Since World War II North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. It has promised a sense of space, affordability, family life and upward mobility. As the population of suburban sprawl has exploded in the past 50 years Suburbia, and all it promises, has become the American Dream. But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge...
Brief scenes of death related material: mortuaries, accidents and police work are filmed by TV crews and home video cameras. Some of it is most likely fake, some not as much.
Since the end of World War II, one of kind of urban residential development has dominate how cities in North America have grown, the suburbs. In these artificial neighborhoods, there is a sense of careless sprawl in an car dominated culture that ineffectually tries to create the more organically grown older communities. Interspersed with the comments of various experts about the nature of suburbia
Short film about safe street crossing
This film covers the early history of post World War II educational films, especially those involving traffic safety by the Highway Safety Foundation under direction of Richard Wayman. In the name of promoting safe driving in teenagers, these films became notorious for their gory depiction of accidents to shock their audiences to make their point. The film also covers the role of safety films of this era, their effect on North American teenage culture, the struggle between idealism and lurid exploitation and how they reflected the larger society concerns of the time that adults projected onto their youth.
This highway scare film produced by the Highway Safety Foundation in 1971, "Decade of Death", is a retrospective of the organization's 10 years of gory, shocking social guidance films which aimed to promote traffic safety and driver responsibility through the display of bloody and horrific footage of traffic crashes.The Highway Safety Foundation made driver scare films such as "Signal 30," "Mechanized Death," and "Highways of Agony" that intended to encourage drivers to drive responsibly and with consideration of the risks and consequences. It was the organization's belief that crash footage, while horrific, was the best way to convey the importance of driving safely.
A devastating highway accident in April 2018 thrust Humboldt, Saskatchewan into an international spotlight and voices from across the globe responded with sorrowful condolences, vigils and tributes. As the shock subsided and the world stepped back allowing the community to grieve, the directors of Humboldt: The New Season remained near the families. This is a story of healing without ever forgetting or letting go.
Information film about freeways, their interchanges, and driving safely on them.
The Le Mans race in 1955 made history through tragedy when more than 80 spectators were killed. Uncover the story of the crash that took the lives of so many and, to this day, looms over the world of motorsports.
A sophisticated and beautifully constructed account of landscape change in and around Paris in the early 1960s. The film raises complex issues about the meaning and experience of modern landscapes and the enigmatic characteristics of features such as canals, pylons and deserted factories. Rohmer also explores the role of landscape within different traditions of modern art and design and refers to specific architects, artists and engineers.
Terry Wilson is a 70-year-old lifelong resident of Meadowvale Village, Ontario's first heritage district. As development looms and begins to destroy Terry's favourite place in the world, he recreates pieces of history in his backyard, crafting an oasis where it feels like nothing has changed. A beautiful tribute to his childhood, his mother, and his town, Terry passionately fights to preserve history in a world that's too anxious for change.
Devastating hurricanes, torrential rains, the inexorably rising waters: coastal megacities are now up against the wall. The filmmakers have chosen three emblematic cities: New York, Singapore and Rotterdam. Cities that each face unique problems and must revisit their relationship with water in order to survive on the long run. In 50 years, all surge barriers in the world will be out of order. What solutions will then remain for coastal cities?
Markus Becker is hit by a car, dragged along, his head bashed on a curb and he falls into a coma. The doctors don’t believe that the 45-year-old will survive the next five to ten days. His father makes preparations for the funeral. Markus’ brother Michael refuses to accept this fate and begins an extraordinary battle. In his brother’s apartment he seals Markus’ clothes to preserve the smell. He records the neighbors’ voices. Every day, Michael exposes his brother to things that are familiar and films everything that is part of Markus’ life with a DV camera. He wants to keep him in his world and to bring this world to his bedside. He documents every step of Markus’ development, risking his own life in the process, wishing that his brother will one day regain the ability to lead a normal life. This full-length documentary accompanies Michael Becker for 10 years on his unwavering and creative mission to bring his brother Markus back to life.
Ecumenopolis: City Without Limits" tells the story of Istanbul and other Mega-Cities on a neo-liberal course to destruction. It follows the story of a migrant family from the demolition of their neighborhood to their on-going struggle for housing rights. The film takes a look at the city on a macro level and through the eyes of experts, going from the tops of mushrooming skyscrapers to the depths of the railway tunnel under the Bosphorous strait; from the historic neighborhoods in the south to the forests in the north; from isolated islands of poverty to the villas of the rich. It's an Istanbul going from 15 million to 30 million. It's an Istanbul going from 2 million cars to 8 million. It's the Istanbul of the future that will soon engulf the entire region. It's an Istanbul nobody has ever seen before.
Quand la Seine débordera
To promote the release of his album Garth Brooks in... The Life of Chris Gaines, Garth Brooks appeared as Chris Gaines in a television "mockumentary," a version of VH1's seminal cable classic Behind the Music, featuring a totally made-up tale that just may be the greatest rock n' roll documentary ever made. This piece of art has everything that makes the story of being a rockstar fucking cool. It has childhood trauma, record label trauma, death, disfigurement, a plane crash, a car crash, sex addiction, redemption, a house fire, random unexplained commentary from Billy Joel, and more sex addiction.
Anything can happen on Russian roads and is precisely shot by the dashboard camera. Super-objective video registration grows into the strong image of Russian national character – with its permanent awaiting for the miracle and habitual approach to real dramas. A forest on fire as a symbol of Russian hell, a military tank at a car wash and car chase in the vicinity of Kremlin shot with a dashboard cam at the same time when Boris Nemtsov, the leader of political opposition, was shot dead near Kremlin. Dashboard cam depicts life in it’s purity as an unbiased observer.
Excessive speed is the number one killer on the roads: one-thrid of all road deaths are caused by it. By excessive speeding drivers risk their own lives and those of others.
Choi Yuen Village faced demolition by the express rail project. In 2009, villagers protested and petitioned, sparking the anti-express rail movement. Despite their efforts, the railway plan was approved in early 2010. Forced to choose between leaving or rebuilding, they opted for the government’s land rehabilitation scheme to create a new village together. With volunteers, they searched for land in Pat Heung and fought to prove their status as farmers. Many outsiders misunderstood, believing the villagers received generous compensation and government help. Yet, it was the villagers’ shared determination and love for their land and way of life that carried them through, even as the once-barren longan trees bloomed again in 2010.
After the anti-express rail protests, Choi Yuen Village’s struggle did not end with the railway project approval. Villagers shifted from fighting demolition to painstakingly relocating and rebuilding their community. In 2011, they planned the new village together—including house design, sewage, and land use—while facing government pressure to move out by November. Road access issues caused additional worries. As demolition began, villagers stood together to protect their homes and demanded time to build before moving. By May 2011, villagers left their longtime homes for makeshift housing on newly bought farmland, continuing their collective effort. Their unity in overcoming countless challenges set an example for other rural communities and shows that real resistance is a long journey requiring ongoing attention.