Filmmaker Steve York explores the controversial 2004 Ukrainian presidential election, during which candidate Viktor Yushchenko suffered a near-fatal poisoning and his unpopular opponent, Viktor Yanukovych, was declared the winner. In the aftermath, more than a million people -- including the ailing Yushchenko -- took to the streets of Kiev, protesting the results that contradicted exit polls showing Yushchenko with an impressive lead.
Chavismo: The Plague of the 21st Century (2018)
An analysis of the causes, social, political, and economic that caused the rise of Hugo Chávez as president of Venezuela; his abuse of power and the response of civil society, including the student movement; his political fall as well as the secrecy that surrounded his illness and the succession of Nicolás Maduro.
This Rain Will Never Stop (2022)
This Rain Will Never Stop takes the audience on a powerful, visually arresting journey through humanity’s endless cycle of war and peace. The film follows 20-year-old Andriy Suleyman as he tries to secure a sustainable future while navigating the human toll of armed conflict. From the Syrian civil war to strife in Ukraine, Andriy’s existence is framed by the seemingly eternal flow of life and death.
Print It Black (2024)
After the Robb Elementary school shooting in Texas, local Uvalde Leader-News journalists are left to report on the fallout – and on one of their staff members. Reporter Kimberly Rubio rises to national prominence as an advocate for gun reform after her ten-year-old daughter, Lexi, is killed in the shooting. Through the journalists’ reporting, we witness the social fabric of this small Texas town unravel as Kimberly and other victims’ families search for accountability from law enforcement and local leaders. The documentary also shines a light on the critical role of community journalism, at a time when local newspapers are folding rapidly across the country.
The World According to Gazprom (2008)
Gazprom, an industrial and financial conglomerate created in 1992, is the key weapon in the Kremlin's geopolitical strategy. First producer of natural gas, Russia indeed holds a third of the world's total reserves. Responsible for producing, distributing and selling it, Gazprom is a company like no other, where gas market professionals work, but also ministers, deputies and advisers close to the Russian president. It was during the winter of 2005-2006 that Europe, which buys 30% of its gas from Russia, suddenly became aware of its vulnerability. Comment ? Overnight, Russia had just cut gas supplies to the pro-Western Ukraine of Viktor Lushchenko, who refused to pay tariffs multiplied by five. Since then, the continuous rise in oil prices, coupled with ever-increasing Chinese demand, has confirmed the key role that its hydrocarbons give to Russia.
The Gift of Indignation (2019)
On January 2, 2019, Louis Tobback said goodbye to his mayorship of Leuven after 24 years. Time to look back on a long career that is anything but limited to Leuven. A career that sometimes feels like a thriller, sometimes as a drama, but is especially permeated by a big outrage for everything that goes wrong in our society. Journalists, political friends, opponents and other acquaintances look back on a political career that has been decisive for Belgiums post-war history.
Superpower (2023)
Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s documentary, shot just before and after Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24th February 2022, and featuring several interviews with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Blue Gold: World Water Wars (2008)
Wars of the future will be fought over water as they are over oil today, as the source of human survival enters the global marketplace and political arena. Corporate giants, private investors, and corrupt governments vie for control of our dwindling supply, prompting protests, lawsuits, and revolutions from citizens fighting for the right to survive.
Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story (2008)
Boogie Man is a comprehensive look at political strategist, racist, and former Republican National Convention Committee chairman, Lee Atwater, who reinvigorated the Republican Party’s Southern Strategy to increase political support among white voters in the South by appealing to racism against African Americans. He mentored Karl Rove and George W. Bush and played a key role in the elections of Reagan and George H.W. Bush.
Disgraced Monuments (1994)
Filmmakers Laura Mulvey and Mark Lewis use rare archival footage and interviews with artists, art historians, and museum directors to examine the fate of Soviet-era monuments during successive political regimes, from the Russian Revolution through the collapse of communism. Mulvey and Lewis highlight both the social relevance of these relics and the cyclical nature of history. Broadcast on Channel Four as part of the 'Global Image' series (1992-1994).
