EYE-OPENING DOCUMENTARIES

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Sexy, sharp, and a straight-up hustler, Stormy Mattinson is one of the world's most successful madams, running a multi-million dollar escort agency, Companions, in California and Utah. A MADAM’S HEAVEN AND HELL gives a firsthand, behind-the-scenes look at her tumultuous life at the top of the industry, baring witness to all the personal and professional dramas at play.

One day, Pasquale decides to change his name to Tony. In the mid-60’s, at the age of 9, he crossed the ocean from Italy to the United States and grew up as a real American. Now a taxi driver in Yuma, Arizona, he's arrested on account of his side hustle - smuggling illegal immigrants across the Mexican border. He is therefore forced to make a choice: jail in Arizona or deportation to Italy.

From producers of Jesus Christ Superstar, "Superstars", a feature length documentary about the making of the original "Jesus Christ Superstar" theatrical movie. This 90 minute documentary features making of footage and original "on set" interviews with cast members and Norman Jewison.

Five young Zulu women gear up and go backpacking in the iMfolozi game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. They learn of the plight of this primordial wilderness, threatened by rhino poaching and an opencast coal mine. The group's journey of self-discovery, growth and healing serves as a reminder of how we all are intimately linked to nature; what we do to nature, we do to ourselves.

Sight is arguably our most important sense, an extremely complex process, which requires light that can start with photons, generated in distant stars and ending in the visual cortex of our brains. In the middle of this process are eyes. This documentary looks at the science, medicine and technology of vision and the individuals who are battling the darkness of blindness. Narrated by Elton John.

A portrait of neoliberal ideology imposing its dictates throughout the world. Behind the smokescreen, what's really going on? "It’s not the conservative part of neoconservative that's scary— it’s the neo." -The Georgia Straight

THE FIFTH QUESTION examines the Persian Passover tradition, reflecting on inter-generational continuity through the eyes of three generations. Parents born and raised in pre-revolution Iran and young adults who grew up in LA share memories and experiences through candid interviews and intimate moments preparing symbolic foods and participating in the Seder ritual.

We are all part of the same story. A feature-length documentary about the complexity of human migration and how this affects two friends in their day-to-day lives. "A heart-driven, superlatively human tale." -The Sound View

In front of the waves of the Panamanian Pacific in the town of El Higo, a woman walks and tells the story lived by the Panamanian Tito Arias and Margot Fonteyn, the most acclaimed dancer in the world and incomparable ballet figure.

MY MEXICAN BRETZEL uses home movies and moments of sound to tell the story of Vivian Barrett, a wealthy Swiss woman and her husband, Léon, a WWII pilot-turned-entrepreneur whose hearing was partly lost in a plane accident. Years of their lives are chronicled from the 40s through 60s, from Le Mans to Hawaïi. Vulnerability, loss, and belief are explored in an indulgently cinematic fashion.

An in-depth journey through the world of competitive eating, lifting the veil on the Major League Eating corporation and the untold story behind the epic rivalry between hot dog eating champs Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi.

The man is Henry Miller and the room is his bathroom, where the author soliloquizes about life, writing, sex, spirituality, nightmares, and New York. "An intimate portrayal of a man who lived openly." -Quotes Yes

A creative documentary on writing history to solidify peace in a post-civil war society. "Casts a cool eye on the oddly surreal social landscape of the country after years of civil war." -The Progressive Magazine

What happens to art in the Internet age? A documentary on the evolving relationship between contemporary art, audience and digital technology. "Puts together two opposing thoughts, leading to new thoughts." -art4d

A documentary that exposes the rich growing subculture of hip-hop that was developed in New York City in late 70s and early 80s, specifically focusing on graffiti art and breakdancing

Following the everyday life of 21-year-old Samira from Zanzibar for 7 years, NDOTO YA SAMIRA depicts the quiet victories of a determined young woman.

The story of Nadia Nadim, a young Afghan girl who took refuge in Denmark following the execution of her father by the Taliban. Today, Nadia is an international football star.

WITKIN AND WITKIN explores the worlds of identical twins, Joel-Peter, a world famous photographer and Jerome, a painter. "A profound meditation on art and an excellent dual-biopic." -Hammer to Nail

The São Marcos river in the state of Goiás flows between the cities of Catalão and Campo Alegre. This region once had many farms, built and farmed by members of the same family. In some parts, only ruins remain, insistent reminders that someone once lived there. The remaining inhabitants lose more land, everyday, to soybean fields and the Serra do Facão hydroelectric dam; these are their lives.

Four Europeans from different cultures and fields of art set off in a minibus with a trove of literature, searching across a vast desert landscape for a place where they will establish the world's last bookshop. An isolated location is perfect, as the books will be safe from big city termites and the ups and downs of the internet. In Spanish, French, German, and Finnish with English subtitles.

