The Finest Hours

Leslie Caron: The Reluctant Star

June 2016 •English

Leslie Caron, beloved star of Gigi and An American in Paris, is one of the last witnesses to the golden age of American cinema of the mid 20th century. Discovered by Gene Kelly when she was a teenager, she became one of the great talents in the worlds of film, dance, and theatre, still performing to this day! The film reveals a story told through the prism of a living legend who reveals secrets of her work and life- a world of contradictions, ambitions and dreams, lived by one of its most luminous personalities.

Once Upon a Time When Robin Hood Grew Old

January 2016 •Chinese

In Taiwan, there was once a voice, connecting the north and south, hiding amongst the common people, bitterly hated by the ruling power that wished him bound and silenced. It became the song of democracy, the people's requiem, and the horn of freedom. For decades, WU Le-tian narrated the famous story of Taiwan’s very own virtuous thief – Taiwan’s Robin Hood – "LIAO Tian-ding". In the era of martial law, he used fantastic stories as a cover for arousing rebellion, and a guerrilla-style strategy to disrupt the state media. With an audience of millions, the common people was viewed WU as their very own Robin Hood! Surviving prison, escaping the jaws of death and disappearing without a trace for a decade, rumours have unceasingly circulated about the reappearance of the legendary virtuous thief.Today, in the raging storms of social unrest and rebellion, the legend has indeed quietly reappeared. The hero is alive! (docs.tfi.org.tw)

Knud

June 1966 •Danish

An analysis of the spirit and human qualities of Knud Rasmussen, who made a unique contribution to the exploration of the life and myths of the Polar Inughuit.

Jim Morrison: The End

July 2021 •French

Paris, Rue Beautreillis, July 3, 1971. The corpse of rock star Jim Morrison is found in a bathtub, in the apartment of his girlfriend Pamela Courson. The chronicle of the last months of the life of the poet, singer and charismatic leader of the American band The Doors, one of the most influential in the history of rock.

Sœur Sourire: Who Killed the Voice of God?

June 2021 •French

1962. A crystalline voice becomes a planetary tube. A Belgian nun jostles Elvis and the Beatles on the world charts. Her name: Sister Smile. A popstar with the trajectory of a comet who understands her success no more than the double meaning of her words… The harder the fall will be. Even God does not protect sharks' appetites or pretenses of success! Who killed the little voice of God? Here is the tragic story of an innocent voice, of an extraordinary fate, almost of a curse ...

Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story

February 2019 •English

Eleven time Fiddler of the Year and even a Grammy nominee, but that's just part of the story. Though born with disabilities that left him blind and partially deaf, Michael Cleveland is considered by many to be the greatest fiddler of all time.

After Mein Kampf?

August 1961 •English

By combining actual footage with reenactments, this film offers both a documentary and fictional account of the life of Adolf Hitler, from his childhood in Vienna, through the rise of the Third Reich, to his final act of suicide in the waning days of WWII. The film also provides considerable, and often shocking, detail of the atrocities enacted by the Nazi regime under Hitler's command.

Lord of the Ants

May 2008 •English

A documentary concerning the biologist Stuart Altmann and his work with ants.

Doctor Woman: The Life and Times of Dr. Elizabeth Bagshaw

January 1978 •English

Elizabeth Bagshaw was a forerunner of the women's movement. As one of the first women to practise medicine in Canada, she had to overcome society's bias against women in medicine. During her seventy-year career she helped to instigate change in public opinion on that issue, as well as the issue of birth control. The film captures the personality of this remarkable woman through a contemporary interview and re-enactments of episodes from her youth. The sepia tones of the re-enactments are in keeping with the film techniques of the time, giving the viewer a strong sense of the period. The film is of special interest to persons interested in the evolution of women's roles in Canadian society.

Lonely Boy

May 1962 •English

This short film portrays the story of singer Paul Anka, who rose from obscurity to become the idol of millions of adolescent fans around the world. Taking a candid look at both sides of the footlights, this film examines the marketing machine behind a generation of pop singers. Interviews with Anka and his manager reveal their perspective on the industry.

Pirate Tape

January 1983 •English

Derek Jarman's film portrait of American writer William S. Burroughs was shot in September 1982 during his first visit to England to attend the legendary Final Academy events at the South London Ritzy Cinema. These were Burroughs-themed art and performance nights curated by Psychic TV. Jarman’s film shows Burroughs on Tottenham Court Road signing autographs with fans and inside a shop buying alcohol. The industrial soundtrack by Psychic TV features a sample of Burroughs repeating "boys, school showers and swimming pools full of 'em'". Additional footage shot by Jarman during Burroughs' visit is reported to have been confiscated by Scotland Yard in 1991 and remains lost. Jarman and Psychic TV would continue to collaborate (“magic bound us together” Jarman wrote), with Jarman directing the music video for Catalan and staring as the spokesperson in the Psychic TV video A Spokesman for the Temple of Psychick Youth.

