Samurai Japan: The Story Behind the WBC Clean Sweep (2024)

Koshien: Japan's Field of Dreams

Baseball is life for the die-hard competitors in Koshien, Japan’s national high school baseball championship, whose alumni include US baseball stars Shohei Ohtani and former Yankee Hideki Matsui. As popular as America’s World Series, the stakes are beyond high in this single-elimination tournament. For Coach Mizutani, cleaning the grounds and greeting guests are equally important as honing baseball skills, however, demonstrating discipline, sacrifice and unwavering dedication. Director Ema Ryan Yamazaki follows Mizutani and his team on their quest to win the 100th annual Koshien, and, in the process, goes beyond baseball to reveal the heart of the Japanese national character.

Grenzland

In southern Burgenland, Austria, 18-year-old Renate is found dead in a wooded area. Investigator Elfriede Jandrasits, who is known for her tenacity at the Eisenstadt Criminal Police Office, takes on the case. She is under a lot of time pressure because her husband's retirement party is imminent.

The Love Letter

Parker, a successful advice columnist, and her best friend Aaron have been inseparable since childhood. She knows everything about him, including the fact that he doesn't love his fiancé. Desperate for help, Parker pens an anonymous letter to her own column asking for advice. Unexpectedly, she learns about her own feelings instead.

HERO...

A loner finally gets out of his boring routine while having a bath.

Madly

Madly explores love in all its permutations in six short films from a vibrant group of filmmakers representing Japan, Argentina, the UK, the US, India, and Australia. All forms of love are on display in this anthology. And all manners of feelings expressed from jubilance to depression are done so strongly.

The Way to the Heart

Ava, an award-winning chef at a big-city restaurant, has lost her spark. Her boss sends her out to find herself to save her menu and her job. She returns home and finds little to inspire her, but when she reunites with her childhood friend Logan, Ava has to get her head out of the clouds and her foot out of her mouth to rediscover her passion for food.

UK (U.K.) - Curtain Call

Recorded at CLUB CITTA Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan - November 8, 2013. This was the ONLY time that every single composition ever recorded by UK on their two studio albums - including ones never before performed live - and the new tunes on the Night After Night live album for which there are no studio versions, were played in their entirety at one show!

Dead Aim

Ed Marinaro is Malcolm "Mace" Douglas, a street-tough detective who's out for justice-no matter what the cost. While investigating the mysterious suicidal heroin overdoses of four beautiful exotic dancers, Mace puts together the pieces of a deadly puzzle, infiltrating a violent ring of shadowy drug and weapons dealers, Mace methodically tracks a serial killer (Rick Washburn) with murderous ties to a ruthless foreign diplomat (Harry Goz). Mace won't stop until he gets some answers. The FBI and KGB have them, but now they're talking back with bullets.

Scooby-Doo: Agence toutou risques, vol. 1 : Le voleur de vélo

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Dryads - Girls Don't Cry

When the mysterious band The Dryads moves into the crumbling old house next door, Hilde suddenly finds excitement in her dull suburban life. She falls under the spell of the band's charismatic singer, only to learn that being cool has a price.

Greetings Bait

A worm reminiscent of Jerry Colonna is lowered into the water and uses various guises to lure fish. He also tangles with a crab.

A Summer in the Vltava

After initially turning down an assignment to investigate whether a child is taken care of by her father, as children are not really her thing, Sophie reconsiders it when she needs an escape after her boyfriend suggests starting a family.

Southeasterlies

Two mismatched friends, students, each in their own way troubled by life, travel one day to a nearby beach, invoking a sort of playful innocence long believed spent along with their childhoods, in the hopes that doing so will restore both of their happiness. Alas, life seldom works out that way.

Tiempo de silencio y destrucción

January 1964, the author of the novel Tiempo de silencio, Luis Martín-Santos, dies in a tragic car crash. On the 60th anniversary of the accident and the 100th year since his birth, we follow his children on a voyage to reconstruct the writer, the psychiatrist, the man behind the work that turned him into a literary promise. A journey through the figure of Martín-Santos, his peculiar view of post-war Spain and his work hidden for years based on partly unpublished texts.

A World for Raúl

When thirteen-year-old Raúl is asked to entertain the local landowner's son, a game of power and pride starts between the two boys.

Dear Joan: We're Going to Scare You to Death

Joan Crawford plays a widow named Joan Fairchild who stumbles upon a group of ESP enthusiasts that decide to use their abilities to scare her to death. Extended version of an episode of the series "The Sixth Sense". This was Joan Crawford's last acting role. Aired Sep 30, 1972.

