Do Rocks Dream of Flying ? (2025)

The Monolith Monsters

Rocks from a meteor which grow when in contact with water threaten a sleepy Southwestern desert community.

The Black Scorpion

Volcanic activity frees giant scorpions from the earth who wreak havoc in the rural countryside and eventually threaten Mexico City.

Annihilation

A biologist signs up for a dangerous, secret expedition into a mysterious zone where the laws of nature don't apply.

Celebrating the Rice Media Center

Through the Fondren Fellows program, the Rice Media Center Archive Project has spent the past few months sifting through material stored at the now-defunct Rice Media Center. The team has identified several films as especially notable and will be presenting them in conjunction with documentary footage the team shot of people involved with the films. From lectures featuring Roberto Rossellini and Werner Herzog to films from former Rice students and faculty, the film presentation will tell the narrative of the Rice Media Center through the films and filmmakers that passed through its corridors.

Big Bang in Tunguska

At 7:14 am on 30 June 1908, the largest explosion recorded in human history to date reverberated throughout our planet. The force of the explosion was two thousand times that of the Hiroshima bomb. A woodland area the size of Luxembourg was eradicated in the Siberian taiga. This incident is recorded in history books as the Tunguska catastrophe. To this day, internationally renowned scientists of various disciplines argue about the causes of this disastrous explosion. The documentary discusses the latest and most controversial insights of these leading scientists. It identifies the reasons why Tunguska has evolved into a phenomenon and points out the curious results produced by this mythical event in culture and economy.

Alice's Birthday

Adapted from a novel from sci-fi series by Kyr Bulychev about a little girl Alice. It's Alice's birthday and as a present she is invited by an old alien friend archaeologist Gromozeka to join him on an expedition to an alien planet Coleida which population was destroyed by a space plague a hundred years ago. Arriving at the planet they decide that Alice, using a time-traveling device, will go back in time to the day when the plague was brought in by their space expedition to try and save the planet from destruction by spraying the astronauts with a vaccine. To achieve that, she and another alien scientist professor Rrrr, who looks just like a cat, must make a long and perilous journey to the planet's spaceport.

Behemoth

Scientists discover a giant creature under the Earth that is wrapped around the entire planet. When the creature wakes all grumpy, it causes worldwide destruction.

Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer

With exclusive behind-the-scenes access into Herzog’s everyday life, rare archive material and in-depth interviews with celebrated collaborators – including Christian Bale, Nicole Kidman, and Robert Pattinson, we are given an exciting glimpse into the work and personal life of the iconic artist.

Iceland: The Quest for Origins

The fascinating landscape formations of Iceland in the North Atlantic bear witness to the beauty and primal power of nature. They were created through the interaction of powerful volcanic, geological and biological processes that have been changing the face of the earth for billions of years. This is what the Earth might have looked like four billion years ago. Iceland is the realm of ice and fire. Nowhere else is there such a high density of volcanoes. The landscapes, which are continually reshaped by eruptions, make the island a natural laboratory full of clues about the formation and development of the earth. The documentary follows a group of scientists through the most active areas of Iceland, along a mountain range that has emerged from the ocean. On the slopes of the volcanoes, in the fog of the fumaroles and on streams and rivers, the three researchers explore how the first forms of life populated the earth's surface and in what evolutionary steps they took over the earth.

The Living Stones of Sacsayhuamán

Sacsayhuamán, an ancient citadel amidst the Peruvian Andes, is an architectural marvel. It was built more than 900 years ago, and no living person knows how such large rocks were fitted so perfectly into walls. This documentary takes us on a tour of Sacsayhuamán, offering a brief history of the site, and clues that may help to its understand how it was made. It was edited from photos and video taken in July 2012, when Russian geophysicists conducted soil research there, at the request of Peru's Ministry of Culture.

Voyages au centre de la Terre : Dans les pas de Jules Verne

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Baie de Naples, la colère des volcans

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Rocks: Where They Come From

Follows Don as he sees different kinds of rocks at a granite quarry, sandstone cliff and museum. Demonstrates the effects of water, heat and pressure in the formation of rocks.