The Soul Is Greater Than the World

March 1985 •Swedish

A documentary about Swedish Discus champion Ricky Bruch as he prepares for the 1984 Olympics. The film highlights Bruch's obsessive behavior regarding his training and preparations. Facing difficulties with the Swedish Olympic Committee, Bruch is denied the right to compete in the Olympic Games. Bent on revenge, he trains like an animal and competes in smaller competitions, ultimately throwing his career-best 71.26 meters (233 feet, 9 inches). Proving to himself and the world that he is the greatest, Ricky's throw would have won the 1984 Olympics by nearly 5 meters.

From the Journals of Jean Seberg

September 1995 •English

Mark Rappaport's creative bio-pic about actress Jean Seberg is presented in a first-person, autobiographical format. He seamlessly interweaves cinema, politics, American society and culture, and film theory to inform, entertain, and move the viewer. Seberg's many marriages, as well as her film roles, are discussed extensively. Her involvement with the Black Panther Movement and subsequent investigation by the FBI is covered. Notably, details of French New Wave cinema, Russian Expressionist (silent) films, and the careers of Jane Fonda, Vanessa Redgrave, and Clint Eastwood are also intensively examined. Much of the film is based on conjecture, but Rappaport encourages viewers to re-examine their ideas about women in film with this thought-provoking picture.

The Gruffalo and Me: The Remarkable Julia Donaldson

December 2020 •English

The programme offers unique access to Julia Donaldson, her family, her rich archives and home movies, and the remarkable cast of characters that have sprung from her imagination. Specially commissioned animations from Julia's long-term illustrator Axel Scheffler bring her biography to life. With contributions from well-known admirers and collaborators, this is a tribute to the woman who has created the characters and stories that have become a fixture of children’s bedtime routines all around the world and spawned multi-award-winning adaptations for stage and screen. Looking at her works, the programme uncovers the surprising stories behind how Julia's iconic characters were created and what they mean to a generation of readers. It also explores why Donaldson’s books appeal to both children and adults alike – tackling serious themes of love, loss, fear and bullying in a poignant but subtle way.

Eadweard Muybridge, Zoopraxographer

September 1975 •English

Thom Andersen's remarkable and sadly neglected hour-long documentary adroitly combines biography, history, film theory, and philosophical reflection. Muybridge's photographic studies of animal locomotion in the 1870s were a major forerunner of movies; even more interesting are his subsequent studies of diverse people, photographed against neutral backgrounds.

Ghost Blues: The Story of Rory Gallagher

September 2010 •English

Ghost Blues follows the life and career of Rory Gallagher from his upbringing in Cork, his early days with a showband, the brief success of Taste and then his legendary solo career leading up to his health problems in later life and tragic death at the age of just 47. There are archive interviews, both audio and visual, with Rory and contributions from many of his friends and admirers including his brother Donal, Bob Geldof, The Edge, Cameron Crowe, Slash, Johnny Marr, James Dean Bradfield, Ronnie Drew, Bill Wyman, Martin Carthy, band members Ted McKenna and Gerry McAvoy and many more.

Citizen Ashe

December 2021 •English

Follows the life and career of Arthur Ashe.

Die Ära Merkel - Gesichter einer Kanzlerin

July 2021 •German

Franz Kafka

May 1992 •Polish

A fantasy biography of Franz Kafka, bringing to life the writer's diaries and photographs.

Migliaccio: O Brasileiro em Cena

July 2021 •Portuguese

The documentary Migliaccio - O Brasileiro em Cena follows the path of those who take risks for the art, either as directors, as writers, as scenographers and even as costume designers. The Oscarito trophy received by Flávio Migliaccio in 2014 Gramado Film Festival crowns a career enmeshed by many threads. Since Migliaccio has performed in different fields of art - from cinema and theater to literature and drawing -, the documentary creates varied visual interventions to enchain the narrative, in addition to the interviews and archive pictures, such as a shadow play to represent his humble childhood, and to the cartoons the artist drew to portray his existential questions in his ranch in Rio Bonito (State of Rio de Janeiro). Images and stories that aim to show a professional and personal life pervaded by possibilities and attitudes, both artistic and political.