American Revolutions: The Highwaymen

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The Race Begins - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure Part 7 Animation

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Microcosmos

A documentary of insect life in meadows and ponds, using incredible close-ups, slow motion, and time-lapse photography. It includes bees collecting nectar, ladybugs eating mites, snails mating, spiders wrapping their catch, a scarab beetle relentlessly pushing its ball of dung uphill, endless lines of caterpillars, an underwater spider creating an air bubble to live in, and a mosquito hatching.

Bringing Godzilla Down to Size: The Art of Japanese Special Effects

A look at the unrecognized work of the talented artists and craftsmen who've maintained the tradition of Japanese special-effects. Highlighted is Yasuyuki Inoue along with various crew members who crafted meticulously detailed miniatures and risked life and limb as suit actors. All done to bring to life some of film's most iconic monsters through a distinct Japanese artform.

Never Turn Your Back On Sparks

As he turns 50, filmmaker Pini Schatz sets out to explore his life-long obsession with the band Sparks (the brothers Ron and Russell Mael). Pini charts the impact of Sparks on his life while meeting with fellow Sparks fans, among them famous musicians, in Tel Aviv, London, Berlin, Rotterdam and NYC. Structured as a personal quest of the filmmaker to prove that Sparks are the coolest underrated band in the history of popular music, this docu-comedy explores the universal themes of growing old and being an outsider, the importance of art in daily life and the power of non-conformism.

Antarctica: The Frozen Time

The bleakness of Antarctica is a fallacy. The ice continent is full of life and offers a biodiversity of which only about two percent are known. Much of it is under water and could determine the future of human beings. When the northern lights cover the ice landscape in summer, the animals in the Antarctic are in a paradisiacal state. Whales blow their fountains in the sky, penguins fly like small rockets into the water, seals dive for crabs under the glittering ice floes. From the bay of the Ross Sea to the ice shelf, from the huge penguin colonies to steaming volcanoes, a life in rhythm with the ice. But the consequences of climate change are slowly becoming apparent here too. While some species are dying, others are spreading. They could bring new viruses and bacteria with them, and new dangers for humans too. The structure of nature has gotten off course. How many generations will still be able to experience the magic of Antarctica?

Born to Be

Soon after New York state passed a 2015 law that health insurance should cover transgender-related care and services, director Tania Cypriano and producer Michelle Hayashi began bringing their cameras behind the scenes at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, where this remarkable documentary captures the emotional and physical journey of surgical transitioning. Lending equal narrative weight to the experiences of the center’s groundbreaking surgeon Dr. Jess Ting and those of his diverse group of patients, BORN TO BE perfectly balances compassionate personal storytelling and fly-on-the-wall vérité. It’s a film of astonishing access—most importantly into the lives, joys, and fears of the people at its center.

Backlash: Misogyny in the Digital Age

This documentary by Léa Clermont-Dion and Guylaine Maroist plunges us into the vortex of online misogyny and documents hatred towards women. This bleak opus, reminiscent of a psychological thriller, follows four women across two continents: former President of the Italian parliament Laura Boldrini, former Democratic representative Kiah Morris, French actor and YouTuber Marion Séclin, and Donna Zuckerberg, a specialist in online violence against women and the sister of Facebook’s founder. This tour de force reveals the devastating effects such unapologetic hatred has on victims, and brings to light the singular objective of cyber-misogyny: to silence women who shine. Some targets of cyber-violence will crumble under the crystallizing force of the click. Others, proud warriors, will stand tall and refuse to be silenced.

2001 Arizona Diamondbacks: The Official World Series Film

A documentary about the 2001 World Series.

Shohei Ohtani: Beyond the Dream

This film is an intimate and moving cinematic record of Shohei Ohtani's journey to MLB stardom. A faithful portrait of his talent development and battle with injuries, and his unique mindset to become a superstar ballplayer breaking all the barriers of race, language, discipline, and culture.

Attack! The Battle for New Britain

Actual footage by the United States Signal Corps of the landing and attack on Arawe Beach, Cape Glouster, New Britain island in 1943 in the South Pacific theatre of World War Two, and the handicaps of the wild jungle in addition to the Japanese snipers and pill-box emplacements.

Driven to Help

Imagine a disease so rare there's no cure. Austin Crawford was diagnosed with MSA or Multiple System Atrophy. As his health fades we find Austin building a hot rod from his wheelchair and sharing his story to his followers on Tiktok.

O Refúgio

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Mel Giedroyc & Martin Clunes Explore Britain by the Book

Much-loved actress, comedian and writer Mel Giedroyc heads to Dorset on a travel adventure with a twist. Inspired by her passion for books, Mel hooks up with her friend and Dorset local, Martin Clunes, to explore the spectacular scenery and iconic locations made famous by some of Britain's favourite books and films.