The Life of a Rock Smasher

The inspiring story about the professional rock smasher Clive Tapps. A devoted man who plans to fulfill his dream, to smash the biggest rock he has ever faced.

Mission Méditerranée, le musée des Abysses

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Supervolcan Yellowstone : Menace sur la planète ?

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Grand Canyon - Un voyage au centre de la Terre

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Walkabout

Under the pretense of having a picnic, a geologist takes his teenage daughter and 6-year-old son into the Australian outback and attempts to shoot them. When he fails, he turns the gun on himself, and the two city-bred children must contend with harsh wilderness alone. They are saved by a chance encounter with an Aboriginal boy who shows them how to survive, and in the process underscores the disharmony between nature and modern life.

A Place in the World

Mario and Ana, in voluntary exile from Buenos Aires, live in a remote Argentine valley with their 12-year-old son Ernesto. Mario runs a school and a wool cooperative; Ana, a doctor, heads a clinic with Nelda, a progressive nun. Into this idealistic family comes Hans, a jaded Spanish geological engineer -- surveying the land for the local patron, to see if it can be dammed for hydro-electric power, which would drive the peasants from the land into the cities.

Japanese Story

Sandy, a geologist, finds herself stuck on a field trip to the Pilbara desert with a Japanese man she finds inscrutable, annoying and decidedly arrogant. Hiromitsu's view of her is not much better. Things go from bad to worse when they become stranded in one of the most remote regions on Earth.

Where the Green Ants Dream

The Australian Aborigines (in this film anyway) believe that this is the place where the green ants go to dream, and that if their dreams are disturbed, it will bring down disaster on us all. The Aborigines' belief is not shared by a giant mining company, which wants to tear open the soil and search for uranium.

Nine Miles Down

In the Sahara desert, a sandstorm batters a deserted drilling station. A security patrolman battles through the high winds to investigate why all contact with the station has been lost. Originally built for gas exploration, and then abandoned, the site had recently been taken over by a multi-national research team intent on drilling deeper into the earth’s crust than ever before.

What's Up, Doc?

The accidental mix-up of four identical plaid overnight bags leads to a series of increasingly wild and wacky situations.

Magma: Volcanic Disaster

When a volcano expert becomes convinced that a cataclysmic natural disaster is about to unfold, a volcanologist Professor John Shepherd and his graduate students believes that recent unexplainable volcanic activity as all of the volcanoes in the world are going to erupt and kill every living thing on the planet! They try to convince the government that their theory is true not a joke while also trying to figure out how to stop it before time runs out!

Roaring Ranch

Cowboy fights to keep his ranch after oil is discovered on it.

A Tale of Momentum & Inertia

In this original CG short, a Rock Giant literally holds in his hands the fate of a small coastal village. Can he forgive and forget?

Beyond Sleep

A young geologist ventures out into the vast tundra of northern Norway to finish his research on meteorite craters, only to get hopelessly lost in both the wilderness and his own mind.

The Wave

Although theorised, no one is really ready when a mountain pass above the scenic and narrow Geiranger fjord in Norway collapses and creates a tsunami over 300 feet high. A geologist is one of those caught in the middle of it.

Papaya: Love Goddess of the Cannibals

A team of geologists attempt to remove a native population from an island to perform atomic research. But their female Cannibal leader disposes of them one by one.

Letter Never Sent

Four geologists are searching for diamonds in the wilderness of Siberia. After a long and tiresome journey they manage to find their luck and put the diamond mine on the map. The map must be delivered back to Moscow. But on the day of their departure a terrible forest fire wreaks havoc, and the geologists get trapped in the woods.

Love & Savagery

In 1969, a visiting geologist from Newfoundland arouses scandal in a small Irish village when he romances a local girl who’s destined for the convent.

Journey into Fear

U.S geologist discovers something about Oil that proves VERY threatening to the Turkish and Arab business people.

The Quake

A geologist races against time to save his estranged wife and two children when a devastating earthquake strikes Oslo, Norway.

