This Island

How the art in the Detroit Institute of Art connects to life's experiences and the neighborhood.

1970-01-01 | en

The Philosopher's Stone: The True Story

Documentary examining the medieval myth of the Philosopher's Stone, a Holy Grail-type relic which supposedly held the key to alchemy and immortality. Many noted alchemists and adventurers searched obsessively for the artifact hoping to learn its powerful secrets, a quest which allegedly drove some to madness and others to celestial encounters.

2007-04-24 | en

I'm in Love with Pippa Bacca

Giuseppina Pasqualino di Marineo, better known as Pippa Bacca, was a 34 years old Italian artist. She crossed 11 countries involved in wars, hitchhiking with another Milanese artist, Silvia Moro, both wearing a wedding dress. This was a performance for peace, trust and hoping to prove that if you rely on others, you’ll receive good things only. After travelling many roads, the two artists decided to split for a while in Istanbul, planning to meet again in Byblos. Pippa left then, alone, and nobody heard from her again.

2020-03-08 | it

Kill Your TV: Jim Moir’s Weird World of Video Art

Jim Moir (aka Vic Reeves) explores Video Art, revealing how different generations ‘hacked’ the tools of television to pioneer new ways of creating art that can be beautiful, bewildering and wildly experimental.

2019-11-24 | en

Howard Finster: Hidden Man of Heart

This remastered, rare, local production from the 80s is an unfiltered look into the mind and heart of the world-renowned folk artist Howard Finster. Walking and talking in his Paradise Garden, Finster gives insight into his visions, Faith, and artwork. He even sings and plays the banjo. Dr. George Pullen interviews Finster. And in this case, the word "interview" means that Dr. Pullen just lets Finster talk. And it's pure gold.

1980-01-01 | en

Statues Also Die

Short documentary commissioned by the magazine Présence Africaine. From the question "Why is the African in the anthropology museum while Greek or Egyptian art are in the Louvre?", the directors expose and criticize the lack of consideration for African art. The film was censored in France for eight years because of its anti-colonial perspective.

1953-05-01 | fr

All Rendered Truth: Folk Art in the American South

A film documenting the soulful art, environments, and voices of self-taught artists on the back roads of the American South.

2009-01-01 | en

Four Dimensions

Four Dimensions is a dynamic and exciting departure from previous windsurfing movies. Not only showcasing the explosive nature and intense technical capabilities of modern windsurfing, but also bringing new and progressive production techniques to create an inspirational film. Compared to many of the great “legends” movies previously released, Four Dimensions also leads us into the future of windsurfing, turning the spotlight on some of the most talented young sailors in the sport. Already accomplished competition sailors, these riders are the new champions of windsurfing who will lead our sport into its next evolution. Whether familiar with windsurfing or not, I challenge anyone to watch this film and not want to just go out and do it

2009-09-30 | en

Caligula with Mary Beard

What is true and what is false in the hideous stories spread about the controversial figure of the Roman emperor Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (12-41), nicknamed Caligula? Professor Mary Beard explains what is accurate and what is mythical in the historical accounts that portray him as an unbalanced despot. Was he a sadistic tyrant, as Roman historians have told, or perhaps the truth about him was manipulated because of political interests?

2013-07-29 | en

Linefork

Lee and Opal Sexton live in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, farming the land where Lee was raised. Lee is a retired coal miner and revered banjo legend, a living link to the deep past of American music. Though now well into his eighties and hampered by age, Lee continues to perform and teach his distinctive 2-finger banjo style to a new generation eager to preserve a vanishing cultural tradition. Linefork offers an immersive view of Lee and Opal's daily rituals and inherent resilience while documenting the raw yet delicate music of a singular musician, linked to the past yet immediately present.

2016-04-21 | en

Kill Your Idols

A 2004 documentary on thirty years of alternative rock 'n roll in NYC.Documenting the history from the genuine authenticity of No Wave to the current generation of would be icons and true innovators seeing to represent New York City in the 21st century

2004-04-08 | en

Punk's Not Dead

On the edge of the 30th anniversary of punk rock, Punk's Not Dead takes you into the sweaty underground clubs, backyard parties, recording studios, shopping malls and stadiums where punk rock music and culture continue to thrive.

2007-07-27 | en

Killer at Large

Obesity rates in the United States have reached epidemic proportions in recent years. Killer at Large shows how little is being done and more importantly, what can be done to reverse it. Killer at Large also explores the human element of the problem with portions of the film that follow a 12-year old girl who has a controversial liposuction procedure to fix her weight gain and a number of others suffering from obesity, including filmmaker Neil Labute.

2008-11-21 | en

Sword of the Samurai

A short documentary detailing the forging of a katana.

1937-01-01 | en

Wordplay

From the masters who create the mind-bending diversions to the tense competition at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, Patrick Creadon's documentary reveals a fascinating look at a decidedly addictive pastime. Creadon captures New York Times editor Will Shortz at work, talks to celebrity solvers -- including Bill Clinton and Ken Burns -- and presents an intimate look at the national tournament and its competitors.

2006-06-26 | en

Being Kae Tempest

Poet, rapper, playwright and recording artist Kae Tempest is one of the most viscerally exciting artists working in Britain today. They are the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious Ted Hughes prize and have been nominated for both the Brit and Mercury music awards. Tempest has always found support and respect within the queer art scenes, a place close to their heart. In July 2020, they came out as non-binary, announcing that they would publish and perform under the name Kae. This film delves deep into their creative process and gains rare, intimate insights into Kae’s life throughout a period of profound personal and artistic change.

2023-11-29 | en

The Farm: 10 Down

One decade after THE FARM: ANGOLA, USA (Oscar nominated 1999; two-time Emmy winner 1999), we go back inside Louisiana's maximum security penitentiary, to catch up with our characters' lives. While the theme of THE FARM was "to err is human, to forgive divine", we now delve more deeply and find hope for "reconciliation and release". Angola is America's oldest and largest prison, with 5,000 inmates, most of whom have received life -, or death-, sentences for violent crimes, and will never leave Angola. THE FARM continues to provide extraordinary opportunities for learning through storytelling.

2009-11-20 | en

Charlélie - Les Statuts de sa Liberté

2011-07-30 | fr

Full Tilt Boogie

A documentary about the production of From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) and the people who made it.

1998-07-31 | en

Shunga: The Lost Japanese Erotica

In the foundation of the culture of Japanese MANGA and animation, there lies the humor filled art form, shunga. Shunga is a type of Japanese art by famous ukiyo-e artists of the Edo Period, such as Utamaro, Hokusai, and Kiyonaga, but the artform’s development was thwarted by social norms that tabooed sex. The film Introduces the world of shunga through enthusiasts - collectors, curators, and scholars, including Andrew Gerstle who inspired The British Museum’s historical shunga exhibition in 2013 and Michael Fornitz who owns an auction house in Denmark. Exploring the significance of shunga by analyzing it from historical, cultural, artistic and contemporary female points of view.

2023-11-24 | ja