Expedition Niger: Real Africa (2023)

Hampi

A ritual vase, the hampi, is placed in the center of the Musée de plein air de la République du Niger in Niamey, during a ritual ceremony featuring possession dances. With this film, Jean Rouch continues his ethnological and cinematographic study of Songhay ritual objects. He demonstrates that, in a particular context, the transfer of a hampi vase to a museum requires the organization of a ritual ceremony to obtain the gods' approval. At the time, however, reservations about filming a possession dance for the opening of a shrine in a museum made the move "questionable from a museological point of view".

L'Afrique et la recherche scientifique

This documentary offers an overview of French scientific research in Africa French scientific research in Africa: hydrology, botany, biology oil palm and coconut cultivation, industrial sea fishing and and urban planning. Film montage taking stock of scientific research research in Africa, mainly in the fields of hydrology hydrology, botany, biology and agriculture. The film is a compilation of extracts from several short films made by Jean Rouch in Mali, Niger and Côte d'Ivoire between 1962 and 1963: Abidjan, port de pêche, Le Mil, Le Cocotier and Le Palmier à l'huile. l'huile.

Niger Festivals: December 1961 - Niger Independence Days

Commemorative celebrations of the independence of the Republic of Niger filmed in December 1961 and 1962.

Horendi

The title of this film translates literally as 'to put on a hori,' a hori being the Songhay term for ceremony of festival. Here it is used to refer to a ganandi, literally 'to make dance' This film concerns two women whom the zima [priest] had diagnosed some months before as being ill through possession by spirits. In the meantime, their families have gathered together the resources to pay for the musicians, dancers, and the priest himself to put on an initiation dance lasting seven days This is a film of documentation, simply recording various moments in the progress of the ceremony, without any form of explanation, neither in intertitle cards nor in voice-over. (Paul Henley, The Adventure of the Real)

Zomo et ses frères

A portrait of Zomo, the second of Damouré Zika’s many children. Employed at the zoo of the National Museum of Niger in Niamey, he offers us a tour, showing us the animals he takes care of. Then, when the work is finished, he invites us to an impromptu concert by “Jeunesse Gawey,” the “popular music” orchestra he forms with his brothers and sisters, who sing and dance for us pretty songs about their lives, their family, and Nigerien youth.

Pam Kuso Kar (Breaking Pam's Vases)

In February 1974, Pam Sambo Zima, the oldest of the priests of possession in Niamey, Niger, died at the age of seventy-plus years. In his backyard, the followers from the possession cult symbolically break the dead priest's ritual vases and cry for the deceased while dividing up the clothes of the divinities.

Hollywood, The Dream Life of Lana Turner

Portrait of Julia Jean Turner, from her childhood to her rise of fame as Lana Turner, to her last role.

Drain The Ocean: WWII

What lies beneath the ocean? World War Two left a great number of ships and submarines hidden beneath the waves. Now, as the oceans drain, each vessel reveals its secrets through new data-based 3D reconstructions. From the Arizona in Pearl Harbour’s shallows, whose destruction brought America into the war, to Nazi super ship the Bismarck and its mysterious end three miles down. From the flaming merchant ships secretly torpedoed by U-boats off tourist beaches of the USA, to the covert inventions of the Allies' costly D-Day beachhead, and lastly to the troopship Leopoldville sunk with the needless deaths of 400 soldiers. Drain The Ocean exposes the truth.

Underground

On New York’s packed subways, violations of personal space are unavoidable—an inevitability that emboldens more predatory behavior. Underground brings these stories into the light.

Unsupersize Us

Unsupersize Us is the follow up to the award-winning film Unsupersize Me. Director Juan-Carlos Asse takes five subjects from his hometown that all suffer from common health issues and puts them on regimen of a plant based diet and exercise for six weeks. The results are impressive as the five people quickly turn their health around in the six-week period. Asse tests the 5 subjects with many exciting physical challenges throughout the film. The film showcases cooking skills, healthy shopping, eating healthy on the road, and mental fortitude. An interesting twist occurs when Asse reveals his own trials and tribulations including a seven-year federal prison sentence... leading him to true freedom.