Silver Night

It seemed like a typically quiet night... but the most unexpected encounter leads Chris to a difficult choice.

Kansas Cyclone

The irrepressible Donald Barry is twice falsely accused of murder in this typical low-budget but well-mounted Republic Western. Barry plays Jim Randall, a lawman assigned to investigate a series of gold shipment robberies. Arriving in the middle of a hold-up, Randall finds himself accused of killing the driver (Yakima Canutt). Wells Fargo agent Cal Chambers (Milton Kibbee) vouches for his innocence, however, claiming him to be a noted geologist. Along with several of the prospectors, Jim devises a plan to prove that Jud Parker (Harry Worth) is using his dummy mine as a cover for stealing ore.

Rocks

The stone-people Hew and Kew have seen a lot in their everlasting lives on top of their mountain. Therefore they're only mildly amazed by the ongoings in the valley below, they've got their own little problems to deal with - But all of a sudden, Mankind is discovering and inventing, instead of just woozeling, and this new behavior starts to threaten Hew's and Kew's stoic peacefulness...

Focusing on the Turquoise Mountain

It tells about the collaboration of Mongolian-Czech geologists who are discovering treasure deposits in Mongolia, and shows the events that happen to them in a humorous tone.

Mineral Bar

Mineral Bar is a meditative short film shot on location along the North Fork of the American River in Colfax, California. The film focuses on the natural interplay between rocks and rushing mountain runoff, capturing the hypnotic dance of crystal-clear water as it flows, ripples, and reflects light in ever-changing patterns. Through lingering shots and immersive sound design, the film highlights how the cold Sierra Nevada waters sculpt and animate the riverbed, creating a quiet yet dynamic visual experience.

Portrait of a Lazy Woman

Belgian director Chantal Akerman struggles to overcome her laziness in the name of making a film about the subject.

Dá pra Segurar!

Stimulated by sketches in which young actors improvise about situations related to AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), students from a public school in Rio de Janeiro and teenagers from the Zona Sul and the Baixada Fluminense debate these themes. This video was made by CECIP for the Adolescence and STD / AIDS Project, with the support of the Ministry of Health's National STD / AIDS Control Program.

ciao Aracà

"...a charming depiction of life as I knew it with my grandparents in my own village..." Clara Caleo Green, Cinema Italia UK "The sum of the individual fates and life choices paints a picture, the validity of which extends far beyond this village." Joachim Manzin, Black Box This documentary records the thoughtful and emotional confrontation with time, change, loss and hope related by the members of a small community in the idyllic Ligurian countryside who are dealing with a rapidly changing agricultural industry, transformed by globalisation and technological advances and an increasing number of foreigners buying the empty houses in their village. Forgoing the use of music and voice over, the film lets Aracà's inhabitants tell their own stories and allows the audience to dive into the rich soundscape of the ligurian alpine countryside.

Mondo Ford

Dir. Scott Calonico's film purports to solve the assassination of President Kennedy, pointing the finger at President Gerald Ford...as well as bigfoot, Stonehenge, pyramids, and extraterrestrials.

Pokémon Heroes

Ash, Pikachu and the gang try and stop a pair of thieves hiding out in the canals and alleyways of Altomare, the age-old water capital. Joining the adventure are two new legendary Pokémon, a pair of siblings named Latias and Latios, who serve as peacekeepers and protectors of the Soul Dew — a priceless treasure with a mysterious power.

Frankenweenie

When young Victor's pet dog Sparky (who stars in Victor's home-made monster movies) is hit by a car, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor's neighbors, he has to convince them (and his parents) that despite his appearance, Sparky's still the good loyal friend he's always been.

Czech Dream

Two students from the Czech Film Academy commission a leading advertising agency to organize a huge campaign for the opening of a new supermarket named Czech Dream. The supermarket however does not exist and is not meant to. The advertising campaign includes radio and television ads, posters, flyers with photos of fake Czech Dream products, a promotional song, an internet site, and ads in newspapers and magazines. Will people believe in it and show up for the grand opening?

