A deep dive into the lives and experiences of those impacted by the Fidel Castro era in Cuba.
Social & External
The people behind it
Alina Fernández Revuelta
Self
Fidel Castro
Self (archive footage)
Gloria Estefan
As the detention of migrant children has climbed to record-breaking levels under President Trump, FRONTLINE and The Associated Press investigate what’s going on inside federally-funded shelters — and the lasting impact on children held in U.S. custody. Also in this two-part hour, a report on the sexual exploitation of women and girls in Iraq.
A short documentary following the last 5 hours of a 59-years-old man, Ahmed before becoming homeless due to the late payments and bureaucracy by the Department for Work and Pensions.
A variety of locals react to a napalm plant and an ensuing protest in Redwood City CA during the Vietnam War.
Hundreds of thousands − perhaps even millions − of protestors have taken to the streets of Hong Kong since early June. Sparked initially by the government's plans for a controversial extradition bill, the movement has now transformed into a broader push for greater freedoms and democracy, with anger over police brutality fuelling a cycle of violence. The protests are Hong Kong's biggest challenge to Beijing since its return to China in 1997. If We Burn looks at the movement through the eyes of Hong Kongers whose fates, like their city's future, now hang in the balance.
Rüdiger was a child, Aki two months old and Kurt, the deputy of the pedophile leader of the sect. In 1961 they came to Chile together with 500 other German sect members and for over 40 years they lived secluded from the rest of the world. The film tells about the attempt to survive as a collective after decades of crimes such as torture and murder and shows different ways in which the individual copes with the history of the community.
The documentary chronicles the week the streets burned, police charged against crowds, and Barcelona experienced the five most chaotic days in its recent history. When the Supreme Court sentenced the 12 pro-independence leaders for sedition, misuse of public funds, and disobedience, the widespread rejection of the verdict sparked a wave of demonstrations, protests, and violent clashes that transformed the streets of Barcelona, and other cities in Catalonia, into a veritable battlefield.
When the renowned author, orator and journalist Christopher Hitchens was challenged to undergo the brutal interrogation technique known as waterboarding, few would've expected he'd accept such a task - he had previously expressed the position that the controversial procedure would not qualify as torture, and most who'd claim such a thing would not have the courage to test their convictions. Yet, in May 2007, Hitchens did just that - and his experience profoundly impacted both himself and his stance on the matter, prompting him to declare he'd been wrong, and later to publish his 2008 article for Vanity Fair's August issue, simply titled 'Believe Me, It's Torture'.
For a decade, Dwayne Wade intimately documented his life and career with a film crew. The result is a remarkably candid portrait of one of the greatest NBA players of all-time.
The film shines a light onto federal chancellor Angela Merkel and her now ending 16-year-long tenure. An era, not an episode. And a vagarious relationship history between the chancellor and the Germans. Who has changed whom here?
This documentary details the indigenous environmental movement in Honduras in 2016 specifically in the aftermath of prominent activist Berta Cáceres' assassination at the hands of a hired hitman. The documentary shows the effects of international and domestic dam development on the local landscape and the organized political resistance efforts.
In February, Just Jam's event at The Barbican was cancelled at the last minute. It was an event that seemed to be yet another victim of the London authorities now notorious risk assessment procedure, Form 696.
Will Cubans be able to safeguard their heritage of pristine Nature and preserved ecological treasures under this new era, as they are facing the combined pressure of money and tourism? What policies can be implemented to maintain the island’s spectacular wilderness?
Everyday Maneuver is a video that presents the viewer with an unrealistic scenery. Shot from a drone, it shows a city at daytime, but there isn't a single human being in it. What seems disconnected from everyday life, and as artificial as a landscape created with computer graphics, is in fact a recording that was made during one of the annual "Wanan Air Raid Drills" that have been implemented in Taiwan since 1978.
A city that has been living for two years with the law that prohibits "clandestine parties". A youth who, when reunited, risks receiving a police raid on their doorstep, in the street, in the park or in the square. Spatial segregation, denial of the right to the city and public space for the leisure of the poor, black and peripheral. Willingness to make art, create music, lyrics, poetry, beats, hits and spread culture in this repressive scenario.
Guy Debord's analysis of a consumer society.
More than a century ago, large scale gold mining was begun at Kolar Gold Field, Mysore. At its peak, the mines employed 36,000 workers who braved the dangerous labour and built a new life in the mining camp. Today, many third and fourth generation gold miners face the threat of not just unemployment but displacement from the area they have made their own. This film is a tribute to the "labouring lions" of Kolar Gold Field, a historical reconstruction of their work, culture and rich political traditions.
In the swirling volcanic steam and misty rain forest of Kilauea volcano’s east rift zone on the island of Hawai’i, two forces meet head on. Geothermal development interests, seeking to clear the rain forest for drilling operations, are opposed by native Hawaiians seeking to stop the desecration of the fire goddess, Pele. Pele is a living deity fundamental to Hawaiian spiritual belief. She is the eruption, with its heat, lava and steam. Her family takes the form of forest plants, animals and other natural forces. But geothermal development interests see Pele as simply a source of electricity. When Hawaiians take the issue to court, they find that nature-based religions are not respected by U.S. law.
Jazz and decolonization are intertwined in a powerful narrative that recounts one of the tensest episodes of the Cold War.
This revealing portrait of Cuba follows the lives of Fidel Castro and three Cuban families affected by his policies over the last four decades.
Oliver Stone spends three days filming with Fidel Castro in Cuba, discussing an array of subjects with the president such as his rise to power, fellow revolutionary Che Guevara, the Cuban Missile crisis, and the present state of the country.
In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
Experience the events of September 11, 2001 through the eyes of President Bush and his closest advisors as they personally detail the crucial hours and key decisions from that historic day.
He's devoted his career to uncovering stories the powerful want buried. From My Lai to Abu Ghraib, dig into the life's work of journalist Seymour Hersh.
A documentary on the making of the three Godfather films, with interviews and recollections from the film makers and cast. This feature also includes the original screen tests of some of the actors for "The Godfather" film, and some candid moments on the set of "The Godfather: Part III."
A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. Best of Enemies delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers, and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, "What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?"
A look behind the lens of Christopher Nolan's space epic.
An intimate documentary delving into Rian Johnson's process as he comes in as a director new to the Star Wars universe.
A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time.
A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.
Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity
The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discuss their characters Mera and Atlanna.
This raucous journey into the heart of democracy captures an unusual rite of passage: 1,100 teenage boys from across Texas coming together to build a representative government from the ground up.