Good Mr. Benda

Citizen Kitano

October 2020 •French

Takeshi Kitano is an international icon. We know the actor, the multi-award-winning filmmaker, but many ignore his double personality: the crazy TV star, the street kid from Tokyo close to the Yakuza, and the political satirist who blasted taboos! Can we dream of a better guide to introduce us to the cultural history of Japan?

Amin

October 2010 •English

AMIN portrays Qashqai musician Amin Aghaie, a young modern nomad and his family who despite facing steep financial, cultural and political obstacles are dedicated to their art and culture. Amin travels to remote towns and villages to record the music of the surviving masters whose numbers decline each year. His nomadic family are selling their meager belongings to help support their son's education in performance and ethnomusicology at Tchaikovsky's Conservatory in Kyiv, Ukraine, but it is not enough. Amin, desperate to finish his academic education, sells his violins one at a time just to pay for his tuition.

James Gandolfini: Tribute to a Friend

December 2013 •English

In the half-hour tribute, friends and colleagues remember the three-time Emmy winner, who died June 19 at age 51. The special features clips of Gandolfini’s work as well as behind-the-scenes footage.

Jack Kirby: Story Teller

June 2007 •English

A documentary on the life of Jack Kirby, co-creator of Captain America, The Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers, The Hulk, The X-Men and the New Gods, among other classic comic book superheroes.

Jewel's Catch One

January 2017 •English

With four strikes against her (black, female, poor and a lesbian), our trailblazer, Jewel Thais-Williams, helped changed laws, save lives and influence communities across Los Angeles, California as she opened her legendary nightclub's door for 42 years.

Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square

October 1998 •English

This film illustrates the life of the film director, Shui-Bo Wang in The People's Republic of China. We learn of the life of the director in his own words and images from a child steeped in the values of Chinese communism exemplified by Chairman Mao, to a young man striving to live up to those ideals both as an artist and a soldier.

Portrait of Imogen

January 1988 •English

Photographer Imogen Cunningham presents her own work in this Academy Award-nominated documentary.

MCAINE: An Anagram of Cinema

March 2023 •German

Legendary British actor Michael Caine, who began his brilliant career on stage during the 1950s, talks about his private life, his work in film and the books he has written.

Marilyn Monroe: Death of an Icon

February 2010 •German

Documentary about Marilyn Monroe: 1962: America loses its blonde icon. Marilyn Monroe dies under mysterious circumstances. How did she die? The police report states: probable suicide. But there are many things that point to murder: a corpse draped too beautifully, an investigation that was cut short, evidence that disappeared. Plus Marilyn's affairs with the then US President John F. Kennedy and his brother Bobby. What really happened on that fateful summer night? After her housekeeper discovers the body, six hours pass before the police are called. She finds a beautifully draped corpse, sleeping pills in the blood but no pill residue in the stomach, witnesses who seem uncertain. The first investigator thinks about murder - and is taken off the case. Today no police files can be found.

Inside the Mind of Agatha Christie

October 2020 •English

Surpassed only by the Bible and Shakespeare, Agatha Christie is the most successful writer of all time. We all know her characters and incredible plot twists, but what do we know about Agatha herself? Combining rare access to Agatha's family, her personal archive and speaking to those who know her work best, discover what made the world's most successful crime writer tick.

Kukuczka

October 2015 •Italian

Dalí, être Dieu

September 2002 •Spanish

Another kind of biography, one that unravels the mysteries of Dalí, the conflicts with himself and with the characters with whom he had greater emotional involvement: his father, his sister Ana María, Gala and Lorca. They lead us to a Dalí from different eras.

Tyson

May 2008 •English

Director James Toback takes an unflinching, uncompromising look at the life of Mike Tyson--almost solely from the perspective of the man himself. TYSON alternates between the controversial boxer addressing the camera and shots of the champion's fights to create an arresting picture of the man.

Neutra: Survival Through Design

February 2019 •English

This insightful documentary feature from PJ Letofsky serves as a profile of iconic Austrian-American Architect Richard Neutra, whose work and legacy have helped shape the modern understanding of design, architecture and the interconnected fabric of nature. Today, Richard's legacy lives on through his son, Dion, who has taken up his father's mantle after nearly three-decades under his mentorship.

The Colour of Your Socks: A Year with Pipilotti Rist

September 2009 •English

The film accompanies the Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist around the world, shows her at work in her studio in Zurich as well as at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Since she won the Duemila Prize at the Biennale di Venezia in 1997, Pipilotti Rist is an internationally recognized and renowned artist. For the first time, she lets a documentary filmmaker into her world, providing insight into her creative process, the development of projects and the collaboration with her team.

Red Army

August 2014 •English

A documentary highlighting the Soviet Union's legendary and enigmatic hockey training culture and world-dominating team through the eyes of the team's Captain Slava Fetisov, following his shift from hockey star and celebrated national hero to political enemy.

That Guy Dick Miller

March 2014 •English

Documentary about veteran character actor Dick Miller, whose career in and outside of Hollywood has spanned almost 200 films across six decades, featuring a diverse range of interviews with directors, co-stars, and contemporaries.

Daddy and the Warlord

March 2019 •Dutch

In postwar Liberia Clarice Gargard searches the truth concerning her father's dubious connection to warlord Charles Taylor.

Leyla Gencer: La Diva Turca

April 2019 •Italian

A documentary on the life of famous Turkish soprano Leyla Gencer.

Bogart: The Untold Story

January 1997 •English

Stephen H. Bogart narrates the rise to fame of his father, Humphrey Bogart through the use of film clips, written material and interviews of friends and co-workers.