North Bergen, North Bergen

Through the Fondren Fellows program, the Rice Media Center Archive Project has spent the past few months sifting through material stored at the now-defunct Rice Media Center. The team has identified several films as especially notable and will be presenting them in conjunction with documentary footage the team shot of people involved with the films. From lectures featuring Roberto Rossellini and Werner Herzog to films from former Rice students and faculty, the film presentation will tell the narrative of the Rice Media Center through the films and filmmakers that passed through its corridors.

An extremely lovely tribute to Ozu, on the 20th anniversary of his death. It uses a combination of footage from vintage films and new material (both interviews and Ozu-related locations) shot by Ozu's long-time camera-man (who came out of retirement to work on this). Surprisingly (or perhaps not), it focuses less on Ozu's accomplishments as a film-maker than on his impact on the lives of the people he worked with..

Two young documentarists travel around a forsaken island in the aftermath of a cataclysmic volcanic eruption. Their wanders lead them to the encounter of Professor Pereda, an acoustic geologist, conducting researches on geo-acoustics.

Created from material developed during "The Thoughts That Once We Had," this short film presents an anthology of 26 scenes from films made between 1904 and 2015, each depicting trains arriving at stations. The sequences are arranged in a serial structure, with black-and-white scenes in the first half paired with corresponding color sequences in the second half, forming a symmetrical visual progression.

Unveiling Yasujiro Ozu’s legacy through his personal diaries, letters, and interviews, the documentary delves into his life, creative process, and lasting impact on filmmaking.

With exclusive behind-the-scenes access into Herzog’s everyday life, rare archive material and in-depth interviews with celebrated collaborators – including Christian Bale, Nicole Kidman, and Robert Pattinson, we are given an exciting glimpse into the work and personal life of the iconic artist.

RECONQUEST OF THE USELESS, a documentary film which follows the adventures of three young men as they journey nearly 5000 miles through the Peruvian Amazon, searching for inspiration and the legacy of Werner Herzog's classic film Fitzcarraldo & Les Blank's Burden of Dreams thirty years after they were made.

A pre-fame Werner Herzog (Adam Ezagouri) is asked to share a flat with a strange new actor only known as Klaus Kinski. Herzog agrees but soon regrets his generous decision as Kinski proves to be one uncanny flatmate. Despite their disagreements, both decide to try and shoot Herzog's own version of Don Quixote, with disastrous consequences.

It seemed like a typically quiet night... but the most unexpected encounter leads Chris to a difficult choice.

When the collection of short stories by I.E.Babel "Konarmiya" was published, S.M. Budyonny became one of its first readers. The "horse army" infuriated him. Budyonny called the essays slanderous speculation and threatened to personally hack Babel with a saber. Defending the writer, Gorky wrote: "He showed the fighters of the First Cavalry better, more truthfully than Gogol — Zaporozhtsev." The writer was saved that time. But on May 16, 1939, no one could help Babel anymore. The writer was arrested. He ended up in the most terrible NKVD prison, Sukhanovskaya. Few people managed to get out alive.…

Fernanda Ocaña, a 60-year-old drag artist from Seville, left her hometown at 14 to build a life in Barcelona. Taken in by the iconic Spanish artist José Pérez Ocaña, she immersed herself in the world of show business. Today, she continues to shine as the host of the Bar Ocaña in Plaza Real, welcoming guests with her unmistakable charm.

Short documentary on a central african tribe called 'The Chillouks'.

In the mountains of Colombia's Coffee Triangle, a family faces the shadow of armed conflict. Years later, a son reconstructs the inherited fear, amidst echoes of the past and invisible scars. A sensory journey into memory, where the unspoken still resonates.

Asilo (Prototipo)

"In Wallis and Futuna, disability has long lived in the shadows. Invisible to the world, those affected were marginalized, deprived of genuine recognition and a place in society. Behind closed doors, shame and fear of judgment mingled with the pain of families convinced that a child with a disability was a curse. Today, these superstitions are gradually fading. But the wounds of the past remain, and the path to acceptance and inclusion is still long. On this archipelago, it is urgent to make up for lost time in terms of recognition, support, and dignity for every person with a disability."

The Dutch director A.H., born in Noord-Brabant, has been experiencing pressure from his family for years to focus more on his Moroccan identity. Aiman does not feel the need, because he considers himself a Dutchman, too. In this personal documentary, he examines the cultural differences between himself and his family, before he will have to cut some knots. Either he conforms to the wishes of his family or he follows his own path, possibly jeopardising the relationship with his parents.

A Panorama investigation. Last August's shooting of a young Catholic, Loughlin Maginn , was the 2,744th murder since the present Northern Ireland troubles began. But it will be remembered as the killing which triggered off a damaging row between the governments of London and Dublin. Maginn was targeted and murdered by Protestant terrorists using an intelligence file leaked from within forces there to prevent such violence. Next month a report on the collusion between Loyalist paramilitaries and dissidents in the army and police will be delivered by a team of English detectives sent to plug the leaks. John Ware reveals disturbing new evidence that the principal source of leaks is from within the locally recruited Ulster Defence Regiment.

For nearly three decades Laura Aguilar has used photography as a tool to speak about people and issues not considered part of the cultural mainstream. Laura Aguilar: Life, the Body, Her Perspective presents personal video essays by the artist, a lecture she gave at UCLA in 2005 that describes her life as a photographer, plus an interview and documentary filmed by Michael Stone. A comprehensive series of slide shows features works from her extensive oeuvre, including Family and Friends, In Sandy’s Room, and Clothed/Unclothed. A bonus CD contains a PowerPoint survey that enables students and educators to study individual images, facilitating discussion of Aguilar’s groundbreaking art.

"In continuo" uses slaughterhouse imagery to present the warlike nature of man, first depicting the cleaning and mechanical preparations for the slaughterhouse and then the killing, however, the animal slaughter itself isn’t shown.

An interview with John Sweet, who provides details about the shooting of Powell and Pressburger's 1944 film, A CANTERBURY TALE.