Stories of Strength and Hope: Preventing Youth Suicide

An up-to-date look at Youth Suicide with an examination of the warning signs, statistics and causes, along with possible ways teachers and parents can use to help their child overcome this important social issue. Also includes a look at the media and its handling of the social issue through the Netflix series "13 Reasons Why" and the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, "Dear Evan Hansen."

The Obama Years: The Power of Words

Barack Obama launched into our national consciousness at the 2004 Democratic National Convention and ever since, he's delivered messages of patriotism, unity, and hope through the power of words. But of all the speeches he's given, six in particular may define his legacy as, in historian Doris Kearns Goodwin's words, "one of the best writers and orators in the presidency." Interviews with eminent historians and key figures in his writing process give rare insights into these iconic speeches, as well as the Obama presidency and the man himself.

Inside Chernobyl's Mega Tomb

Documentary which follows the construction of a trailblazing 36,000-tonne steel structure to entomb the ruins of the nuclear power plant destroyed in the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

TUGS: A Bigg Retrospective

TUGS: A Bigg Retrospective is the definitive film telling the story of how the 1989 cult classic series 'TUGS' was brought to our TV screens, and how it survived beyond its premature end.

Infinity: The Universe of Luigi Ghirri

In this poetic portrayal of Luigi Ghirri (1943–1992), a master of contemporary photography, the director gives voice and, in particular the image, to the protagonist. The photographer takes the audience on a tour of the outskirts of daily life as seen from the corner of his eye, the area in between what is artificial and authentic or grand and small – the meso-scale.

Wuthering Heights: Love, Hate and Vengeance

In 1847, British writer Emily Brontë (1818-48), perhaps the most enigmatic of the three Brontë sisters, published her novel Wuthering Heights, a dark romance set in the desolation of the moors, a unique work of early Victorian literature that stunned contemporary critics.

King of the Hill

This feature documentary follows one of the greatest Canadian baseball players of all time, Ferguson Jenkins, through the 1972-1973 season. From the hope and innocence of spring training to the dog days of an August slump, the camera gets up close and personal at the home plate and records the intimate chatter on the mound, in the dugout and in the locker room. It provides a glimpse into the rewards and pressures of sports stardom and the easy camaraderie of the quintessential summer sport.

Brothers in Exile

Major League Baseball has been transformed by the influx of Cuban players such as Aroldis Chapman, Yasiel Puig and Jose Abreu. But a special debt of gratitude is owed to two half-brothers, whose courage two decades ago paved the way for their stardom. "Brothers in Exile" tells the incredible story of Livan and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, who risked their lives to get off the island.

Jackie Chan: Building an Icon

Jackie Chan is a true icon of Asian and Chinese culture. Over a 45-year-long career, he has carved a niche for himself as an actor, stuntman, director, and screenwriter, but also singer and formidable businessman. After starring in almost 200 films, Jackie Chan has reconciled fans of genre film and Hollywood blockbusters, whilst bridging the gap between Asian and Western cinema. Through film excerpts, archive footage and images, and an offbeat approach inspired by the visual codes of the golden age of kung fu films, this documentary will take a look back at the creation of a popular hero who has come to be an icon for China, and for the entire Asian continent.

Monkey on a Stick

The story of the Hare Krishna movement in the West, contrasting the spiritual exploration of its devotees with the leadership's systemic, long-term cover-up of criminality, moral decay and abuse of power.

Blue Carbon

Blue Carbon - Nature's Superpower is a documentary that uses music and science to portray perhaps the best weapon in the fight against climate change.

Maurice

MAURICE reveals the famous #9 of the Montreal Canadiens like never before. Through never-before-seen archival footage shot over 35 years, this documentary offers exclusive access to the man behind the Rocket myth. Designed by Serge Giguère and Robert Tremblay, who died before completing this project, MAURICE paints an intimate and authentic portrait of Maurice Richard, well beyond his exploits on the ice rink. More than a hockey player, he embodies the perseverance and hope of a people, forever marking Quebec culture.

Robert Shields: My Life as a Robot

Award Winning Documentary on the Life of Artist Robert Shields. “Robert Shields: My Life as a Robot” is a documentary that will make you believe that your actions can have an inspirational effect on so many lives - and you may not even be aware of it. An icon of the 70’s, Robert began his career doing his robot in front of the Hollywood Wax Museum and a few short years later had his own top rated Prime Time CBS Variety show with his beautiful wife Lorene called: “The Shields & Yarnell Show”. And along the way, unbeknownst to him, he created ripples that define an art form to this day. This film may not save the environment, it won’t take on a corrupt corporation nor will it make you write your congress person. What it will do is make you laugh, bring you wonder and joy and introduce you to a man who makes you believe that anything is possible… including (and don’t try this at home!) Street Skiing in downtown San Francisco!