A special glimpse of legendary Nate Wiley and his jazz trio, the original Crowd Pleasers, at the iconic Bob and Barbara's Lounge on South Street, Philadelphia. Nate Wiley on tenor, Cliff Lamar on drums and Howard Candie on the Hammond B3 set the scene.

A bold vérité documentary and feel-good portrait of a sprightly 75-year-old priest who tends to 20+ villages in the idyllic French Pyrénées. "Leisurely but engrossing, often touching, and in the end surprising." -Video Librarian

Brian Scott Pfeifle changes his name to Felix, enters psychoanalysis and sets out to befriend Archduke Otto von Habsburg. "An eccentric character study that is as colourful and personable as its subject is." -Cinemablographer

Say hello to Hollywood outcast, best-selling author and chronicler of the rich and famous, Dominick Dunne. "Demonstrates... how the creative urge is something that refuses to age along with the body." -The Age

When heavily armed campus police broke into the University of Florida campus apartment of disabled and unarmed Ghanaian doctoral student Kofi Adu-Brempong and, within a minute of entry, shot him in the face, his life was forever changed.

Through the eyes of local kids playing with pebbles to the perspective of Dominican major league stars David Ortiz and Vladimir Guerrero, this documentary reveals a side of 'America's Game' that few have ever seen before.

The acclaimed documentary "Solo" presents six unique stories of individuals who use the art of dancing as their own tool in fighting back difficulties, dealing with pain, incomprehension, and obstacles standing in their way to happiness through creative self-expression.

Meet Shabu, a 14-year-old aspiring artist from "The Paperclip," one of Rotterdam's most notorious neighborhoods. Shabu has big dreams but even bigger problems. He's just totaled his grandmother's car and needs to raise some cash before the end of the summer to pay her back. Utilizing his musical talent and street smarts, Shabu concocts a plan to both make the money and make his family proud.

A definitive look at one of the greatest visionaries of the Gilded Age, Edith Wharton. Includes the only known film footage of Wharton in existence. "An obscure but fascinating documentary." -The Arts Fuse

There are more than eighty different nationalities and cultures spread all along the mountains, deserts and forests of Ethiopia. In order to unveil the music universe and keep a record of the incredibly endangered music traditions, ROARING ABYSS filmmaker Quino Piñero spent two years performing field recordings around every corner of Ethiopia, documenting this audiovisual poem.

An experiential introduction to Shakespeare Award-winning poet Mandy Kahn and the process behind her immersive, performative, peace-building poems. "A sun-powered X-ray into the process of a great artist." - PEN Award-winning author Mitch Horowitz

Weaving together natural history and biography, A Life Among Whales delves deeply into the unique relationship between humans and whales as told by renowned whale biologist and activist Dr. Roger Payne.

From Berlin and Vienna in the 1930s; from New York to Chicago, New Orleans, Los Angeles and San Francisco in the 1950’s, ‘60s and ‘70s; on the grew women Beat post, ruth weiss, has written, performed, painted, and filmed the fact that her, ‘one more step west is the sea…” Thomas Anotnic traces her pioneering art and her world without boundaries.

John Daly, an ex-Neo Nazi, fled to Israel when his gang tried to kill him for being Jewish. An old Skinhead friend finds John 25 years later and suggests they visit concentration camps in an effort to make amends for their past.

A 2022 EMMY winner for Best Historical Documentary, this is the true story of the Neiger family's miraculous escape from certain death by the Nazis during World War II. A story of endurance, unity and hope.

Robert Mugge filmed jazz great Sun Ra on location in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. between 1978 and 1980.

Marinara sauce runs red through the streets of New Haven in this surprising, delectable documentary which profiles three pizza restaurants -- Pepe, Sally's & Modern -- that together stand as the cornerstone of the town's Italian-American heritage and connoisseurs of the tastiest incarnations of America's favorite comfort food. This mouth watering documentary will make you laugh & leave you hungry.

A stunning celebration of Black Creole music and the spirit of fierce competition. Legendary musicians Boozoo Chavis and Beau Jocque stake their claims, onstage and off, each one as a new self-proclaimed King of Zydeco. Expertly captured by filmmaker Robert Mugge in early-90s Southwest Louisiana

The fight for Lithuanian independence in 1991 gave a group of young men the chance to be heroes. "Perfect for any child that loves war games." -BB Reviews

A journey deep into the oldest music in the Western world - Greek music - guided by an eccentric musicologist who has dedicated his life to understanding and preserving it. An immersive sonic and visual feast that leaves the viewer feeling they've looked into a way of life that the 21st century has left behind. A call to arms for a different way of listening to music and understanding humanity.

