Documentary
An intimate portrait of Washington Post executive editor Ben Bradlee, tracing his remarkable ascent from a young Boston boy stricken with polio to the one of the most pioneering and consequential journalistic figures of the 20th century.
NOTHING TO HIDE is an independent documentary dealing with surveillance and its acceptance by the general public through the “I have nothing to hide” argument. The documentary was produced and directed by a pair of Berlin-based journalists, Mihaela Gladovic and Marc Meillassoux. It was crowdfunded by over 400 backers. NOTHING TO HIDE questions the growing, puzzling and passive public acceptance of massive corporate and governmental incursions into individual and group privacy and rights. After the emotion initially triggered by the Snowden revelations, it seems that the general public has finally accepted to live in a monitored digital world.
In this landmark film Professor Hawking, alongside engineer and radio astronomy expert Professor Danielle George and a former student, Christophe Galfard, join forces to find out if, and how, humans can reach for the stars and relocate to different planets. Travelling the globe, they meet top scientists, technologists and engineers who are working to answer our biggest questions: is there another planet out there that we could call home? How will we travel across the vast distances of space to get there? How will we survive the journey? And how will we set up a new human civilization on an alien world? Taking in the latest advances in astronomy, biology and rocket technology from the Atacama Desert to the wilds of the Arctic, viewers will discover a whole world of cutting edge research. This programme shows that Professor Hawking’s ambition isn’t as fantastical as it sounds – and that science fiction is closer to science fact than we ever thought.
Documentary looking at the black market website known as the Silk Road, which emerged on the darknet in 2011. This ‘Amazon of illegal drugs’ was the brainchild of a mysterious, libertarian intellectual operating under the avatar The Dread Pirate Roberts. Promising its users complete anonymity and total freedom from government regulation or scrutiny, Silk Road became a million-dollar digital drugs cartel.
This documentary follows three women — a fire chief, a judge and a street missionary — as they battle West Virginia’s devastating opioid epidemic.
Yes, Maria Sharapova is one of the greatest to ever play the game of tennis. Yes, she is beautiful, poised and articulate. Yes, her marketability among female athletes is unrivaled. Yes, she was embroiled in a controversy that resulted in suspension. Yet, despite all of this, the real Maria Sharapova is widely unknown. Told in her own words, with a raw intimacy never before revealed, the_point. spans the most pivotal year in Maria Sharapova’s life.
What is Bitcoin? With the advent of Bitcoin, the world’s first digital currency, for the first time in history money is no longer controlled by banks or governments, but by the people who use it. But where did this currency come from? How does it work? And is it truly the way forward, or just a flash in the pan? Magic Money answers these questions and more as it explores the mysterious origins of Bitcoin, its role in society, and how it could shape the future.
A look at the current state of Syria amidst war and chaos in 2017, featuring stories of survival and observations by political experts from around the world.
Featuring interviews with former employees, fellow musicians, family members and journalists, and supported by original and exclusive never-seen-before footage, this star-studded rockumentary offers a fascinating insight into the creation and recording of one of the most ground-breaking and influential albums in pop history.
An in depth look at the world of Parrot Heads, the loyal fan base of Jimmy Buffett.
Twenty-five years after the verdict in the Rodney King trial sparked several days of protests, violence and looting in Los Angeles, LA 92 immerses viewers in that tumultuous period through stunning and rarely seen archival footage.
James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici go on an adventure to find the lost city of Atlantis by using Greek philosopher Plato as a virtual treasure map.
The untold story of the summer of 2003 at Baylor University that exposes the attempted cover-up, and the corruption that became the most bizarre scandal in college sports history.
After seven years in a Thai prison, a former Muay Thai champion joins a controversial government program that allows inmates to fight for their freedom. A victory in his final fight will grant him a royal pardon and bring him one step closer to the son he left behind.
Uncovering the profiteering of the state’s water barons and how they affect farmers, average citizens, and unincorporated towns throughout California.
In 1985, a powerful new kind of computer was born. It was 10 years ahead of its time, and ready to take on Microsoft, IBM and Apple for control of the PC market. The Amiga computer revolutionized video, multimedia and digital art, with Andy Warhol being a big advocate. It was also known for being a fantastic video games machine. Despite the computer’s manufacturer going bankrupt in early 1990’s, the Amiga has a huge cult following worldwide to this day. This film documents the rise and fall of the Amiga in the marketplace, and gives an inside look at the passionate and eccentric community that surrounds it.
