Weird and wonderful characters entertain the crowds in this summer's day procession at Pwllheli, Gwynedd.
Calcutta Pageant (1912)
Scenes from a lavish pageant held during the royal visit to India, celebrating King George V’s coronation.
Indian Scene of Procession (1903)
Stately scenes in India, likely filmed during the 1903 Delhi Durbar.
The Other Side of Carnival (2010)
The Other Side of Carnival (2010) is a 45-minute award-winning documentary that explores Carnival's social and economic impact on Trinidad & Tobago. With more than 60 interviews from professors, medical staff, police officers, government officials, students, tourists, every day locals and more, The Other Side of Carnival is able to highlight that while Carnival is an exciting occasion, it is a festival that creates turmoil, which is not widely visible...or is it just simply ignored? Known as "The Greatest Show on Earth", this documentary captures the roots of Carnival and how far some go to keep the original idea alive, and how others attempt to integrate change. Consummating over two years of research and interviews and with the coordination of a multi-national crew (Trinidad & Tobago, US and UK), The Other Side of Carnival does not pass judgment on Carnival in Trinidad & Tobago, but aims to bring an awareness of the type of influence that Carnival has on the population.
Panomundo Part 1: The Evolution of the Steelpan (2015)
Slavery may have been the catalyst, but culture and passion formed this sound in Trinidad & Tobago. The steelpan can take the claim of being the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century. However, this sound not only moves people today, but it paralleled the island’s history of colonization and the demand for independence. The first section of this two-part film highlights the precursors of the steelpan and the creation of the instrument until it gained international recognition in Britain in 1951. Interviews from steelpan legends, such as Ellie Mannette, Sterling Betancourt, Cliff Alexis and Ray Holman, are included.
Sunshine in Soho (1956)
1950s Soho beats with far more energy than its 21st century counterpart in this vivid time capsule.
Waiting for the Carnival (2019)
A documentary film about the Brazilian town of Toritama, the self-proclaimed capital of jeans. The workers of the city’s self-managed small businesses only get one real break from their self-exploiting lives in the textile business: the annual Carnival.
These Streets Will Never Look the Same (2024)
A car slowly navigates the winding streets and disparate airwaves of the United States of America in search of the scars of capitalism in natural landscapes, urban environments, people, and wildife.
Carnival in Bissau (1980)
Documentary short that explores the meaning of the locals’ African identity through the Carnival festivities.
Grove Carnival (1981)
A kaleidoscopic celebration of the 1980 Notting Hill Carnival. Arts Council of Great Britain.
Carnival: Looking for Paulo 'Miller' (2008)
A 2008 short made in accompaniment with Our Beloved Month of August, documenting Gomes's and his crew's hapless search, during 2007's carnival, for one of Arganil's most storied and elusive characters (who does, in fact, ultimately appear as an interviewee/player in the finished film). Paulo "Miller" is known for taking a dangerous jump into the Alva from a bridge each year during carnival, but what this film is about is, in keeping with the free-roving feature, much less the subject himself than Gomes and co.'s inability to pin him down; not only does he not do his famous jump during this year's carnival, but an ostensible technical/audio failure (as with the feature, it's very difficult to say how much of this film is "fact," how much invented) during Gomes's initial on-camera meeting with Paulo "Miller" leads to five minutes of lip-readers attempting to decipher their conversation.
December 6, 1960 (1960)
Independence Day celebrations at the Finnish presidential palace December 6, 1960.
Procession at Gangtok (1940)
Traditional games, dancing and music among the people of Sikkim - in vivid colour.
Procession of Elephants at Jaipur; Galta; Raj Mahal (1933)
Armoured elephants, sacred monkeys and a camel carriage from Rajasthan.
Carna (1969)
Although it was actually an impersonal commissioned film, the director's style is clearly recognizable. Once again he manages to make something that is normal very strange: the dancing people in costumes are filmed in such a way that they look bizarre and absurd. Jan de Bont's camerawork shows a series of color images of dancing people, edited to the rhythm of the music. Halfway through the film, a lonely clown can be seen among the dancing crowd, accompanied by sad music. This clown is played by Ditvoorst himself.
Mysore (1940)
Two sides of Mysore: down to earth with the field workers and an Indian spectacle for the Maharaja.
Dust Devils (2003)
A beautifully done video of Burning Man 2001, 2002 & 2003. Lots of people interviews, Center Cafe activity and extensive coverage of artist David Best and the Temple construction and burn. This documentary captures the swirling columns of dust that were created during the intense heat of the 2002 Temple burn.
AquaBurn (2003)
AquaBurn is an award-winning documentary film by director Bill Breithaupt showcasing "The Floating World" theme of the 2002 Burning Man Festival. AquaBurn features many of the incredible Burning Man art installations, the imagination and originality that went into their creation, and the artists who conceived them. Unlike conventional documentaries on the Burning Man Festival, AquaBurn captures the true feeling and excitement of the event itself, transporting the viewer to a hot, dusty wonderland without ever leaving home.
Carny (2008)
CARNY is an intimate, gritty and poetic adventure following the lives of 'carnys' - traveling fairground workers whose experiences are outside the normalcy of most North Americans.
Alaaf - 200 Jahre Kölner Karneval (2023)
200 years of Cologne Carnival! The most colourful and loudest festival in Cologne celebrates a big birthday. In February 1823, a few men from Cologne's upper class founded the so-called 'Festordnende Komitee' - the forerunner of today's 'Festkomitee Kölner Karneval'. This 'big bang' was a reaction to the old festival getting out of hand in orgies and violence. Carnival was in danger. A ban by the Prussian rulers was imminent. The new committee wanted to control the wild goings-on, establish rules and organise the celebrations.