Taken from the European tours organised for American blues musicians between 1962 and 1969, this release features performances by several popular blues artists, including: Big Mama Thornton, Roosevelt Sykes, Buddy Guy, Dr. Isaiah Ross, Big Joe Turner, Skip James, Bukka White, Son House, Hound Dog Taylor and Little Walter, Koko Taylor and Little Walter, Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, Helen Humes, Earl Hooker, and Muddy Waters.
Song is a story of the last Finnish rune singer and his pupil, and the comforting power of singing.
Singer-songwriter Paul Simon had been on the cutting-edge of pop music throughout most of the 1960s and the '70s, first as half of the seminal folk-rock duo Simon & Garfunkel, and then as a well-received solo artist. But the rise of 1980s rock and new wave saw a decline in Simon's commercial success, and the singer responded by experimenting with different musical styles--most notably, world beat--that culminated in his adventurous 1986 masterpiece GRACELAND. The album's fusion of American folk-rock songwriting and buoyant South African rhythms not only broke new ground in pop music, but became Simon's biggest-selling solo record. This episode of the CLASSIC ALBUMS series examines the making of Simon's groundbreaking work through interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, music videos, and live performances of album tracks such as "Boy in the Bubble," "Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes," "You Can Call Me Al," and "Under African Skies."
Jesse Welles performs his album "Devil’s Den" with his live band in an Arkansas cabin, filmed seamlessly in one continuous shot
The documentary explores the life and work of Jaromír Nohavica, utilizing hundreds of hours of his archive footage (including previously unreleased material). It offers a glimpse into his personal life, family background, concert dressing rooms, psychiatric clinic, and interrogation rooms of the former secret police (StB). The film is full of emotion, poetry, and harsh confrontations with reality, also reflecting the controversies surrounding Nohavica.
A powerful account of the Kolbari covert goods traden between the Kurdish cities and towns of Iran and borders of Iraq. The film follows Hamid and Yasser over six years as they contend with the life threatening conditions they and their families have to face to survive. A rare insight into the plight of the Kurdish people, this is an elegant portrait of a marginalised people, where the palpable sense of risk and danger is contrasted with the gentle rhythms of family life under harsh conditions.
Evan, a filmmaker from Mississippi, catches feelings for a gal he meets at a found footage film festival in San Francisco. They decide to make a movie together, exploring the haunted landscapes of Evan’s family history in the swamplands of Florida. Old wounds are reopened and generational trauma reveals itself to be perhaps the scariest part of this attempted mockumentary that ends up being a little too real.
Right in the heart of Hackney, The Cock Tavern is no ordinary East London pub. Renowned for its real ales, larger-than-life regulars, and a dose of eccentric charm, it also plays host to one of the capital’s quirkiest underground traditions: the pickled egg eating competition. How Fast Can You Eat a Pickled Egg? is a short documentary that dives headfirst into this bizarre yet beloved ritual, capturing the characters, chaos, and community spirit that make the event truly unforgettable. From local legends chasing eternal glory to wide-eyed newcomers testing their limits, the film is a funny and heartfelt portrait of a place where tradition is steeped in vinegar—and victory tastes oddly sulphuric.
A conceptual short film starring Natalie Merchant as various archetypal female characters, plus a series of music videos from Merchant’s first two solo albums.
Ördögmuzsika
Louisiana filmmaker, Pat Mire, teams up with veteran filmmaker and cinematographer, Charles Bush, to capture the natural drama of handfishing in this award-winning documentary. Highly visual, the film examines the thrilling regional phenomenon of Cajuns who wade in murky bayou waters to catch huge catfish and turtles by reaching into hollow logs and stumps with their bare hands. Friends and family accompany the handfisherman to the bayou banks for Cajun music, festive cooking, and storytelling, and to witness this increasingly rare tradition. Told from the inside with multiple voices, Mire and Bush explore the chain of events set off by man's attempt to "improve" his environment by dredging bayous in this remarkable study of the relationship between cultural and natural resources.
In this wildly entertaining vision of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artists, Bob Dylan is surrounded by teen fans, gets into heated philosophical jousts with journalists, and kicks back with fellow musicians Joan Baez, Donovan, and Alan Price.
The music they make gives us joy and comfort. Now they will get something back. Christine Dancke brings pop stars on the road trip with surprises and delicious music. This time with the famous Norwegian singer AURORA
Wild Honey
A reverberating blur of bodies and fire conjures forth representation of the potent and intoxicating Southern English folk custom of the flaming tar barrel dash.
A short film documenting the dying tradition of Holmie Day, where islanders on Papa Westray, in Orkney, sail across to the nearby uninhabited island to shear the sheep.
King for a Day is a poetic archive-led documentary immersing us in the personal story of the people of Padstow in Cornwall, their ancient rituals and the challenges they face in a rapidly changing world. The tension between tradition and progress highlights the importance of cultural identity and the role of folk customs in our globalised society. King for a Day is an intimate portrait of a place and community pushed to the margins. A cinematic journey interweaving audio-visual archive spanning 150 years. Will this be the last generation to tease the ‘Old Oss’ from his stable to welcome the Summer?
Dusking is a project by the artist Lucy Wright—a newly invented tradition, conceived as the counterpart to the morris dancing that takes place on 1 May marking the arrival of summer. Taking place instead on 31 October, it invites participants—who join in remotely around the world—to ‘dance the sun down’ and honour the gifts of rest, reflection and replenishment associated with the darker months of the year. 'Mirie it is' is Lucy’s own contribution to this continuing tradition, a 3-part performance embodying each of the three stages of scientific twilight—civil, when the sun dips between 0 and 6 degrees below the horizon; nautical (when it’s below 12 degrees – and most stars can be seen with the naked eye) and astronomical, when just a little light is still left in the sky.
AWAKE is a short experimental documentary about a liminal moment in the calendar - midwinter - observed by the inhabitants of a small rural village in England. A time outside time, magic is everywhere and anything is possible. Bearing witness to this turning point, the inhabitants gather for a wassail - a centuries old thanksgiving ritual in which folk gather to honour the slow return of the sun and bless the apple trees whose fruit are essential to the village ecosystem, not least the crumbles, juice and cider that sustains them throughout the year.
Carly Simon is one of the most influential singer-songwriters of her generation. The classic album that made her a global star was No Secrets, which included the enigmatic song You're So Vain. The album spent five weeks at number one in the US chart.