The Queen At 90

"Downton Abbey" star Elizabeth McGovern narrates an intimate look at the life and reign of Queen Elizabeth II as we celebrate Her Majesty's 90th birthday.

The Williams

Many migrants live in search of a mirror in which to recognize themselves; they are not from here, but they are not from there either. Los Williams / The Williams, a feature-length documentary, familiar and sporting, told in first-person by Iñaki and Nico Williams. Two brothers, footballers, Basques and "beltzas" or black, of Ghanaian descent, reveal their incredible tale across the two most crucial years of their lives. From their historic participation in the Qatar World Cup with two different selections, to the long-awaited victory of the Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey after 40 years, and Nico's triumph at the European Championship. Two international stars, face to face with their past and their future, through the conflicts that have marked their lives: racism, identity, frustration, ambition, and success.

SAUDADE

Four Brazilian friends meet to reflect on the importance of the friendship network they built from being immigrants in Argentina. Drawn by nostalgia, they travel a sensory path to their roots and, through food and dance, they explore the challenges and satisfactions of living in another country.

Jean Ziegler: The Optimism of Willpower

In 1964, Che Guevara asked the young Jean Ziegler to stay in Switzerland to fight in the "Monster brain" capitalist. Since then, Jean Ziegler nerve stops fighting against injustices as a public writer, a speaker and as a Kofi Annan collaborator. During a trip to Cuba, his ideas are challenged by what he discover on the island.

Celtic Soul

This utterly enjoyable and globe-spanning jaunt follows Canadian actor and comedian Jay Baruchel (Knocked Up, How to Train Your Dragon) on an epic road trip through Canada, Ireland and Scotland with his new friend, well-known Irish soccer journalist Eoin O’Callaghan. It’s a story that stretches over 200 years of colorful history and that takes the duo eastward from Montreal to Westport, Ireland—where Jay’s ancestors set sail for Canada, like so many others—and finally Glasgow, where Jay will fulfill a lifelong dream: to watch a match at Celtic Park, one of the wildest and most hallowed grounds in world football.

Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel

Documentary examining the politics, music, and life of Tupac Shakur.

Gunner Palace

American soldiers of the 2/3 Field Artillery, a group known as the "Gunners," tell of their experiences in Baghdad during the Iraq War. Holed up in a bombed out pleasure palace built by Sadaam Hussein, the soldiers endured hostile situations some four months after President George W. Bush declared the end of major combat operations in the country.

Roger Waters: In The Flesh - Live

Recorded on a single night in June 2000, In the Flesh is a thrilling live testament to the strength of Roger Waters's peculiar artistic vision. Backed by a crack ensemble of both fresh and seasoned players, the former Pink Floyd songsmith powers through Floyd classics, underserved relics, and highlights from his spotty solo career. [Tracklist:] 01 In The Flesh 02 The Happiest Days Of Our Lives 03 Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 04 Mother 05 Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert 06 Southampton Dock 07 Pigs On The Wing (Part 1) 08 Dogs 09 Welcome To The Machine 10 Wish You Were Here 11 Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Part 1-8) 12 Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun 13 Breathe (In The Air) 14 Time 15 Money 16 The Pros And Cons Of Hitch Hiking (Part 11) 17 Perfect Sense (Part 1-2) 18 The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range 19 It's A Miracle 20 Amused To Death 21 Brain Damage 22 Eclipse 23 Comfortably Numb 24 Each Small Candle

Scott Walker: 30 Century Man

A documentary on the influential musician Scott Walker.

The Life and Deaths of Christopher Lee

Aristocratic Italian roots, a close family connection to James Bond novelist Ian Fleming, wartime experiences in the British and Finnish military, post-war Nazi-hunting adventures and a side career as a heavy metal rock singer. And one of the most iconic actors of all time.