Turtles Forever

Whoa, dude! Worlds collide when the Turtles from one dimension meet the Turtles from another dimension! What the shell is going on? The two Turtle teams must work together to find the Technodrome and undo this multi-dimensional mess!

We Live in Public

In 1999, Internet entrepreneur Josh Harris recruits dozens of young men and women who agree to live in underground apartments for weeks at a time while their every movement is broadcast online. Soon, Harris and his girlfriend embark on their own subterranean adventure, with cameras streaming live footage of their meals, arguments, bedroom activities, and bathroom habits. This documentary explores the role of technology in our lives, as it charts the fragile nature of dot-com economy.

Warning Sign

An accident occurs in an ultra-secret government biological weapons laboratory spreading a sinister bacteria.

Gimme Some Truth: The Making of John Lennon's Imagine Album

An instant classic when released in September 1971, John Lennon's Imagine was the ex-Beatle's solo masterpiece, and its musical legacy is matched here by priceless footage of Lennon's creative process, independently edited from original 16-millimeter footage by producer-director Andrew Solt with the hands-off approval of Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. Incorporating footage from John and Yoko's original film Imagine (clips of which were previously included in the 1988 documentary Imagine: John Lennon), Gimme Some Truth presents Lennon, Ono, coproducer Phil Spector, and a host of gifted musicians in a fluid context of conflict, community, and craftsmanship. Bearing witness to every stage of the recording process, this 63-minute documentary succeeds as a visual diary, a study of familiar music in its infancy, and a revealing portrait of the then-30-year-old Lennon--from witty clown to confrontational perfectionist--at the peak of his post-Fab Four inspiration.

Waco: The Rules of Engagement

In one of the most tragic face-offs in the history of law enforcement, the deadly debacle at Waco pitted the Branch Davidian sect against the FBI in an all-out war. This documentary makes the most of footage and recordings to examine how the events that led to the tragedy of April 19, 1993, unfolded, and how the FBI's unrelenting approach made what was already a bad situation much worse.

One Day in September

The full story of the 1972 Munich Olympics Massacre and the Israeli revenge operation 'Wrath of God.' The 1972 Munich Olympics were interrupted by Palestinian terrorists taking Israeli athletes hostage. Besides footage taken at the time, we see interviews with the surviving terrorist, Jamal Al Gashey, and various officials detailing exactly how the police, lacking an anti-terrorist squad and turning down help from the Israelis, botched the operation.

The Path of Oil

La Via del Petrolio is a three-part documentary Bernardo Bertolucci made for the Italian oil giant ENI that aired in 1967. The film was made following Bertolucci’s breakthrough second feature Before the Revolution, and the director has said that it’s a documentary made by a man who is desperate to direct another feature. The film was presented in three parts: "The Origins", "At Sea" and "In the Heart of Europe".

Dancing with Maria

María Fux spends her life training dancers, particularly those with disabilities. But now, at 90, she finds her toughest student may be herself.

The Clockwork Girl

A nameless robot girl has recently been given the gift of life from her creator, while exploring the wonders of an ordinary world she meets an amazing mutant boy and they share a friendship that must overcome their warring families.

N.P. - The Secret

An engineer invents a revolutionary machine capable of automating all industrial production, thereby eliminating the need for human labor. His groundbreaking innovation, intended to free humanity from work, instead leads to his abduction and brainwashing by unknown forces. He is then left to wander the city, stripped of his memories and identity.

Star Wars: Ewoks - The Haunted Village

Morag the Tulga Witch seeks revenge on her old enemy Logray, shaman of the Ewoks, who holds the magic Sunstar while she possesses it's darker half, the Shadowstone.

Star Wars: Ewoks - Tales from the Endor Woods

Wicket remembers four memorable adventures from his youth: how he fixed up his great grandfather's battle wagon, the occasion when Latara ran away from the Ewok village to join the traveling Jindas, the time his father Deej fell terrible ill and the story of Kneesa's long lost sister, Asha.

Daddy

This film is a documentary-style look at the life of the beloved Czech actor, Zdeněk Svěrák.