A poignant and humorous film telling the life story of the hugely popular author of the discworld series of books, in his own words.
In June 2016, 20-year-old Brit Michael Sandford was arrested at a Donald Trump rally, after trying to take a police officer’s gun in a bid to shoot the then republican presidential nominee. Michael immediately found himself at the centre of a media storm and at the mercy of America’s notoriously harsh justice system. After pleading guilty, he faced years behind bars. But how did a young middle-class boy from suburban Surrey who suffers from Asperger’s end up thousands of miles from home? And what drove him to attempt to kill one of the most powerful men in the world? This programme follows Michael’s family as they travel to the US for his sentencing, unsure of when they might see him again. Set against the backdrop of Trump’s remarkable rise to the White House, the documentary explores Michael’s complex past while using exclusive eye witness interviews and never-before-seen archive to piece together the elaborate assassination plot and attempt to find out why he did it.
Tom Waits is one of the most original musicians of the last five decades. Renowned for his gravelly voice and dazzling mix of musical styles, he’s also one of modern music’s most enigmatic and influential artists. Using rare archive, audio recordings and interviews, this film is a bewitching after-hours trip through the surreal, moonlit world of Waits’ music – a portrait of a pioneering musician and his unique, alternative American songbook.
Evolutionary biologist Professor Armand Leroi believes data science can transform the pop world. He gathers a team of scientists and researchers to analyse over 50 years of UK chart music. Can algorithms find the secret to pop success? When the results are in, Armand teams up with hit producer Trevor Horn. Using machine-learning techniques, Armand and Trevor try to take a song by unsigned artist Nike Jemiyo and turn it into a potential chart-topper.
A continuation of the documentary spoof of what Thor and his roommate Darryl were up to during the events of “Captain America: Civil War”. While Cap and Iron Man duke it out, Thor tries to pay Darryl his rent in Asgardian coins.
Tom Hanks hosts a tribute to acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns that explores the breadth and depth of his work, talks to many of his collaborators, and looks at his filmmaking process to understand how he makes American History come to life. Join Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, George Lucas, Wynton Marsalis, Yo-Yo Ma, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., Sam Waterston, Doris Kearns Goodwin and more for a tribute to the acclaimed filmmaker and an exclusive look at the upcoming production THE VIETNAM WAR.
G-FORCE is a music documentary that tells an aspiring story of how an ordinary teenage girl from Hong Kong (G.E.M.) overnight becomes the biggest female singer in China. Through her devotion to music and jaw-dropping music talent G.E.M.’s music melted the hearts of millions in China, her success story has inspired many in her generation; G.E.M. is to the core the voice of the next generation Chinese. Award-winning director Nick Wickham takes you through this 90-min music journey to witness the rise of the Chinese superstar. Along with G.E.M.’s spectacular performances the director also shines a spotlight on her untold stories, the sacrifices she has to make for staying true to herself in the endless uphill battle. A one in a billion story of inspiring adventure, involuntary conflicts, and unshakable devotion, G-FORCE is a must-see for all dreamers.
THE DWARVENAUT gives viewers a glimpse into the unique mind of Brooklyn-based artist and entrepreneur Stefan Pokorny. Director Josh Bishop weaves memories of Stefan’s tumultuous childhood with his current struggles and triumphs to paint a mesmerizing portrait. An art prodigy obsessed from a young age with Dungeons & Dragons, Stefan navigates absurd adventures—from Wisconsin to Venice to Bushwick—on a quest to bring his most personal project to life through an ambitious multimillion dollar Kickstarter campaign. Part philosopher, part jester, he preaches the virtues of fantasy gaming as a vehicle for uniting the human race on his whimsical, bizarre life’s journey.
A Canadian craftsman and an American designer with a father and son generation gap collaborate to revive the ancient Japanese woodcut using pop-culture icons: Mario and Pokémon.
Can games change the world? With cities everywhere struggling to cope with the population growth that increased urbanisation brings, can video games be harnessed to help the residents, especially young people, take part in planning, and fixing their own cities? Today public spaces and entire cities are being designed, planned and played through the medium of games. The result of this ‘civic gamification’ is that city architecture and urban planning is being democratized. Cities have become the ground zero for digital innovation and the debate about how our cities evolve has suddenly gone viral. We follow three game companies navigating the space where urban planning and gaming meet. Lydia Winters at the game developer Mojang, the creators of Minecraft, Paradox Interactive and the game Cities: Skylines and José Sanches and his indie game Block’hood. How will our cities look in 20 – 100 years time?
