Occupied Cinema

Moscow 1996, Vote or Lose!

November 2021 •French

Moscow, January 1996. Boris Yeltsin gets ready to run for a second mandate of the presidency of the young Russian Federation. Polls are in the single digits. A painful economic transition, war in Chechnya, and the rise of criminal groups have left the majority of Russians dissatisfied with Yeltsin… and willing to vote for the communist leader Gennady Zyuganov. Yet six months later, Yeltsin won the election with nearly 54% of the vote. How did that happen?

The Boss

October 2016 •Croatian

"The Boss" is a documentary about transition, privatization and corporations in Croatia, and touches upon the history of the largest Croatian corporation - Agrokor.

Flow: For Love of Water

September 2008 •English

From both local and global perspectives, this documentary examines the harsh realities behind the mounting water crisis. Learn how politics, pollution and human rights are intertwined in this important issue that affects every being on Earth. With water drying up around the world and the future of human lives at stake, the film urges a call to arms before more of our most precious natural resource evaporates.

Haiti's Tourniquet

June 2008 •English

The Confederation of Haitian Workers (CTH) invited an Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) delegation to Haiti to learn about their fight against "le plan neoliberal" and recruit help in the form of material aid and solidarity. The delegation was in Haiti from April 24 to May 25, 2008, two weeks after the country erupted in mass protest at burgeoning food prices. This video shares the stories and experiences.

Life for Sale

December 2009 •English

Can you imagine a water market? A market where owners of water stock would buy and sell, while others would profit on its price without needing it? What would life be like if all of the planet’s water resources, superficial or subterranean, the waters of rivers, lakes and glaciers, belonged to the private sector? ‘Life For Sale’ examines the biggest water market in the world, set up in Chile.

No Measure of Health

Invalid date •English

No Measure of Health profiles Kyle Magee, an anti-advertising activist from Melbourne, Australia, who for the past 10 years has been going out into public spaces and covering over for-profit advertising in various ways. The film is a snapshot of his latest approach, which is to black-out advertising panels in protest of the way the media system, which is funded by advertising, is dominated by for-profit interests that have taken over public spaces and discourse. Kyle’s view is that real democracy requires a democratic media system, not one funded and controlled by the rich. As this film follows Kyle on a regular day of action, he reflects on fatherhood, democracy, what drives the protest, and his struggle with depression, as we learn that “it is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

El apagón: Aquí vive gente

September 2022 •Spanish

“El Apagón: Aquí Vive Gente” is a documentary directed by Bad Bunny and Blanca Graulau. This 23-minute film explores the socio-economic challenges in Puerto Rico, focusing on the effects of power outages and gentrification driven by the real estate and energy sectors. Through visuals and personal stories, the documentary highlights the experiences of Puerto Rican communities facing these issues.

L'Ultimo Pizzaiolo

January 2019 •Italian

A journey through abandoned cinemas of Sardinia interspersed with memories of three senior projectionists, a profession now suppressed by technology.

Divoké pivo

September 1995 •Czech

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

December 1999 •English

Enchanting holiday tale of a young runaway who has broken into an old movie palace, looking for shelter on a snow-filled Christmas Eve. Closed for decades, the building is filled with countless discarded artifacts from the past. The girl is discovered by the old caretaker, who uses the ghosts and spirits that inhabit this long-abandoned world to turn her life around.

Urinetown

September 2001 •English

In the not-so-distant future, a terrible water shortage and 20-year drought has led to a government ban on private toilets and a proliferation of paid public toilets, owned and operated by a single megalomaniac company: the Urine Good Company. If the poor don’t obey the strict laws prohibiting free urination, they’ll be sent to the dreaded and mysterious “Urinetown.” After too long under the heel of the malevolent Caldwell B. Cladwell, the poor stage a revolt, led by a brave young hero, fighting tooth and nail for the freedom to pee “wherever you like, whenever you like, for as long as you like, and with whomever you like.”

The Last Cinema

Invalid date •English

Cinema clerks Silva and Felix work the final night before their beloved cinema is demolished by private investors. An empty final screening allows them to reflect on the meaning of cinema in an age wherein art no longer occupies physical space.

La Oveja Negra

July 1987 •Spanish

A group of thieves and outcasts are living in a big abandoned movie theater where they have created a very friendly and very particular universe. The police will use all its resources to violate their space, but again and again fail in their attempts.

La redención

October 2015 •Spanish

Portrays the importance of the use of art in the formation of adolescents; the use of art, in all its manifestations, as a tool to help them meet themselves, to resurface their emotional, spiritual, and psychological life.

La promesa

November 2014 •Spanish

A journey through customs and traditions such as the promise of the Kings, Virgen del Carmen festival, the rosaries, Christmas' parrandas, and the voices of people retelling their memories of history.

Man in Red Bandana

September 2017 •English

"Man in Red Bandana" is about Welles Remy Crowther, an extraordinary 9/11 hero. However, how his heroics became known is even more remarkable. Eight months after the disaster, his parents learned about how their son spent his last hour due to an ordinary object ... a red bandana. This revelation dramatically shifts their perspective on their loss. After hearing his remarkable story and how it unfolds, viewers will see how the actions of one man have touched 1,000s. This inspirational segment of the film depicts the unique, diverse and folklore ways that Welles is honored throughout the United States including in art, sports and song. Even President Barack Obama pays homage to this young man in the film. Our uplifting ending culminates in the revelation of a secret about Welles that can only be described as "perfect".

La esperanza

November 2016 •Spanish

Daquele Instante em Diante

July 2011 •Portuguese

This film documents in depth the life and artistic trajectory of the musician and poet Itamar Assumpção. He was one of the pillars of a moment of Brazilian popular music that was conventionally called "Vanguarda Paulista". Starting from extensive research which resulted in more than 250h of images and a dive into the personal universe of this incredible artist, Itamar comes up with a poetic, intuitive plot where facts and testimonies speak louder than preconceived ideas.

Brute Horsepower: The History Of The Summernats 1988-2007

January 2007 •English

Highlights from every Brute Horsepower production since the 1986 Street Machine Nationals in Canberra Australia - the first Summernats in 1988 through to the 20th in 2007. Featuring highlights, milestones, trends, outstanding cars and people, sponsors and exhibitors and an Honour Roll. "Every event has an extremely memorable highlight" Narrated by event promoter Chic henry and Burnout Track announcing Supremo Milton Adey. It's 20 years of Street Machining History.

Engineering The Impossible

June 2002 •English

Just how far can engineering go? This program explores the feasibility of constructing several extraordinary projects such as a Europe to Africa Bridge or a tunnel across the Straights of Gibraltar. Could engineers really construct a mile high skyscraper or floating ocean cities? State of the art computer graphics and real world scientists help to explain these technological dreams. Current engineering advances, like revolutionary new vacuum, make these engineering marvel's a distinct possibility!