Social & External
Self
Hanzi is a documentary exploring international design, visual culture, and identity through the lens of modern Chinese typography. The film covers a variety of topics such as how languages shape identity, and what role handwriting plays in the digital age.
Through the eyes of twelve international artists "Traces of the soul" explores the world of contemporary calligraphy and why it is an increasingly relevant art form in this digital age. The film reveals how the art, philosophies, and life stories of these artists, whose diverse work is rooted in the ancient traditions of calligraphy, reflect and engage with the modern world.
INK follows Tanja Tiziana – a freelance photographer in Toronto, Canada – and her journey to rediscover the written word.
A documentary about calligraphy.
In a comparative study between different forms of calligraphy, the film traces parallels between modern Japanese painting and traditional Japanese writing.
Some argue that modern graffiti was born in Philadelphia, where the pioneers of wall-writing became citywide celebrities during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Graffiti eventually consumed the city, and a new mayor made it his top priority to fight back. In the process, the city's Mural Arts Program was born. Philadelphia is now a great outdoor museum. Yet graffiti still thrives, with new writers always ready to replace those who are caught or quit.
Since childhood, Miki has had a unique relationship with calligraphy. Born left-handed, she was introduced to this art to learn how to write with her right hand, but what started as an exercise quickly became a passion. More than just a movement, each stroke is, for her, a quest for meaning, a silent dialogue with the poets and thinkers of the past. Follow Miki for a moment in a calligraphy session as she reflects on this art—not as a rigid practice, but as a living form, evolving alongside those who engage with it.
A woman with a body writing fetish seeks to find a combined lover and calligrapher.
Edo, Japan. Calligraphists are not mere writers, they can bring drawings to life and utilize kanji. Three calligraphists from the art wielding clan join up and fight against an exiled calligraphist and his minions to protect the Tokugawa shogunate.
Inspired by the untold personal story of the 19th-century Chinese poet and revolutionary Qiu Jin, Wu Tsang brings to life, subverts, and re-enacts the lesser-known romance and friendship with calligrapher Wu Zhiying. Set in contemporary Hong Kong, the film shifts between time and space, past and present, fact and fiction through Tsang's continued exploration of language and misinterpretation.
Rumi is a rebellious yet intelligent and creative Islamic boarding student. While on a pilgrimage, he is stunned by a group of Sufi dancers he sees. This admiration inspires him to go to Turkey to participate in a calligraphy festival.
This film features unreleased concert footage of Elvis Presley's afternoon performance at the 'Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show' held at the Fairgrounds in Tupelo, Mississippi on September 26, 1956. The professionally filmed black and white newsreel footage was synchronized with an amateur audio recording of the concert that had previously appeared on the 'Elvis Presley: A Golden Celebration' LP/CD box set.
With a vision that took him far beyond the genre of country rock, singer-songwriter Gram Parsons left his mark in gut-wrenching sentiments of country music, burning melodies typical of soul music, sweet, uplifting harmonies of gospel choirs and the hand-clapping boogie of rock and roll. Gram's daughter Polly organized this amazing gathering of his close friends and biggest fans for a Sin City tribute honoring this prince of longhair country boys. A sampling of the live performances include Six Days on the Road Sin City All Stars; Big Mouth Blues Jim Lauderdale; Devil in Disguise Jay Farrar; Sleepless Nights Lucinda Williams; Love Hurts Keith Richards & Norah Jones; Sin City Dwight Yoakam, and more, including commentaries by Polly Parsons and Shilah Morrow.
The fascinating world of ocean fauna: dangerous sharks, majestic stingrays, brilliantly coloured fish and a variety of species from the diver's paradise of the Maldives. Spectacular images of the diverse life-forms to be found under water.
Once described by the press as "one of the most controversial figures on the Australian art scene", avant-garde poet and playwright Christopher Barnett achieved a level of notoriety in the Melbourne underground theatre scene during the ‘70s and ‘80s, before self-exiling to France. He remains there today, running an experimental theatre lab working with the marginalised and underprivileged, applauded by the establishment (including former French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault) and faithful to his belief that art can change the world. These Heathen Dreams is an intimate portrait of Barnett's life and revolutionary philosophy. Combining archival footage dating back to the ‘60s with contemporary observational documentation and text from Barnett's writings, it is a poignant and inspiring study of the power of both art and political activism.
Stephen Cummings is one of Australia's most revered rock 'n' roll icons. Rising to fame as frontman of ‘70s legends The Sports, he has spent more than 30 years at the forefront of the local music scene, forging a reputation both as one of Australian rock's greatest lyrical storytellers and also one of its most incendiary critics. Based on his scathing tell-all memoir Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy?, Don't Throw Stones tells Cummings' story in his own words – as well as the words of those he has so gleefully skewered. Featuring interviews with Michael Gudinski, Steve Kilbey, Joe Camilleri and many more, Don't Throw Stones is a revealing portrait of three decades of rock-world gossip, larger-than-life personalities and good, old-fashioned artistic beef.
How To Be A Megastar Tour 2.0. Blue Man Group's inventive new how-to-manual, which expands on the Rock Concert Manual concept from The Complex Rock Tour, will take you through the steps of a wildly clever and interactive show that offers unique all-ages appeal.
Absinthe remains committed to documenting these amazing riders with the most timeless and stylish medium: Film. Following up to last year’s question ‘Optimistic?’, Absinthe answers with a crew of riders who overcome obstacles with spontaneity and skill in another full spectrum snowboard film that is down to have some more fun with snowboarding. Ready.
For For Right Or Wrong is a documentary feature made in conjunction with Burton Snowboards, which profiles several of the companies sponsored riders in their various snow board disciplines; Pipe, Street, Free Ride and Big Air. A large part of the action takes place around the snowboard wunderkind Shaun White, as he prepares to compete in the 2006 winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. The other various narrative strands follow the different paths of the individual boarders as we see them in action and they talk about why it is they do what they do. The film also introduces Burton Snow Board founder and CEO of Burton, Jake Burton Carpenter.
