The Man Who Was There

Land Without Bread

December 1933 •Spanish

An exploration —manipulated and staged— of life in Las Hurdes, in the province of Cáceres, in Extremadura, Spain, as it was in 1932. Insalubrity, misery and lack of opportunities provoke the emigration of young people and the solitude of those who remain in the desolation of one of the poorest and least developed Spanish regions at that time. (Silent short, voiced in 1937 and 1996.)

The Untouchables

June 1987 •English

Elliot Ness, an ambitious prohibition agent, is determined to take down Al Capone. In order to achieve this goal, he forms a group given the nickname “The Untouchables”.

Le Petit Monde de Fernandel

June 2020 •French

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat

June 1896 •French

A group of people are standing along the platform of a railway station in La Ciotat, waiting for a train. One is seen coming, at some distance, and eventually stops at the platform. Doors of the railway-cars open and attendants help passengers off and on. Popular legend has it that, when this film was shown, the first-night audience fled the café in terror, fearing being run over by the "approaching" train. This legend has since been identified as promotional embellishment, though there is evidence to suggest that people were astounded at the capabilities of the Lumières' cinématographe.

Forward, Comrades

June 2013 •Chinese

A young girl who treated her pets as comrades and liked to play with construction blocks, experiences her life changing after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Arekara - The Life After

February 2013 •Japanese

In February 2012, I went to Ishinomaki, a town North of Tokyo that was half destroyed by the tsunami of March 11th, 2011, to meet the disaster victims who now live in temporary housing. I spent several days in the North, under the snow, listening to these people talk candidly about what they had lived through, telling their own stories without the media as an intermediary. Their testimonies were terrifying, harsh and sad, but at the same time touching, sincere and human. From the pictures and interviews that I collected, I decided to make a film, not to reflect how awful the events were, but to communicate the singular and even surreal nature of each person’s experience. My intention wasn’t so much to focus on this particular event in Japan, but rather to make these stories more universal as a way of paying tribute to all the victims of natural disasters throughout the world.

Where's My Roy Cohn?

September 2019 •English

Roy Cohn personified the dark arts of American politics, turning empty vessels into dangerous demagogues - from Joseph McCarthy to his final project, Donald J. Trump. This thriller-like exposé connects the dots, revealing how a deeply troubled master manipulator shaped our current American nightmare.

38

September 2006 •Turkish

Documentary on the massacres commited in the Dersim region in Turkey in 1937/38.

Denial

September 2016 •English

Acclaimed writer and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt must battle for historical truth to prove the Holocaust actually occurred when David Irving, a renowned denier, sues her for libel.

The Return of the Living Dead: The Decade of Darkness

July 2007 •English

A look at the horror movies of the 1980's.

Thoughts on the Purpose of Friendship

January 2020 •English

Thoughts on the Purpose of Friendship follows two friends and their effortless friendship. The subtle interplay and hidden expressions between them remind us, in our increasingly transaction-based society, of the true and simple foundations required to build a friendship.

Icemeltland Park

July 2020 •English

An amusement park designed for families, couples, groups of friends and everyone who wishes to visit. You don’t know where to go on holiday? Or you’re not sure how to spend your honeymoon? Come to Icemeltland Park, you won’t regret it!

The First Interview

July 2011 •English

In the world's first media interview, shot in Paris in August 1886, the great photographer Nadar interviews the famous scientist and sceptic Chevreul on his 100th birthday. In their own words - originally recorded in shorthand - they discuss photography, colour theory, Moliere, the scientific method, the crazy ideas of balloonists, and - of course - how to live for 100 years. These two legends of the 19th century have a lively and interesting conversation. One was born before the French revolution; the other was destined to see the marvels of the aeroplane and the movies.

Nannies

January 2010 •Portuguese

Nannies combines autobiographical elements with a reflection on the presence of nannies in Brazil. With a subjective narration, the film incorporates photographs, domestic footage and newspaper adds from the 20th century, as well as contemporary images of nannies and children, building a personal narrative about the presence of nannies in the daily lives of many Brazilian families. A situation where the affection is genuine, but does not dissolve violence and racism.

Run Wrake's Guide to Animation

June 2007 •English

Run Wrake is an English filmmaker, animation director, and music video director. He studied graphic design at Chelsea College of Arts before completing a master's degree in animation at the Royal College of Art in London. In this interview for the BBC's Channel 4, he describes some of his films, their inception, and their production. He also comments on technological and cultural developments that have changed how animated films are produced and perceived.

All Winners, All Losers

June 2018 •Persian

Shokri is in prison because of a debt, he wasn't able to repay. One day during his day pass out of the prison he found a black purse full of money and he tried to find the owner, in order to return the money back. Shot in 2015.

A Young Man Named Engels – A Portrait in Letters

November 1970 •German

With the young Friedrich Engel’s letters and drawings from the years between 1838 and 1842, a unique cinematic portrait is created. The viewer thus gets to know the young Engels personally, learning about the significant moments of his development from a bourgeois-liberal upbringing to the theoretical partner of Karl Marx. Later be awarded the Gold Dove at the International Leipzig Documentary and Short Film Week.

David Crosby: Remember My Name

July 2019 •English

You thought you knew him. Meet David Crosby now in this portrait of a man with everything but an easy retirement on his mind. With unflinching honesty, self-examination, regret, fear, exuberance and an unshakable belief in family and the transformative nature of music, Crosby shares his often challenging journey.

The True Story of the Ballerina in Red

September 2010 •Portuguese

Fictional Documentary. A dancer in one of the paintings by Edgar Degas one day stepped out of the canvas, conquers the world and disappears during the carnival in Rio; mix of the academic universe, avant-gard art and the underworld sex scene. The movie was shot in Paris, NY and RJ.

Werner van Gent – Leben zwischen Krieg und Musik

August 2022 •German

Together with his wife and journalist Amalia, Werner van Gent worked as a war journalist in Iraq, Pakistan and the Balkans.