In 1989, a collective of young hip hop artists gathered at a health food café in South Central Los Angeles. Their mandate? To reject gang culture and expand the musical boundaries of hip hop. DuVernay's documentary chronicles the historic legacy of the Good Life Cafe — the open mic nights that became an L.A. institution, the eclectic array of talented young MCs that emerged there, the alternative hip hop movement they developed, and their worldwide influence on the artform.
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Russia (1972)
The first uncensored documentary about the Soviet Union ever made by an outsider. The film takes viewers to 12 of the 15 states of the former USSR.
Fortini/Cani (1977)
The film is a sort of presentation of Franco Fortini's book 'I Cani del Sinai'. Fortini, an Italian Jew, reads excerpts from the book about his alienation from Judaism and from the social relations around him, the rise of Fascism in Italy, the anti-Arab attitude of European culture. The images, mostly a series of Italian landscape shots, provide a backdrop that highlights the meaning of the text. - Fabrizio Sabidussi
Bob Marley - Freedom Road (2007)
He was and is, without doubt, Jamaica's finest export and in this programme we can reveal for the first time the behind the scenes Bob Marley that only his closest confidantes could know. To understand more about this iconic Jamaican his long time girlfriend and Oscar nominated actress Esther Anderson describes in some detail along with exclusive unpublished home video footage, their life together at home in Jamaica and of their time spent in Hope Road, London. Of all the people who considered themselves closest to him, Esther was probably the person who knew more about the man's innermost thoughts and fears than any; so much was she in tune with him she even helped to write some of his hit records. Also featured is the last interview he would ever give in the UK when journalist Kris Needs questions him about his foot injury (the injury that would eventually kill him) plus many other topics about which Marley held strong views.
Sex Story: Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
A look at the phenomenal success of novel, Fifty Shades of Grey.
Wildwood, NJ (1994)
This film takes you down the shore with an all-women crew to Wildwood, NJ, the last great American blue-collar seaside carnival town. Wildwood, NJ moves beyond gum-cracking, big hair, and press-on nails to look into the souls of women raised on the boardwalks rides and beaches. A Wildwood honeymoon, virginity lost to a boardwalk stranger, fistfights, madness, babies, and no matter what, returning to Wildwood year after year as they grow up and grow old.
Intimidad (2008)
Shot over the course of five years, Intimidad is an in-depth portrait of Cecy and Camilo Ramirez, a young couple struggling to make ends meet in Reynosa, Mexico. They have recently left their 2-year old daughter, Loida, with Cecy's mother in Santa Maria in the hopes of building a proper home and after one year, they return to visit her for the Christmas holidays. But their vacation is barely the respite the couple expected, as Loida hardly recognizes her parents, and a sudden tragedy threatens to tear the family apart.
Sentenced Home (2006)
This film is a gripping documentary exploration that humanizes the United States' tragically flawed immigration policy. The film follows the story of 3 Cambodian-American immigrants living in Seattle (who came as children in the early 80s, when a multitude of Cambodian refugees were given housing in the city's projects) whose teenage rebellions catch up with them in a horrific way.
Letter from My Village (1976)
Ngor is a young man living in a Senegalese village who wishes to marry Coumba. Ongoing drought in the village has affected its crop of groundnuts and as a result, Ngor cannot afford the bride price for Coumba. He goes to Senegal's capital city, Dakar, to try to earn more money and is exploited there. He returns to the villagers and shares his experiences of the city with the other men. The story, which shows the daily lives of the villagers, is told in the form of a letter to a friend from a villager, voiced by Faye.
Tea Time (2014)
More than sixty years after leaving high school, former classmates Alicia, Gema, Angelica, Ximena and Maria Teresa are still devoted to their regular catch-ups in which they exchange gossip and reminiscences over elaborately presented afternoon teas. Impeccably turned out, the ladies’ free-wheeling tea-time chats run the gamut from mortality and marital infidelity to soccer and twerking.
Sisters in Resistance (2001)
Four young women joined the Resistance to fight Nazi oppression and brutality in occupied France. They were arrested and deported to Ravensbruck concentration camp, where they helped each other to survive. SISTERS IN RESISTANCE captures their recollections and the intense friendship that has survived with them.
Gotta Dance (2008)
Chronicles the first-ever, senior citizen hip-hop dance team for the New Jersey Nets Basketball team, 12 women and man - all dance team newbies, from auditions through to center court stardom.
Finding Dawn (2006)
Métis filmmaker Christine Welsh puts a human face on a national tragedy: the murders and disappearances of an estimated 500 Aboriginal women in Canada over the past 30 years. Explores the deep historical, social, and economic factors that contribute to this epidemic of violence against Native women.
Desert Runners (2013)
An aging Irish businessman, an aspiring Australian actress, a retired American baseball player and a widowed British bodyguard attempt to complete the four most difficult ultra marathon races on Earth-- a goal previously only attempted by professional athletes. The four races bring them to the world's most picturesque and brutal deserts in Chile, China, Egypt and Antarctica, where they will push their bodies, minds and spirits to their limits. Desert Runners chronicles the intense, year-long journey of these dedicated runners and the many obstacles that they face - both expected and unexpected,external and internal - and provides an intimate view into the complex ways human beings deal with heartbreak and triumph.
Money, Power, Respect: Hip Hop Billion Dollar Industry (2012)
Who of the icons Jay-Z, Diddy, 50 Cent and Dr. Dre becomes the first dollar billionaire?
Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving The Police (2012)
Based on the acclaimed memoir by renowned guitarist Andy Summers, Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving The Police follows Summers’ journey from his early days in the psychedelic ‘60s music scene, when he played with The Animals, to chance encounters with drummer Stewart Copeland and bassist Sting, which led to the formation of a new wave trio, The Police. The band’s phenomenal rise and its highly publicized dissolution at the height of their fame in the early ’80s captured by Summers’ camera. Utilizing rare archival footage, Summers’ photos, and insights from the guitarist’s side of the stage, Can’t Stand Losing You brings together past and present as the band members prepare to reunite for the first time in two decades later for a global reunion tour in 2007.
Communion (2016)
When adults are ineffectual, children have to grow up quickly. Ola is 14 and she takes care of her dysfunctional father, autistic brother and a mother who lives apart from them and is mainly heard the phone. Most of all she wants to reunite a family that simply doesn’t work — like a defective TV set. She lives in the hope of bringing her mother back home. Her 13 year old brother Nikodem’s Holy Communion is a pretext for the family to meet up. Ola is entirely responsible for preparing the perfect family celebration. “Communion” reveals the beauty of the rejected, the strength of the weak and the need for change when change seems impossible. This crash course in growing up teaches us that failure is not final. Especially when love is in question.
