Black Notebooks

Flannery

2019

Explore the life of Flannery O’Connor whose provocative fiction was unlike anything published before. Featuring never-before-seen archival footage, newly discovered journals, and interviews with Mary Karr, Tommy Lee Jones, Hilton Als, and more.

An Indian Abroad

Every year, thousands of German citizens travel to India, hoping to have a spiritual awakening of their own. In turn, they end up taking bits and pieces of Indian culture back home with them, creating a distorted version of Indian religion that’s practiced widely across Europe. The number of yoga institutes, ashrams, and Sanskrit institutes in Germany indicates that younger generations are far from giving up on this trend. Some are so enamored by this version of Indian culture that they travel thousands of kilometres to meet their spiritual advisors in tents, attend yoga sessions at 5 in the morning, and, in some cases, even adopt Indian names and clothes to try and connect more with this Eastern way of living. But exactly how prevalent is this trend?

The Champion of the World

2019 · ★ 5

Ten years after winning a world title in bodybuilding in Russia and becoming a star of said discipline in Mexico, Antonio Osta (43) leads a life of austerity in the Uruguayan rural town where he grew up. He resides there with his son Juanjo (17), a sensitive teenager who keeps him company and confronts him openly. Suffering from acute kidney disease which keeps him from competing professionally, Antonio is stuck in limbo, halfway between his glorious past and the impossibility of being who he once was. However, he is unwilling to give up his lifestyle, even if it kills him. In an attempt to reinvent himself, and seeking a better future for his son, Antonio plans a comeback to the Mexico bodybuilding scene, where he may relive his glory days.

Paper City

2021 · ★ 8

Just after midnight on 10 March 1945, the US launched an air-based attack on eastern Tokyo; continuing until morning, the raid left more than 100,000 people dead and a quarter of the city eradicated. Unlike their loved ones, Hiroshi Hoshino, Michiko Kiyooka and Minoru Tsukiyama managed to emerge from the bombings. Now in their twilight years, they wish for nothing more than recognition and reparations for those who, like them, had been indelibly harmed by the war – but the Japanese government and even their fellow citizens seem disinclined to acknowledge the past.

Wabadate

1970

Material filmed during and after the battle of Amman, in September 1970. The images document the rubble after the bombings, showing displaced people in the hall of a building, among the ruins, inside schools, while they are being treated . Some moments of a Yasser Arafat rally are also filmed.

The Train to Nowhere

2026

Following the success of Dude, Where's My Bus? (2024), Gio Petti's new documentary The Train to Nowhere shifts focus from buses to rail, centring on the Line 2 expansion of Ottawa’s Light Rail Transit (LRT), a project that many commuters hoped would mark a turning point for transit in the city. The documentary follows Petti as he documents the circumstances surrounding the expansion, the project's transition to a hot-button political issue, and the broader impact on riders who depend on the various systems every day. It also explores themes of retaining optimism and taking charge for change in the transit system in the face of cynicism.

Hill

2025 · ★ 7.4

In 1996, Damon Hill claimed the Formula 1 world championship—defying the odds and overcoming familial tragedy to step out of his father’s shadow and become a racing legend in his own right.

Essay on color and its absence

2022

An experiment and a dialogue about recording, the act of filming and the colors available to whoever points the camera somewhere.

Putty's Pride

Confronted by retirement, a fourth generation fisherman grapples with the selling of the boat he built with his father.

Serial Killers Defined

2013 · ★ 9.3

Take a chilling tour through the twisted minds of some of the most violent serial killers including Jeffrey Dahmer and the BTK killer. What defines a serial killer? What makes them tick? These questions and more are answered in this horrific account of true events.

Steph Jane - A Portrait Story

2019

Through an intimate conversation, Steph Jane, age 28, shares the struggles and lessons her second diagnosis of stage-4 cancer has taught her. From being genuinely present and savouring simple moments to thoughts of the future and what really matters, Steph reveals beauty and wisdom which transcend appearance and years.

The Beginner's Guide to Spinning in Loops

2022

From June 2021 to June 2022, Justin "Jastun" Bland records whatever that is in front of him. He presents an abstract montage of collected videos varying from onscreen recordings to filming special, intimate & mundane in-real-life moments. This short captures our daily routines in life and how we choose to spontaneously record them.