Mustapha El Atrassi - La Vie Est Folle

Ocean Oasis

September 2000 •English

Ocean Oasis is a fascinating journey into the bountiful seas and pristine deserts of two remarkably different, but inextricably linked worlds — Mexico's Sea of Cortés and the Baja California desert.

The Rafts Sail On

June 1962 •Polish

The movie depicts the story of a young Mazurian boy named Mietek, who crosses the line between childhood and adulthood . He stands in close contact with nature; he decoys birds and feeds them, he catches fish. But above all he is attracted to the work of the woodcutters. He watches them as they fell the trees and he helps them load the timber onto rafts that float down the river and through the sluice-gates. Finally, he joins the raftsmen and when he receives his first salary and gives a girl his first bashful look, the time has come for him to say goodbye to his childhood.

Toronto Jazz

January 1963 •English

Toronto is regarded as the third largest jazz centre in North America. This film features a cross-section of jazz bands of that city: the Lenny Breau Trio, the Don Thompson Quintet and the Alf Jones Quartet. Their styles show creative self-expression, hard work, and improvisation.

Timber Front

January 1940 •English

This black-and-white archival film outlines the importance of Canada's forests in the national war effort during the Second World War.

Gentlemen in Storm and Gentlemen in Crown

December 1934 •Swedish

“A retrospect of European events during the past forty years, composed from early documentary material, and including one of the earliest extant specimens of news-reel film dating from 1897.” - The [London] Film Society, 1936.

When Darkness Came: The Making of 'The Mist'

March 2008 •English

Behind the scenes documentary on the making of the film.

The First Emperor of China

January 1989 •English

This historical drama tells the story of Qin Shihuang, who unified China’s vast territory and declared himself emperor in 221 B.C. During his reign, he introduced sweeping reforms, built a vast network of roads and connected the Great Wall of China. From the grandiose inner sanctum of Emperor Qin's royal palace, to fierce battles with feudal kings, this film re-creates the glory and the terror of the Qin Dynasty, including footage of Qin's life-sized terra cotta army, constructed 2,200 years ago for his tomb.

High Cities of Bone

February 2017 •Portuguese

Karlon, born in Pedreira dos Húngaros (a slum in the outskirts of Lisbon) and a pioneer of Cape Verdean creole rap, runs away from the housing project to which he had been relocated.

NOISE

May 2023 •English

Set in 2022, NOISE follows a young man as he quickly becomes engulfed by notifications from work, life, and anything else that is downloaded on his phone. Whenever he finds some quiet, the noise follows. It isn't until he finally realizes what brings him peace that the noise is quieted.

The Contour Connection

January 1983 •English

As part of a geography course, students learn to do topographical surveys. A stroll at the Champlain lookout, in the Outaouais region, will allow them to familiarize themselves with the different methods in use from Samuel de Champlain to the present day. Finally, a visit to the Directorate of Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, in Ottawa, will introduce them to a new device capable of automatically drawing contour lines. This film describes this new technique of digital mapping and gives us an overview of the progress it brings in this field.

The West 4th Street Hustle

May 2020 •English

Fearless George thinks he’s the king of the famous West 4th Street basketball courts as he hustles civilians who pass by. It isn’t until he meets his match that his true character is revealed.

Así sembramos nuestra agua

April 2019 •Spanish

Friday

December 2020 •English

A short documentary about the community within and history surrounding a historically Black Brooklyn mosque, produced in collaboration with the Jacob Burns Film Center.

Calcio storico

May 2014 •Spanish

Four neighborhoods. Four churches. Four colors. Blue. Red. White. Green. A square. A ball. Two goals. Fifty minutes, there are no rules. During the third week of June, every year since 1580, four teams of twenty-seven men fight for victory in the arena of Santa Croce. Florence, June, 2013. Calcio storico fiorentino. The origin of football.

Mémoires Métissées

June 2023 •French

Perfect Image?

January 1989 •English

Two actresses take us through a series of 'raps' and sketches about what it means to be beautiful and black.

Yoko Ono: This Is Not Here

May 1972 •English

"On John's 31st birthday, Yoko held an art exhibit, "This Is Not Here", at the Everson Museum of Art in Syracuse, N.Y.. The show was taped and aired on U.S. TV on May 11, 1972 as "John and Yoko in Syracuse, New York."

Living Art

May 2024 •Bengali

The thousand-year-old tradition of pottery in the Indian subcontinent is now under threat. With the market being flooded with plastic in the evolution of civilization, today this Pal community is becoming displaced.

Samba de Memorias

April 2023 •Portuguese

Lost Worlds: Life in the Balance

April 2001 •English

Lost Worlds looks at untouched aspects of nature in parts of the world where humans rarely tread. From plants, to animals, to geology, this artfully photographed documentary presents facets of the biological world that you are not likely to see anywhere else.