Derek and Nancy Haysom were brutally murdered in their house in Lynchburg, Virginia, on March 30, 1985. Suspicion fell on their daughter Elizabeth and her boyfriend Jens Söring. They flee to Europe, but are caught and extradited to the U.S. Elizabeth is sentenced to 90 years in jail for incitement to murder, Jens Söring to two life sentences. Karin Steinberger, Marcus Vetter and their team spent over three years researching this case, which achieved world-wide notoriety. They uncovered new evidence, including the fact none of the blood samples found at the scene of the crime belonged to Jens Söring.
“100 Years” is the David vs. Goliath story of Elouise Cobell, a petite, Native American Warrior who filed the largest class action lawsuit ever filed against the United States Government and won a $3.4 billion settlement for 300,000 Native Americans whose mineral-rich lands were mismanaged by the Department of the Interior.
Documentary revealing just how dangerous too much fat is to our most vital internal organs. The programme follows a specialist pathology team as they conduct a post-mortem on the body of a 17-stone woman whose body was donated to medical science. Their findings, as they dissect the body and its organs, are startling, exposing the devastating impact of obesity with stunning visuals and fascinating medical facts. Morbid obesity reduces life expectancy by an average of nine years and is blamed for over 30,000 deaths in the UK every year. With 65 per cent of people already overweight or obese, this extraordinary film is a powerful contribution to the debate about fat, food, lifestyle and how the health service will cope with the growing obesity crisis.
If you happen to be transgender and you want to go swimming, which changing room do you go into? In this short documentary we meet a group of trans activists who have taken matters into their own hands and set up a safe space swimming club. It is a film about the healing effects of community and the relief that comes after taking the bravest plunge of all – to just be yourself. It is also an ode to universal joys of swimming.
‘GrassRoots: The Cannabis Revolution’, explores the medicinal use of cannabis, the patients involved & the campaign to change UK law.
In the indigenous communities around the town of Juchitán, the world is not divided simply into males and females. The local Zapotec people have made room for a third category, which they call “muxes” – men who consider themselves women and live in a socially sanctioned limbo between the two genders.
A surprisingly candid behind-the-scenes account of the career of Ken Loach, one of Britain’s most celebrated and controversial filmmakers, as he prepares to release his final major film I, Daniel Blake.
There are 100,000 US citizens in solitary confinement across the country, a staggering number prompting comment from both President Obama and the Pope. Situated in rural Virginia, 300 miles from any urban center, Red Onion State Prison is one of over 40 supermax prisons across the US built to hold prisoners in eight-by-ten-foot cells for 23 hours a day. Filmed over the course of one year, this eye-opening film braids stark prison imagery, stories from correction officers, and intimate reflections from the men who are locked up in isolation. The inmates share the paths that led them to prison and their daily struggles to maintain their sanity.
Born into one of the wealthiest and best-known families in American history, Gloria Vanderbilt has lived in the public eye for more than 90 years, unapologetically pursuing love, family and career, while experiencing extreme tragedy and tremendous success side by side. This documentary features a series of candid conversations as Vanderbilt and her youngest son, Anderson Cooper, look back at her remarkable life.
Why are so many people wheat-intolerant or sensitive to wheat? And why is wheat linked to so many modern-day health problems, when it has been a staple of the human diet for thousands of years? In this documentary, a nutritionist interviews 14 experts, to understand how wheat has changed since it was first cultivated, how these changes could be affecting human health, and how people can break a dietary cycle that could be making them sick.
The New 8-Bit Heroes began after discovering childhood illustrations of a proposed game for the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Embarking on a quest with fellow creatives, Granato and his team set out to retrofit their skills to realize the abandoned ambition of developing a brand new, cartridge based game for the 30 year old console. What began as a novelty project about making a video game quickly shifts into an analysis of the relevance of the ambitions shed in our youth and an examination of what happens when we inject them into our adult lives.
An independent documentary telling a story of how the video game Call Of Duty grew into one of the biggest global entertainment blockbuster franchises of all time. Featuring developers,experts and pro players,the film looks at how a single video game gained millions of fans,broke numerous records and battled through the years to establish itself as one of the greatest video games of all time.
A documentary focused on the 2016 United States presidential election and then-candidate Donald Trump’s supporters.
Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans (the film shares the same name as Evans’s famous 1994 autobiography).