsul people are as they’ve been since time began. Ivan is drawn to Marichka, the beautiful young daughter of the man who killed his father. But fate tragically decrees that the two lovers will remain apart.

Annychka

May 1969 •Ukrainian

In the dark days of Nazi occupation, a young Hutsul girl native to the Carpathian mountains falls in love with a wounded Soviet partisan. Their affair sets in motion a tragic chain of events, as her family turns against her with shocking results.

Worst to First

February 2022 •English

WORST TO FIRST is a feature-length documentary that portrays the against-all-odds inspirational story of the launch of the iconic and most successful radio station in history, New York City's Z100.

How Did We Get Here?

February 2022 •English

An intimate reflection on life in the digital age and Seán McLoughlin's journey through the highest highs - chanting crowds, sold out shows, and marriage proposals - and lowest lows - grappling with loneliness in the harsh Irish winter - and the life and wonder in between.

In the valley

February 2022 •French

Thierry lives in the Aosta Valley, in Italy. On board his piaggo ape, he travels the paths of the valley to take care of his cows. He also loves Anaïs, but for some time, she doesn’t answer him anymore… From traditional serenades to Italian pop, Thierry sings about love.

Národní umělec Zdeněk Štěpánek

December 1960 •Czech

2020

January 2020 •English

New Bronze edit with all your favourites.

The Spanish Flu: The Invisible Enemy

September 2021 •French

In April 1918, a disease of unknown origin swept across the five continents. In 18 months, millions of lives that had not been taken by the war were swept away by a virus that would cause the worst pandemic in history: the Spanish flu.

France images d'une révolution

January 1989 •French

On the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, this film is a tribute to the French nation, through historical reconstructions of the Revolution and the First Empire, as well as reports on the successes of France modern, the presence of France in the world, its history and its soil.

Swamp Dialogues

January 2015 •English

The Danube Delta in Romania - the 'Last European Sanctuary’ - is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While major efforts are made to protect biodiversity, the plight of local communities is largely overlooked. Social scientists claim that the traumatic nature of the swamp bears heavy on the villagers' lives. But is Nature really to blame? Swamp Dialogues is based on an extensive field-research in the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve. Through a careful ‘argument montage’ built entirely on cinematic language the film represents an anthropological analysis formulated in image and sound.

We Just Wanna Have a Good Time All the Time

March 2023 •Finnish

Turbonegro, an unapologetic punk band that plays with homoerotic and otherwise provocative symbolism, gave the world the middle finger in their early days and started their own fan club during one drug-fuelled night in '95 as a joke. What the f*ck? Unpredictable and absurd band quickly earned the respect of even the most notorious black metal bands in Norway. Everyone knows about Kiss Army, but what is the mythical fleet unleashed by Turbonegro, provocatively known as Turbojugend, that has grown into a worldwide phenomenon? At the heart of Turbonegro fandom is love and brotherhood, regardless of age, colour or gender. The Turbojugend really know how to have fun and the highlight of the year is the Weltturbojugendtage event held at the Reeperbahn, where Turbonegro members themselves often join in the celebrations.

Perugino. Rinascimento immortale

April 2023 •Italian

Aylanpa – World in a Vortex

December 1989 •Russian

Just before the collapse of the Soviet Union, perestroika gave Chinghiz Aitmatov the opportunity to reflect on the goals and ideals of socialism and how it itself had denied them. In this essayistic film, starting with his personal life story (his father was shot as an enemy of the state, he himself was a highly respected student and artist in the Soviet Union) and the history of the Kyrgyz people (bearers of a vibrant and distinctive culture destroyed by socialism), he eventually arrives at big questions about the goal of human progress and the fate of humanity in the 21st century. "What will life be like for people in the 21st century?" he asks, not least in view of looming ecological catastrophes, and answers: That is the sole responsibility of humanity. Long difficult to find, the film has now been uploaded to YouTube in a restored 4K version by Kyrgyzfilm.

Ex-Amen

September 2005 •Latvian

A struggling actress, a teacher, a former seaman, a policeman and a veterinarian all have a common line of work – conducting funerals. For one it’s a passion, for one a duty, but for another it’s a chance to earn a little extra...

Don't Give a Fox

March 2019 •Danish

DON’T GIVE A FOX is a documentary about a group of young and wild girls in Roskilde, who, despite coming from completely different backgrounds, find a fellowship in skating. A place where they can forget their everyday life and gain courage to change a skate culture that has been dominated exclusively by boys for the past decades. DON’T GIVE A FOX follows three different girls in their early 20s, who each are seeking to gain a foothold. It’s a coming-of-age story about identity, love and skating.

Tondo, Beloved: To What Are the Poor Born?

June 2012 •Tagalog

Virgie's family feeds on the fishes that lurk under the industrial ships of North Harbor. Their alternatives are packs of tasteless gelatin found in the same waters. One morning when the fishes are dead and the sea's color is that of milk, uncertainty is born.