Czech Dream

Engineering Tragedy: The Ashtabula Train Disaster

2022 · ★ 10

The Ashtabula train disaster and bridge collapse was the worst train disaster of the 19th century, claiming the lives of 97 people. The engineering and structural failures that caused the collapse of a bridge that stood for over a decade, also took down the most luxurious train of the day, “The Pacific Express #5.” The accident happened in Ashtabula, Ohio on December 29, 1876 during a raging blizzard, sending the luxury train crashing 70-feet into a river gorge and costing the lives of 97 people. The disaster shocked the nation, yet it’s a story that’s been lost in the pages of history. In a strange twist of fate and intrigue, the bridge disaster also became the backdrop to the still unsolved murder of Charles Collins, the railroad’s chief engineer. It also contributed to the eventual suicide of millionaire Amasa Stone, the president of the railroad and the designer and builder of the bridge.

Auto-Lite on Parade

1940

Tour of an auto parts and accessories factory climaxing with a stop-motion product parade.

Fukushima: A Nuclear Story

2015 · ★ 7.5

A powerful documentary that sheds some light on what really happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plant after the 2011 earthquake and the tsunami that immediately followed. A powerful documentary - shot from March 11th, 2011 through March 2015 - that sheds some light on what really happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plant after the 2011 earthquake and the tsunami that followed.

So This Is God's Country?

1966

A Mondo documentary focused on the 1960's American lifestyle, consumerism, religion, adversity, and oddity. An outsider's look at a country afflicted by episodes of racism and neo -Nazism. Scenes of a Ghost Town, LSD in NYC, Sunset Strip Los Angeles California, Amish, Klu Klux Klan, African-American Fashion Show, etc.

You're the Judge

1965

High-schoolers Sally and Faith scheme to get the attention of classmates Bill and Frank by challenging them to a bake-off for a party. When the boys fail miserably to measure up, the girls give the them credit for their own excellent wares to cement a date. Sponsored by Crisco, which is featured prominently.

The True Cost

2015 · ★ 7.5

Film from Andrew Morgan. The True Cost is a documentary film exploring the impact of fashion on people and the planet.

Fear No Fruit

2015 · ★ 6

A chronicle of Frieda Caplan's rise from being the first woman entrepreneur on the L.A. Wholesale Produce Market in the 1960s, to transforming American cuisine by introducing over 200 exotic fruits and vegetables to U.S. supermarkets. Still an inspiration at 91, Frieda's daughters and granddaughter carry on the business legacy.

Terra Blight

2012

Exploring America’s consumption of computers and the hazardous waste we create in pursuit of the latest technology, Terra Blight traces the life cycle of computers from creation to disposal and juxtaposes the disparate worlds that have computers as their center. From a 13-year-old Ghanaian who smashes obsolete monitors to salvage copper to a 3,000-person video game party in Texas, Terra Blight examines the unseen realities of one of the most ubiquitous toxic wastes on our planet.

Friends After 3.11

2011 · ★ 7

In March 2011, Japan was struck by a catastrophic earthquake, with the devastating tsunami that followed causing a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power station that sent ripples of discontent throughout the country. Director Iwai Shunji's Friends after 3.11 (2011) is a deeply personal documentary which uses the statements of some of his closest friends to express the views of a society in a state of political despondency.

Fatal Dive to the Titanic: Truth and Lies

2024 · ★ 10

How Stockton Rush's deadly dive to the fabled Titanic wreckage in the Titan submersible became a cautionary tale about the risks of innovation.

Space Shuttle Challenger

2026

Tragedy struck when the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated just 73 seconds into flight. Hours earlier, engineers argued to cancel the launch, amid fears of such a tragedy – so why did it go ahead?

Days that Shocked the World: Concorde

Concorde was an icon of the skies. But after Air France Flight 4590 crashed with the loss of all on board, investigators discovered a shockingly simple explanation for the catastrophe.