Direct to Video: Straight to Video Horror of the 90s

A documentary about the direct-to-video horror hits of the 90s.

Aliens Uncovered: Marilyn Monroe Exposed

As tensions continue to spike between the United States & the Soviet Union, UFO sightings and the actions involved begin to take a turn. With abduction and other variations of close encounters did the President attempt to disclose that information in an unorthodox way, trying to warm humanity of what was to come!

Pre-Crime

Science fiction has become a reality in our modern criminal justice system. A term originally coined by science fiction author Philip K. Dick, “pre-crime” is a policing technique now used in both the US and Europe to identify “hot people”—those most likely to be victims or perpetrators of a crime. Forecasting software and algorithms that have been criticized as inaccurate and arbitrary are used to collect information, and monitor and flag people. But predictive tools are only as good as the data they’re fed. With scant evidence of the reliability of the data sources or the accuracy of the data crunching, misfires are a guarantee. In this chilling and explosive in-depth examination into the modern age of policing, directors Monika Hielscher and Matthias Heider pose an important question: How much freedom and human awareness are we willing to give to the limited logic of technology?

6-18-67

6-18-67 is a short quasi-documentary film by George Lucas regarding the making of the Columbia film “Mackenna's Gold”. This non-story, non-character visual tone poem is made up of nature imagery, time-lapse photography, and the subtle sounds of the Arizona desert.

Julian Schnabel: A Private Portrait

A chronicle of the personal life and public career of the celebrated artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel.

Warwick Davis and the Seven Dwarfs of Auschwitz

The actor, Warwick Davis, presents the story of the Owicz family and their ordeal during WWII. From a successful musical act to being tortuously experimented on by Dr. Josef Mengele in a concentration camp. This story might have been lost to history if it weren't for the family's diminutive size, which made them both a novelty as well as an inspiration.

Dreyer's Gertrud

Documentary about the making and reception of Carl Th. Dreyer's final movie, "Gertrud."

Metallica: Pride, Passion and Glory - Three Nights in Mexico City

In June of this year we were fortunate enough to return to Mexico City for three sold out shows at Foro Sol Stadium and with 155,000 of you there over the three nights, we knew it would be extra special. So we asked our friend Wayne Isham to join us with a film crew and the results of that crazy, magical, most memorable long weekend are shown here on this single disc pressing.

Black Sabbath: The Last Supper

Filmed live during Black Sabbath's 1999 "Reunion" tour, this historic concert features the original lineup of the legendary metal band

Facing Ali

Ten of Muhammad Ali's former rivals pay tribute to the three-time world heavyweight champion.

The Horse Boy

Filmmaker Michel Orion Scott captures a magical journey into a little-known world, in a documentary which chronicles Rupert Isaacson and Kristin Neff's personal odyssey to make sense of their child's autism, and find healing for him and themselves in the unlikeliest of places.

Take That: Where Did It All Go Right ?

Documentary charting the rise, fall and meteoric rise again of superstar British boy band Take That. Originally aired on 4th February 2009 on Britain's Channel 5.

Hold on Tight

A short documentary exploring the ways LGBT couples show affection, and how small interactions like holding hands in public can carry, not only huge personal significance, but also the power to create social change.

The Real Black Panther

In the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve, there is a kingdom named Kabini, which is home to a rogue confederation of animal tribes vying for dominance. But, a lone black panther named Saya is challenging the status quo by staking his claim to the throne.

Dancing with Jikji

Traveling to the French National Library to see Jikji, the world’s oldest movable metal type book printed in Korea, a Canadian, David Redman discovers no one knows anything about the book printed in Korea in 1377! Realizing Eurocentrism is at play, David off sets off on a journey through Europe and Korea with Sarang Ness and the Jikji team to find how the print technology transferred from 13th Century Goryeo to Europe.

Out of Thin Air

Set within the stark Icelandic landscape, OUT OF THIN AIR examines the 1976 police investigation into the disappearance of two men in the early 1970s.