Notes on Blindness

Bank of Dave

March 2023 •English

The true story of how Dave Fishwick, a working class man and self-made millionaire, fought to set up a community bank so that he could help the local businesses of Burnley not only survive, but thrive. In his bid to help his beloved community, he has to take on the elitist financial institutions of London and fight to receive the first, new banking license to be issued in over 100 years.

Armstrong

July 2019 •English

Dramatic, moving and deeply human, ARMSTRONG offers the definitive life story of Neil Armstrong: from his childhood in Ohio to his first steps on the Moon, and beyond.

My Name Is Dingo

December 2024 •Finnish

A boy abandoned by his father wants to become Finland's biggest rock star.

Mudflat

August 1980 •English

Years ago, artists would walk around the muck at the edge of the San Francisco Bay in Emeryville, and build loads of sculptures out there on the flats, created from driftwood and found objects that drivers would enjoy as they motored south on the old Highway 17 (known in numerous radio ads as 'Highway 17, The Nimitz'). Grabbing material off someone else’s work was considered fair game and part of the fun, and contributed a kinetic dynamic to the ongoing display. Now the place is a park, and the sculptures are gone, but you can see what it used to be like in this neat and funny documentary by Ric Reynolds, augmented by Erich Seibert’s wonderful musique-concrète/time-lapse sequences. The flashback circus sequence includes Scott Beach and Bill Irwin. Sculptors interviewed include Walt Zucker, Tony Puccio, Robert Sommer, Ron & Mary Bradden, and Bob Kaminsky.

Raging Bull

November 1980 •English

The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

Freedom Writers

January 2007 •English

A young teacher inspires her class of at-risk students to learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school.

Ray

October 2004 •English

Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.

Diego, The Last Goodbye

November 2021 •Spanish

The last year in the life of Diego Maradona told by friends, family and former companions reveals his deep humanity. In the midst of the Covid 19 pandemic, a Maradonian funeral sends him away amid tears, songs and tear gas.

Měsíční tónina

January 1981 •Czech

No Longer Human

September 2019 •Japanese

The story of Osamu Dazai, one of Japan's most celebrated novelists, absorbed in alcohol and love; married and in a relationship with two other lovers.

The Pursuit of Happyness

December 2006 •English

A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he's poised to begin a life-changing professional career.

La Vie en Rose

February 2007 •French

From the mean streets of the Belleville district of Paris to the dazzling limelight of New York's most famous concert halls, Edith Piaf's life was a constant battle to sing and survive, to live and love. Raised in her grandmother's brothel, Piaf was discovered in 1935 by nightclub owner Louis Leplee, who persuaded her to sing despite her extreme nervousness. Piaf became one of France's immortal icons, her voice one of the indelible signatures of the 20th century.

Untitled Grateful Dead Project

Invalid date •English

A biopic about the famous rock band. The still-untitled film is expected to chronicle the band’s formation in the Bay Area as the ’60s psychedelic counterculture movement started to take off.

Le Maître qui laissait les enfants rêver

March 2007 •French

Little Old New York

February 1940 •English

Inventor Robert Fulton receives support from a tavern owner and a shipyard worker to help realize his dream of a high-powered steamboat.

Andrei Rublev

December 1966 •Russian

An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again.

Birdman of Alcatraz

July 1962 •English

After killing a prison guard, convict Robert Stroud faces life imprisonment in solitary confinement. Driven nearly mad by loneliness and despair, Stroud's life gains new meaning when he happens upon a helpless baby sparrow in the exercise yard and nurses it back to health. Despite having only a third grade education, Stroud goes on to become a renowned ornithologist and achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind bars than most people find in the outside world.

Ľudmilka

January 1986 •Slovak

Meu amigo que trabalhou com Manoel de Oliveira, que fez 100 anos

July 2012 •Portuguese

Cole Porter in Hollywood: Begin the Beguine

January 2003 •English

An overview of Cole Porter’s musical contributions to the film Broadway Melody of 1940.