Baraka
★ 8.2 · 1992 · 97m · Documentary
A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision—an odyssey through landscape and time—that attempts to capture the essence of life.
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Jackie Brutsche tries to unravel the dark secrets of her family and answer unanswered questions about her mother.
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Riverboom
2024 · ★ 8.4
In the year following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, young journalist Claude Baechtold finds himself in the war zone of Afghanistan. Not entirely voluntarily, the avowed anti-militarist is dragged by two fearless reporters on a round trip through the entire country.
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The Story of the Swastika
2013
In the week when Hindus celebrate the holy festival of Diwali, this documentary tells the story of one of their faith's most sacred symbols - the swastika. For many, the swastika has become a symbol synonymous with the Nazis and fascism. But this film reveals the fascinating and complex history of an emblem that is, in fact, a religious symbol, with a sacred past. For the almost one billion Hindus around the world, the swastika lies at the heart of religious practices and beliefs, as an emblem of benevolence, luck and good fortune.
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Hideaway
2024
Documentary portrait of the poet Karla Erbová is a confession of a creative personality who, despite many twists and turns in life, remains true to her ideals and moral values. We witness the final year of the author's life, during which, even at the age of ninety, she continues to engage in public appearances and, above all, actively works on her craft. Through letters that Erbová wrote to her friend, the film offers an intimate, often self-deprecating reflection on old age, solitude, and relationships with loved ones, as well as an indomitable faith in poetry. The film "Ulita" not only highlights the pivotal moments of her life but also serves as a sociological exploration of the lives of the oldest generation.
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Beyrouth, Le Dialogue Des Ruines
1993
Architecture in Beirut was the second greatest victim of the civil war, with pages of ancient and modern history erased by the end of the conflict. This documentary interviews citizens calling for a reconstruction plan that would preserve Beirut’s spirit of culture and openness.
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A Brief History of Time
1991 · ★ 7.2
This shows physicist Stephen Hawking's life as he deals with the ALS that renders him immobile and unable to speak without the use of a computer. Hawking's friends, family, classmates, and peers are interviewed not only about his theories but the man himself.
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Vietnam, Puerto Rico
As Puerto Rico falls deeper and deeper into an unprecedented crisis this is Vietnam’s story, a community or barrio located on the coast of Guaynabo fighting an illegal expropriation at the hands of a career politician. Their experience echoes the island’s current struggle with; an unparalleled migration, a notion of progress fueled by corruption, crippling economic debt, displaced poor and middle class families whose land is being purchased by millionaires, and the slow to non-existent reconstruction of infrastructure after Hurricane Maria.
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Microcosmos
1996 · ★ 7.6
A documentary of insect life in meadows and ponds, using incredible close-ups, slow motion, and time-lapse photography. It includes bees collecting nectar, ladybugs eating mites, snails mating, spiders wrapping their catch, a scarab beetle relentlessly pushing its ball of dung uphill, endless lines of caterpillars, an underwater spider creating an air bubble to live in, and a mosquito hatching.
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While There's Still Time To Smile
2025
We observe the daily routines of an elderly couple. Within the quiet flow of time, a longing for youth and irretrievable memories begin to surface. This piece reflects the sorrow hidden in the stillness of old age and the deep yearning for the past.
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