Requiem for Eternity

In August 2007, after some medical studies, I was diagnosed with bone cancer. This movie is based on my memories of those days.

Trans & Pregnant

Two men undertake a thought-provoking journey to parenthood. Not by adoption or surrogacy, but by Frankie, a trans man, carrying their baby. Made with support from NZ on Air.

Batman & Bill

Everyone thinks that Bob Kane created Batman, but that’s not the whole truth. One author makes it his crusade to make it known that Bill Finger, a struggling writer, actually helped invent the iconic superhero, from concept to costume to the very character we all know and love. Bruce Wayne may be Batman’s secret identity, but his creator was always a true mystery.

A Family

Award-winning French writer Christine Angot goes on a business trip to Strasbourg where her father lived before dying several years ago. It is the city where she met him for the first time at the age of 13, and where he sexually abused her over the following years. His wife and children still live there. Angot takes a camera and knocks on the doors of her family to push them to clarify their attitudes to her father’s crime that stretched over so many years. A cinematographic journey that challenges social norms and family perspectives in dealing with incest.

The Jihadis Next Door

Over the course of two years, filmmaker Jamie Roberts meets those spreading extremist Islamic fundamentalism in Britain, including a bouncy castle salesman who is now one of the world's most wanted men.

1995 Atlanta Braves: The Official World Series Film

The 1995 World Series featured the two best teams in baseball. The Cleveland Indians won 100 games in a shortened season, and they made it to the World Series for the first time in 41 years. The Atlanta Braves had been here before, twice in the previous four years. With the best pitching staff in baseball, they were called the team of the '90's. Still they needed a World Series Title to claim that crown. This official documentary of the 1995 World Series includes all the dramatic moments of the six-game battle between the Indians and the Braves including: Eddie Murray's game-winning single at frenzied Jacobs Field. Orel Hershiser's gutsy performances against the incredible Greg Maddux. Dave Justice talking the talk...and then walking the walk. Tom Glavine, the series MVP, pitching one-hit baseball under phenomenal pressure.

Yakuza and Constitution

Since the enactment of the Anti-Boryokudan Act and Yakuza exclusion ordinances, the number of Yakuza members reduced to less than 60,000. In the past 3 years, about 20,000 members have left from Yakuza organizations. However, just numbers can’t tell you the reality. What are they thinking, how are they living now? The camera zooms in on the Yakuza world. Are there basic human rights for them?

Shohei Ohtani: A Baseball Virtuoso

NHK has followed baseball sensation Shohei Ohtani closely since his 2018 Major League debut. We look at Ohtani’s ability to both pitch and bat at the highest level. We hear from those who have supported him on and off the field and examine the importance of his father’s training regime. Join us behind the scenes at such pivotal points as Ohtani’s battle to recover from elbow surgery and reclaim his place as a baseball virtuoso like no other.

Imen ES - La petite soeur devenue Queen

At just 24 years old, Imen ES, originally from Sevran, a city often seen as the archetype of a rough suburb and the birthplace of a raw hip-hop scene, has made her mark. Today, nothing can stop her. Starting out with the image of a "little sister," she has now transformed into a "queen," collaborating with renowned artists in France.

Cat Nation

A journey into the unique, often bizarre, world of Japanese cat culture. Cat themed cafes, bars, temples, cat islands, cats with human jobs, cat friendly businesses, and the origins of the iconic beckoning cat statue.

Cecilia Bartoli & Friends

Portrait of an exceptional musical talent and one of opera’s biggest stars, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli. With interviews from her illustrious friends and colleagues from the world of classical music: Daniel Barenboim, Antonio Pappano, Gustavo Dudamel and more.

Travesqueen - A Cultura de Ballroom no Vale do Paraíba

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Danger Zone: The Making of Top Gun

A comprehensive 6-part documentary on the making of "Top Gun" featuring all-new interviews with the cast and crew. Available on Disc 2 of the "Top Gun" 2-Disc Special Collector's Edition DVD.

The Cove

The Cove tells the amazing true story of how an elite team of individuals, films makers and free divers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate the hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. The shocking discoveries were only the tip of the iceberg.

Liyana

A talented group of orphaned children in Swaziland create a fictional heroine and send her on a dangerous quest.

I Tarantiniani

Tarantino reveres them, and for good reason. Welcome to the world of the kings of the Italian B-Movie.