THERE WERE ALWAYS DOGS, NEVER KIDS is a documentary ode to legendary New York City video store Alan's Alley, where bizarrely arranged movies enticed clientele from cinephile to celebrity to local prison inmate. Charismatic owner Alan Sklar sifts through the nuance of his neon-flickering livelihood, in his store’s last days as a fixture in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood.

Adrian Russell Wills, a Wonnarua man, and Gillian Moody, a Wodi Wodi woman, share an undeniable bond. Both were Aboriginal children adopted by white families - and, later in life, they each shared similar desires to reconnect with their bloodlines. In this moving documentary, Wills and Moody recount their emotional searches for belonging, providing an intimate journey into isolation and identity.

Known as the “Lower East Side Minster of Information,” Manhattan resident John King gives us a tour of his unique universe: from his roach-infested apartment, illuminated by only one lightbulb (a place once awarded “Grossest Apartment in NYC”) to Andy Warhol’s Factory on Union Square, where King recalls his experiences with Warhol there. A fun-loving portrait of a true Lower East Side legend.

A documentary essay on memory, loss, expectation, and an imagined Armenia. A young woman's journey to her homeland is interwoven with photographs and the reflections of actress Arsinée Khanjian, resulting in an elegiac and sensory investigation into the concepts of home, identity and place.

At a daycare center in Stolin, Belarus, young people with disabilities are directed and participate as actors in theatrical productions. Their perceived limitations evaporate on stage, revealing depths of character and capabilities that are seldom explored.

Based on Erich Von Daniken's book purporting to prove that throughout history aliens have visited earth.

Director Christopher Felver has crafted an incisive, sharply-wrought portrait of American poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti that explores his vital role as catalyst for numerous literary careers and for the Beat movement itself. Interviews with Ferlinghetti and other significant figures reveal a rich melange of characters and events that came together in postwar America

Sad Vacation is an up close and personal account of the tumultuous and stormy relationship between Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen and how it ended in Room 100 of the Chelsea Hotel. This films pulls no punches and reveals the facts through personal friends, insiders and witnesses. Includes interviews with Sylvain Sylvain (New York Dolls), Bob Gruen, Walter Lure and many more.

Paulistas, a rural region in the state of Goiás, is struggling to survive in the Brazilian savannah. Its young people have left in a rural exodus; since 2014, no young people live in the region. Monoculture farming and the exploitation of water resources have left Paulistas’ countryside cracked. In July, it’s vacation time. Children return from cities to visit their parents and life on the farm.

A group of Texas women band together to resurrect roller derby for the 21st century. Join their revolution. "Adrenaline-fueled highs, heartbreaking lows, and lots of chicks in short skirts kicking the shit out of each other." -The Onion A/V Club

Documentary about environmental racism, Army radiation testing & government conspiracy during the Cold War, Jim Crow era.

A young woman wanders around Manhattan and stumbles across a number of strange characters and settings that represent the underground life in New York City in the 1980's including stand-up comedy in Central Park, a prostitution auction, a voodoo ceremony, an S&M club and a diverse mix of very interesting performance artists.

A film shot and released on VHS in 1989. A mysterious cult work of Uruguayan cinema surrounded by strange theories about its creator, Manuel Lamas. The documentary sets out to unveil the enigma that exists about Lamas and his work. Along the way, the director becomes involved in a spiral that dissolves the boundaries between reality and fiction.

LOOSE ETHICS highlights the home as the child's first classroom for ethics, and asks if a lack of value-based teaching is nurturing crime in society. Does connecting children with elders help children learn how to empathize? Whose responsibility is it to introduce children to spirituality? Filmed in Mumbai, India.

TERFSLURRED explores the perceived misogyny of trans identity politics and the intellectual cat-fights fomenting from claims to true womanhood. Carefully making use of already-existing content on subjects of biology, feminism, trans-activism, and more, this found-footage doc is a new introduction to gender and the LGBTQ+ rainbow- like it's never appeared before.

A WALK IN HER SHOES is a documentary feature that shares one woman's intimate story of personal awakening, discovery, empowerment, and triumph. In a quest to overcome one of the biggest obstacles of her life, personal trainer and author Metra Lundy simulates a walk to freedom by re-tracing the steps of the great American heroine, Harriet Tubman, from Maryland to Canada.

New York City is currently undergoing a period of Hyper-Gentrification. This is a portrait of the communities fighting back.

A woman's journey to and across the soul-destroying chasm between veterans and others. Endorsed by the Institute for the Study of War and Social Consequences, Returning Veterans Project, and other organizations.

Iranian-American artist Moosa Harooni transforms seashells into heartfelt miniature sculptures of legendary characters, kings and poets, and ordinary people.