In Paradisum
Genres
Overview
In Paradisum relates two disturbing stories simultaneously. The female narrator tells her personal tale of imprisonment as the wife of the notorious Estonian serial killer, Andreas Hanni. Although her story is bizarre, it touches familiar themes that run throughout modern life: the desire to be loved and the fear of being alone. Pille Hanni's tale unfolds over cinema vérité images of life in several Estonian prisons. At times the images reflect in a literary way the events of the narration, yet they are representations and impressions, rather than traditional documentary style footage of the people involved. This opens the story to a more general interpretation, often with unsettling results. The parallel contents reveal, at two levels of story and social organisation, how the bizarre and inhuman can be tolerable and even addictive in the face of our fears.
Details
Budget
$0
Revenue
$0
Runtime
56 min
Release Date
1993-09-15
Status
Released
Original Language
Estonian
Vote Count
0
Vote Average
0
0.0
The Execution Machine: Texas Death Row
Explores the realities of death-row inmates inside Huntsville (Texas) Unit, a prison with the highest number of executions in 1997. Features interviews with prisoners, guards, officials, lawyers and victims' family members.
1997-03-10 | en
7.0
John Wayne Gacy: Defending a Monster
"Sam, could you do me a favor?" A seemingly simple request sparks the story that has now become part of America’s true crime hall of fame - the journey of a young lawyer, fresh from the Public Defender’s Office, whose first client in private practice turns out to be the most evil serial killer in our nation's history.
2019-07-25 | en
0.0
Holloway
Holloway — once the largest women's prison in Europe, now abandoned. Six ex-inmates revisit, recounting experiences, giving voice to incarcerated women. They explore vacant cells and corridors, recalling memories from their time inside.
2025-06-18 | en
6.0
When Women Kill
When Women Kill is a poignant documentary exploring the shocking violence that seven women fell victim to at the hands of men. The program profiles the battered women who speak frankly about the cruel abuse, threats, and fears, and the overassertive men who led them down a one-way path to death and destruction. The film features in-prison footage, including a segment depicting a confession by a follower of the notorious Charles Manson, Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted of two killing sprees and committed to life in prison.
1983-09-06 | en
6.8
Standard Operating Procedure
Errol Morris examines the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.
2008-02-12 | en
5.5
Cruel and Unusual
Five transgender women share their prison experiences. Interviews with attorneys, doctors, and other experts are also included.
2006-10-24 | en
6.1
The Case of Bruno Lüdke
The incredible story of Bruno Lüdke (1908-44), the alleged worst mass murderer in German criminal history; or actually, a story of forged files and fake news that takes place during the darkest years of the Third Reich, when the principles of criminal justice, subjected to the yoke of a totalitarian system that is beginning to collapse, mean absolutely nothing.
2021-02-17 | de
7.0
Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo
71 years in the making, this feature documentary experience reveals the extraordinary life journey of Hollywood's most unlikely hero, Danny Trejo.
2019-09-21 | en
7.0
Fred & Rose West: Love & Murder
When it comes to serial killers, there aren't many stories more chilling than the one of Fred and Rosemary West. The murderous duo raped, tortured and murdered at least a dozen young British girls between 1967 and 1987 in Gloucestershire, including several of their own daughters. Learn of how two of Britain's most notorious serial killers were able to get away with their crimes for so long, how they hid the victim's remains within the confines of their own home, and how they were eventually taken down.
2024-03-28 | en
7.0
Murder: No Apparent Motive
This documentary about serial killers and FBI Behavioral Sciences profilers features interviews with Ed Kemper and Ted Bundy as well as crime victims and law enforcement officials. The film includes some dramatic recreations.
1984-04-24 | en
6.7
The Big One
The Big One is an investigative documentary from director Michael Moore who goes around the country asking why big American corporations produce their product abroad where labor is cheaper while so many Americans are unemployed, losing their jobs, and would happily be hired by such companies as Nike.
1997-09-06 | en
7.3
The World's Most Luxurious Prison
Former conservative Justice Secretary Ann Widdecombe visits a Norwegian prison that has been described as the most luxurious of its kind.
2020-11-13 | en
0.0
Afro-American Work Songs in a Texas Prison
Pete and Toshi Seeger, their son Daniel, and folklorist Bruce Jackson visited a Texas prison in Huntsville in March of 1966 and produced this rare document of of work songs by inmates of the Ellis Unit. Worksongs helped African American prisoners survive the grueling work demanded of them. With mechanization and integration, worksongs like these died out shortly after this film was made.
1966-03-01 | en
8.0
Hard Time: The Making of Prison
Retrospective documentary on the making of the low-budget horror film Prison (1987)
2013-02-10 | en
6.0
Prisoners of the War on Drugs
From its beginning during the Reagan years through current times, the War on Drugs has left many victims stranded in the prison system. PRISONERS OF THE WAR ON DRUGS reveals life behind bars in the nation’s prisons. Each prisoner has his or her own story, but for most, the story is predictably similar; they have been criminalized for drugs or drug related offenses, locked up with easy access to substances, and given little opportunity for rehabilitation. This film provides an inside look at the prison system, its prisoners and a war on drugs we do not seem to be winning.
1996-01-08 | en
6.0
America's Greatest Prison Breaks
A look at the prison breakout of Richard Matt and David Sweat from Clinton Correctional facility, as well as a look back at some of the most daring and ingenious prison breaks in American history.
2015-12-27 | en
6.0
Out of Mind, Out of Sight
Four-time Emmy winner John Kastner was granted unprecedented access to the Brockville facility for 18 months, allowing 46 patients and 75 staff to share their experiences with stunning frankness. The result is two remarkable documentaries: the first, NCR: Not Criminally Responsible, premiered at Hot Docs in the spring of 2013 and follows the story of a violent patient released into the community. The second film, Out of Mind, Out of Sight, returns to the Brockville Mental Health Centre to profile four patients, two men and two women, as they struggle to gain control over their lives so they can return to a society that often fears and demonizes them.
2014-04-27 | en
6.3
Lost for Life
A documentary about juveniles who are serving life in prison without parole and their victims' families.
2013-06-22 | en
6.1
Serial Killer Culture
Serial Killer Culture examines the reasons why artists and collectors are fascinated by serial killers.
2014-02-04 | en
5.4
Albert Fish: In Sin He Found Salvation
Albert Fish, the horrific true story of elderly cannibal, sadomasochist, and serial killer, who lured children to their deaths in Depression-era New York City. Distorting biblical tales, Albert Fish takes the themes of pain, torture, atonement and suffering literally as he preys on victims to torture and sacrifice.
2007-08-13 | en