The Up Series (1964-2005)

Director:
Michael Apted

IMDB:
7 UP | 14 UP | 21 UP | 28 UP | 35 UP | 42 UP | 49 UP

Synopsis:
“Give me the child until he is seven and I will give you the man.” Starting in 1964 with Seven Up, The UP Series has explored this Jesuit maxim. The original concept was to interview 14 children from diverse backgrounds from all over England, asking them about their lives and their dreams for the future. Every seven years, renowned director Michael Apted, a researcher for Seven Up, has been back to talk to them, examining the progression of their lives.

From cab driver Tony to schoolmates Jackie, Lynn and Susan and the heart-breaking Neil, as they turn 49 more life-changing decisions and surprising developments are revealed.

An astonishing, unforgettable look at the structure of life in the 20th century, The UP Series is, according to critic Roger Ebert, “an inspired, almost noble use of the film medium. Apted penetrates to the central mystery of life.”

Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore? (2006)

Director:
Frank Popper

IMDB

Synopsis:
Using an underdog congressional bid as a springboard, director Frank Popper explores the dangers of political dynasties in this documentary that aired as part of PBS's Independent Lens series. In 2004, 29-year-old political unknown Jeff Smith decided to make a run for an open congressional seat in Missouri, and soon found himself facing off against a political Goliath. With only a passionate grassroots group of volunteers behind him, Smith's candidacy serves as a true test of the efficacy of the little guy in modern American politics.

Domestic Violence (2001)

Director:
Frederick Wiseman

IMDB

Synopsis:
With Domestic Violence, master documentarian Frederick Wiseman (High School, Titicut Follies) turns his unflinching eye on a topic that society has ignored for far too long. Rather than film actual domestic disputes, a la COPS, Wiseman instead takes a much less exploitative approach, and, in so doing, has created a deeply intelligent, challenging work that will no doubt spark serious discussions wherever it is exhibited (most likely on PBS, with whom the director has a longstanding relationship). Focusing on The Spring, Tampa, which is Florida's largest shelter for abused women and their children, Wiseman's objective camera allows a group of these distraught women to tell their own painful stories. As each new victim bravely shares her tale of horror, it becomes painfully clear just how convoluted and troubling a problem domestic violence actually is, a claim that Wiseman supports technically, through his use of extremely long takes and unobtrusive editing. At 196 minutes, the experience is a draining one, to say the least. But it is stimulating in a way that most films, documentary or otherwise, are not. Staying true to the formula that has made him a cinematic legend, Frederick Wiseman proves once again that there is far more drama in everyday life than in the multiplexes.

ACTA bullshit

Not so many people know about ACTA as they did about SOPA and PIPA. It seems now that SOPA and PIPA were basically an cover-up so that ACTA project can still be on. Personally I think they did a good job on that because I was fooled by it also. Forgot about this completely and irony is that this is even more dangerous than SOPA and PIPA together. This video will partially explain some things about ACTA.

A Lion in the House (2006)

Directors:
Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert

IMDB

Synopsis:
Five young people battle incurable disease as their families deal with their physical and emotional struggles in this powerful documentary from filmmakers Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert. A Lion in the House was largely filmed on Ward 5A of Cincinnati Children's Hospital, a wing devoted to children with cancer and related illnesses. The film focuses on five youngsters undergoing treatment there -- Justin Ashcraft, an 18-year-old who has been living with leukemia since age eight; Al Fields, an 11-year-old non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patient; seven-year-old Alex Lougheed, also with leukemia; a third leukemia patient, nine-year-old Jen Moore; and Tim Woods, a 15-year-old boy with Hodgkin's lymphoma. As the children deal with the rigors and treatment and the toll their illnesses take on their bodies, they also wrestle with their need to be kids and navigate the tricky roads of growing up, while their families and physicians sometimes have to confront the fact that the children may not survive their treatment. Produced for broadcast on public television, A Lion in the House was screened as part of the 2006 Sundance Film Festival.

Etoiles: Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet (2001)

Director:
Nils Tavernier

IMDB

Synopsis:
The Paris Opera Ballet has long been one of the most respected ballet companies in France, and many of the nation's most gifted dancers vie for the privilege of performing there. This documentary offers an intimate look at the men and women of The Paris Opera Ballet as they prepare and rehearse for performances of Swan Lake and a demanding dance interpretation of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony; the tight-knit but deeply competitive world of ballet is introduced, where close friends often find themselves battling for the same role, and the lessons learned through time and experience often run counter to the gradual decay of the body's mechanisms through age. Etoiles: Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet was the first theatrical feature from director Nils Tavernier, the son of noted filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier.

Some Nudity Required (1998)

Directors:
Johanna Demetrakas, Odette Springer

IMDB

Synopsis:
In this documentary, filmmakers Odette Springer (former music supervisor for Concorde-New Horizons) and Joanna Demetrakas take a look at the exploitative world of grindhouse gore, and trashy slasher films. Trained in classical music, Springer turns self-analytical in this movie memoir, asking herself, "How did I go from Beethoven to 'B' movies?," examining her own S&M leanings and possible abuse when she was a child. Clips include Attack of the 60 Foot Centerfold, and Angel of Destruction. Interviews include Roger Corman, American International's Samuel Z. Arkoff, Edward Albert Jr., director Jim Wynorski, Julie Strain, Maria Ford (Stripped to Kill II), and Catherine Cyran (Slumber Party Massacre 3). Made in 16mm and video, the 82-minute film was shown at the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)

Director:

Werner Herzog

IMDB

Review:

In 1994, a group of scientists discovered a cave in Southern France perfectly preserved for over 20,000 years and containing the earliest known human paintings. Knowing the cultural significance that the Chauvet Cave holds, the French government immediately cut-off all access to it, save a few archaeologists and paleontologists. But documentary filmmaker, Werner Herzog, has been given limited access, and now we get to go inside examining beautiful artwork created by our ancient ancestors around 32,000 years ago.

Deadline (2004)

Directors:
Katy Chevigny, Kirsten Johnson

IMDB

Synopsis:
One of the biggest hot-button issues dividing the United States has long been capital punishment, so when Illinois Governor George Ryan, a conservative Republican, commuted the sentences of 167 death row inmates the day before his term ended, it shocked the nation and outraged many in his own party. This documentary from the filmmaking duo of Katy Chevigny and Kirsten Johnson explores not only the investigative work done by a group of Northwestern University journalism students that led to Ryan's staunch opposition to the death penalty, but also the impact the capital punishment debate has on the nation as a whole. Deadline premiered at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival.

Balseros (2002)

Directors:
Carles Bosch, Josep Maria Domènech

IMDB

Synopsis:
In 1994, after local protests against his regime had reached a fever pitch, Cuban leader Fidel Castro made a surprising announcement -- that any ships that wished to leave Cuba would not be stopped by his seagoing forces. Before long, dozens of jerry-rigged vessels were attempting to make the 90-mile journey to the United States across shark-infested waters, but American president Bill Clinton responded by announcing the Cubans would not be given asylum, while those who had already arrived were sent to a refugee camp in Guantanamo Bay. The Cuban expatriates at Guantanamo Bay had to wait nine months before they were allowed to enter the U.S. and begin the long process of finding new homes in America. Filmmaker Carlos Bosch followed the stories of the Cuban exiles, and, in 1999, tracked down a handful of them to see how they had fared in their first five years in their new country. Balseros is a documentary which shares the stories of the Cuban settlers and the surprising places (both good and bad) where the dream of freedom has taken them.