Lida (2020)
"LIDA" takes place on the day of Lida's 70th birthday. This already special day is made more unusual by the recent arrival of her grandson, Lev, who had immigrated to the United States with his family in 2001. Returning to Ukraine for the first time as an adult, Lev documents his grandmother as she tends to the small homestead and prepares for the birthday celebration in the rural village in Ukraine. By capturing moments of arduous labor, as well as through personal conversation, Lev inquires into his grandmothers relationship to her home, land - and their family.
Euromaidan. Rough Cut (2014)
Three months of revolution. From indignant protest to national unity. From pots on their heads to batons and body armor. From the euphoria of victory to the mourning of the fallen Heavenly Hundred. Revolution as an explosion of revived dignity, as the euphoria of freedom, as the pain of awareness at the cost, as the birth of the modern history of Ukraine. This year we have decided not to have an opening film, because all our attention is focused on the changes taking place in our country today. We have asked the directors who filmed the Ukrainian protests to share their best shots with us. The episodes of these upcoming films about the Euromaidan were formed in a kaleidoscope of revolution, which needs no comment. We offer you a chronicle of the Ukrainian protest. Experience the three months of fighting with us, feel and see the revolution through our eyes.
The Victory Squad (1966)
A promotional film about the U.S. Republican party drafting volunteers on Election Day, encouraging their fellow party members to vote and helping them get to their polling place.
El Equipo del Pueblo (2024)
Documentary tells the story of the Chilean football club Colo-Colo, exploring its profound impact on popular culture and the everyday lives of its fans. Throughout the film, it shows how the club has transcended sport to become a symbol of resistance, pride, and class struggle in Chile.
Lightning Before Thunder (2024)
A short documentary about how "Fulton" the Ukrainian Football Club came together.
Out of service? The Gerhard Schröder story (2024)
Gerhard Schröder has always been a polarizing figure. Even on the occasion of the former Chancellor's 80th birthday, Germany continues to grapple with him. The Social Democrat remains steadfast in his friendship with Vladimir Putin, despite Russia's war against Ukraine. Schröder also refuses to relinquish his position at Nord Stream 2 AG. As a result, his entire political legacy is in question. In the documentary, reporter Lucas Stratmann confronts former Chancellor Schröder with the criticism and accompanies him from Hanover to China.
The End of America (2008)
Based on her book of the same name, Naomi Wolf presents controversial evidence that America has begun a frightening descent into dictatorship and fascism. American democracy, as we know it, is under attack. By examining the chilling parallels between the current state of our nation and the ascent of dictators and fascism in other once-free societies, Wolf urges viewers to open their eyes to the horrors that lie ahead. From the increased use of paramilitary groups to the construction of secret prisons and the targeted suspension of the rule of law, the warning signs are all there for people to wake up and finally take notice.
In the Rumbling Belly of Motherland (2021)
As the U.S. planned to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in September 2021, Canadian-Afghan filmmaker and journalist Brishkay Ahmed was filming IN THE RUMBLING BELLY OF MOTHERLAND. Revealing the ongoing dangers for women reporters, and the extraordinary risks they take, this brave film provides an in-depth look into Zan TV, Kabul’s female-led news agency. A professional journalist herself, Ahmed documents both the harrowing and inspiring work of young, female journalists over the course of the two-year lead up to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Following parallel news stories as they unfold – two sets of national elections as well as ongoing U.S.-Taliban peace talks – the film reveals the daily hurdles Afghan female reporters and media staff face, underscoring the existential current events that threaten both Zan TV as a media outlet and the livelihoods of the women at its heart.
Wagah (2009)
Each night the only border crossing between India and Pakistan on a 1000km stretch becomes the sight of an extraordinary event. Thousands of people gather to witness the ritual closing of the border, after which the masses get as close as possible to the gate to greet their former neighbors. This "festival" is therefore on the one hand a celebration of the partition, but on the other hand also the only connecting element. What do the terms separation, home and proximity mean to the people on both sides?
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand (1999)
Paul Robeson: Here I Stand presents the life and achievements of an extraordinary man. Athlete, singer, and scholar, Robeson was also a charismatic champion of the rights of the poor working man, the disfranchised and people of color. He led a life in the vanguard of many movements, achieved international acclaim for his music and suffered tremendous personal sacrifice. His story is one of the great dramas of the 20th century, spanning an international canvas of social upheaval and ideological controversy.