The purpose of Rise Above the Mark, narrated by Peter Coyote, is to educate the general public about the “corporate takeover” of Indiana public schools and what parents, community members and educators can do to protect their local public schools. Legislators are calling the shots and putting public schools in an ever-shrinking box. WLCSC Board of School Trustees and Superintendent of Schools, Rocky Killion, want to secure resources and legislative relief necessary to achieve the school district’s mission of creating a world-class educational system for all children. The school district’s strategic plan will introduce a model of education that puts decision making back into the hands of local communities and public school teachers, rather than leaving it in the hands of legislators and ultimately lining the pockets of corporations.
In Delusion: Trump and the American Catastrophe (2020)
In 2020, the USA experienced a multiple catastrophe: No other country in the world was hit so badly by the coronavirus pandemic, the economic slump was dramatic, and so was the rise in unemployment. A rift ran through society. In the streets there were protests of both camps with violent riots, authoritarian traits were evident in the actions of the leader of the nation. And all of this in the middle of the election year, when the self-centered president fought vehemently for his re-election. From the start of his presidency, Donald Trump had divided American society, incited individual sections of the population against one another, fueled racism, hatred, xenophobia and prejudice, insulted competitors and denigrated critical journalists as enemies of the people. The documentary shows how this could happen and what role the targeted disinformation of certain sections of the population through manipulative media played.
Imperial Sunset (1967)
This short satirical film, created entirely from archival footage, is about the British Empire—on which the sun never sets. The majority of the humour and wit is found in the interplay between image and sound: what we see during the formative days of the Empire, and what famous servants had to say about it. Edited by Oscar®-nominated experimental filmmaker Arthur Lipsett (Very Nice, Very Nice).
Guy Debord, son art et son temps (1995)
Except for a few brief evocations of Debord’s “art” during the first ten minutes or so, most of this “antitelevisual” video consists of television clips illustrating the extreme degradation and delirium of the present society. It’s a powerful denunciation, but not so deft and subtle as Debord’s films, perhaps because it was made during the worsening stages of his final illness. Presumably intended as a parting shot at the society he detested, it was completed shortly before his death in November 1994 and shown January 9, 1995, on a French cable channel along with La Société du Spectacle and Réfutation de tous les jugements (whence the video copies that have since circulated).
Start Wearing Purple (2022)
Choosing hope over despair, Berliners are banding together to get their houses back from big investors. [...] This documentary film follows five Berlin citizens of different backgrounds, countries, and diverse stories. They find themselves among almost two thousand similarly dedicated people to fight together for one cause. While their personal motivations differ, they all believe they can convince Berlin that the only way to make housing affordable again is to drive real estate companies out of their city. The stakes are high, the movement is strong. But with almost nothing in their hands, they have to prevail against an overwhelming opposition of the real estate lobby and politicians willing to sell out the city they call home.
Fahrenheit 9/11 (2004)
Michael Moore's view on how the Bush administration allegedly used the tragic events on 9/11 to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
A documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide.
The Hidden Agenda for World Government (1990)
From an archived interview originally recorded in 1982, this 1990 production reveals the findings of chief congressional investigator, Director of Research, Norman Dodd, and exposes the scope and purpose of various organizations in the findings of the 1953 Reece Special Committee on Tax Exempt Foundations.
Margherita, The Woman Who Invented Mussolini (2014)
Margherita Sarfatti, Mussolini's lover and advisor, was a woman who exerted a great influence on the Duce and on Italian cultural life. Through archival documents, autobiographical texts and love letters, the documentary paints a portrait of the woman who helped create the myth of the Duce.
Postcard (Or, from afar, you are a mirage) (2024)
"The palm trees on the reverse are a delusion; so is the pink sand". This line, taken from a poem by Margaret Atwood, lights the path traced in "Postcard". As the years go by, landscapes transform, take on new meanings, and hold onto joys that will never be regained. The sea and the beach, once stages of happy summers, romances, and encounters, will turn into concentration camps or centers of detention and torture. This occurs across different times and places. In this piece, I embark on a journey through some of my works that explore the relationship between testimony, spaces, and time, engaging in dialogue with the beautiful film directed by Alejandro Segovia in 1972.
HyperNormalisation (2016)
We live in a world where the powerful deceive us. We know they lie. They know we know they lie. They do not care. We say we care, but we do nothing, and nothing ever changes. It is normal. Welcome to the post-truth world. How we got to where we are now…
From Gaol to Rectory (1927)
On a blustery January day bishops arrive for the opening of the new Knutsford Test School.
Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? (2008)
Morgan Spurlock (Super Size Me) tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror with Arabic people.
It's All in Lebanon (2012)
Wissam Charaf traces the recent history and identity of Lebanon through its political campaigns, PR imagery and pop videos.
Encantado, le Brésil désenchanté (2018)
Considered for a few years the “country of the future”, Brazil has seen since 2013 a deep disenchantment between the middle and popular classes that culminated with the rise of Jair Bolsonaro to the Presidency in 2018. Enchanted portrays this recent Brazilian history from a homonymous neighborhood of the Rio suburb transfigured by the 2016 Olympics. From Rio to Paris, a political and poetic testimony of Brazil through the eyes of the first generation of the popular class to study abroad.
You've Been Trumped Too (2016)
A timely film exploring the confrontation between a feisty 92-year-old Scottish widow and her family and a billionaire trying to become the most powerful man in the world.
Information for/from Outsiders: Chronicles from Kashmir (2019)
Chronicles from Kashmir seeks to create a sense of “balance”: between differently positioned voices that emerge when speaking about Kashmir; between differently placed narratives on the “victim”/“perpetrator” spectrum. While there is an inevitable streak of political commentary that runs throughout the work – a political current that cannot be escaped when talking about Kashmir – Chronicles from Kashmir does not espouse any one political ideology. We see ourselves as being artists and educators, using aesthetics and pedagogy to engage audiences with diverse perspectives from/about the Valley.
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.