Umberto Eco: A Library of the World

Umberto Eco, the author of best-selling novels who passed away in February 2016, unveils the secrets behind his undertakings and novels.

A German TV documentary that chronicles the daily rehearsals, the filming and all the behind the scenes of Jean-Jacques Annaud's classic "The Name of the Rose". From actors perspectives to the ideas used by the director to produce an impeccable international epic adaptation of Umberto Eco's best selling novel, the film presents the obstacles behind the creation of a production of such large scale and also the making of the many difficult scenes, most of the ones presented here are the characters' murders inside the mysterious abbey.

A documentary on the genesis, writing, shooting and analysis of the film "The Name of the Rose".

La rosa dei nomi

Umberto Eco's novel Il pendolo di Foucault (1988) is an immensely ambitious, multi-layered and allusive book. The film contains an initial account and examination of this new book, which is as contentious as it is controversial. Eco's publisher and prominent Italian critics have their say and, of course, the author. He talks about the eight years of work on the book, about the two central images that stand at the beginning of his novel, and about what this story of magic, occultism, and delusion has to do with us and our present.

14th-century Franciscan monk William of Baskerville and his young novice arrive at a conference to find that several monks have been murdered under mysterious circumstances. To solve the crimes, William must rise up against the Church's authority and fight the shadowy conspiracy of monastery monks using only his intelligence; which is considerable.

Two adolescent sons and their parents. A family whose members have known each other for so long that their mutual affection can feel like cabin fever. They all have dreams they want the others to validate, perhaps even more than their need to fulfill those dreams.

Uncover the secret world of Joe Biden and his family's relationship to China and the sinister business deals that enriched them at America's expense.

This hour-long documentary is a provocative look at a historical event of which few Americans are aware. In mid-January, 1893, armed troops from the U.S.S Boston landed at Honolulu in support of a treasonous coup d’état against the constitutional sovereign of the Hawaiian Kingdom, Queen Lili‘uokalani. The event was described by U.S. President Grover Cleveland as an "act of war."

This documentary is about the children's theater company "La Colmenita" from Cuba, which was founded in the darkest years of that country's special period. The documentary is supported by the testimonies of its founders, as well as artists of the stature of Silvio Rodríguez, Omara Portuondo, Kcho. They are an example of how childhood can be saved with love.

“When you don’t know your language or your culture, you don’t know who you are,” says 69-year-old Armand McArthur, one of the last fluent Nakota speakers in Pheasant Rump First Nation, Treaty 4 territory, in southern Saskatchewan. Through the wisdom of his words, Armand is committed to revitalizing his language and culture for his community and future generations.

The rocky desert in southwestern Algeria is the temporary home of about 150,000 refugees from Western Sahara. Goats grazing or the opening of a beauty salon are among the many scenes of everyday life of people who are eagerly awaiting the beginning of the film festival. The observational documentary captures the unwavering love of film in a place that the world has forgotten.

Inner view to the social bubble of those who are running our society without being any part of it. Mixture of shots taken on unspecified VIP event and records from artist’s performative piece which he realized in Prague, is a though reflexion of bitter reality of our lives: No matter how many plastic straws we won’t use, it is not us, who sets the limits.

An intimate statement about the filmmaker’s need for self-expression through her own nudity and simultaneously an effort to reject the taboo of patriarchal society. Using diary entries, anger-filled personal reflections, and discussions with a mother painting her nude daughter, the film opens the topic of overcoming shame for one’s own physicality and female sexuality.

Little did Michael Watson know that when he stepped into the ring on 21 September 1991 to fight Chris Eubank for the World Boxing Organisation Super Middleweight title, it was a fight that would nearly cost him his life. Ten years on, Fighting Back: The Michael Watson Story, tells of his remarkable recovery from the brink of death and features his first public meeting with Eubank.

This year is 2017 and South Koreans are baffled by news reports about growing numbers of stray dogs gathering in packs in the capital Seoul. Sightings of these packs have been reported in hillside areas. A film crew investigates, heading to Baeksa Village. The village is one of Seoul’s last remaining hillside communities. It had been earmarked for redevelopment, but plans stalled. The crew discovers a village full of mainly abandoned houses whose owners have long since moved away. In many cases, the crew finds, owners have left their cats and dogs behind to fend for themselves. The film-makers capture the lives of these strays – as well as the efforts of musicians who hope a thrilling concert will make a difference. What will become of these poor cats and dogs – and the people trying to help them?

A true icon of British history, Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) laid the foundations of modern nursing. A beautiful tribute to a pioneer whose integrity, selflessness and zeal are to be admired.

This short film is a translation of an original script from the USSR, written in 1936, but never produced. An over-the-top anti-smoking PSA.

Italia 70 - 10 anni di piombo

A Media Agua is a documentary filmed in 16mm, made up of a series of short films that review the history of the last century through the eyes of an Anglo-Uruguayan family and their perception of Uruguayan culture, World War II and technological advances of the time. Based on found and salvaged film reels, the team attempts to piece together the history of this fragmented family and its subsequent three generations, with the goal of understanding their beliefs and secrets as part of the Secret Service in South America.