A documentary that explores the challenges that a life in music can bring.
This is the remarkable story of an American icon who changed the sport of big wave surfing forever. Transcending the surf genre, this in-depth portrait of a hard-charging athlete explores the fear, courage and ambition that push a man to greatness—and the cost that comes with it.
Documentary on conductor Herbert van Karajan, focusing on his early adoption of audio and video recording technology and his impetus to make use of it to preserve his musical legacy for future generations.
Relive the Paris 2024 Olympic Games through the journeys of eight remarkable athletes who pushed past limits, defied expectations, and inspired the world. Featuring Noah Lyles, Faith Kipyegon, Jack Robinson, Huang Yaqiong and Zheng Siwei, Leon Marchand, Olga Kharlan and Cindy Ngamba.
A bracingly honest new documentary sourced from hundreds of hours of unseen archive and all-new conversations captured during the pandemic, the film features open and frank insights from each band member plus collaborators inextricably linked to the group’s orchestral adventures. Alongside dramatic re-interpretations of their hit songs, ReOrchestrated charts the very beginning of the band’s foundations all the way through the highs and lows of their three albums to date, via landmark, full orchestra appearances at Royal Albert Hall, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and The London Palladium, not to mention the inevitable tensions encountered en route.
John Eliot Gardiner goes in search of Bach the man and the musician. The famous portrait of Bach portrays a grumpy 62-year-old man in a wig and formal coat, yet his greatest works were composed 20 years earlier in an almost unrivalled blaze of creativity. We reveal a complex and passionate artist; a warm and convivial family man at the same time a rebellious spirit struggling with the hierarchies of state and church who wrote timeless music that is today known world-wide. Gardiner undertakes a 'Bach Tour' of Germany, and sifts the relatively few clues we have - some newly-found. Most of all, he uses the music to reveal the real Bach.
Leonard Stöckel
The story of how three oddball teenage bluesmen became one of the biggest, most beloved bands on the planet.
This film is a fascinating look at some people afflicted with congenital deformities of an extreme nature. Their ability to live with their aberrations while remaining socially involved and upbeat is truly inspirational. While their predecessors were often seen in so called "freak shows" that were part of various exhibitions from Coney Island to traveling circuses, these performers were actually the more fortunate ones in an era of little tolerance for those who were different from the accepted norm. Many became famous and extremely wealthy, such as Tom Thumb (Charles Sherwood Stratton), who worked for many years with P.T. Barnum.
A popular production from 2021, straight from the historic building of the National Theatre. This star-studded title is directed by experienced director Magdalena Švecová, with soloists, the National Theatre Orchestra and Choir, and conducted by Jaroslav Kyzlink. The Barber of Seville was composed by the then 23-year-old Gioachino Rossini in just three weeks, resulting in a witty and dynamic work that perfectly captures the genre of Italian opera buffa. Rossini based his work on the 1772 play The Barber of Seville, or The Misguided Precaution by French dramatist Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. The two-act opera tells the story of the young love between Rosina and Count Almaviva. However, her guardian Don Bartolo also has his eye on her. Almaviva does not give up and asks the local barber Figaro for help, who comes up with a daring plan to bring the couple to their dream wedding.
Il était une fois... Patrick Bruel
A documentary highlighting the Soviet Union's legendary and enigmatic hockey training culture and world-dominating team through the eyes of the team's Captain Slava Fetisov, following his shift from hockey star and celebrated national hero to political enemy.
In 1973, at age 39, Brigitte Bardot decides to stop her acting career at the height of her fame to dedicate herself to Animal welfare and protection. Her rebellious nature finds in this cause a genuine expression of who she really is. This intimate portrait including exclusive interviews provides a unique account of her journey as a movie icon turning into a radical advocate for wildlife protection ahead of her time.
Rachmaninoff Revisited
United States: Kamala Harris, a Californian Rise
The Oscar nominated actor best known for his role of Mr. Miyagi, left behind a painfully revealing autobiographical record of his much-too-brief time here on earth. Tracing his journey from being bed bound as a boy to the bright lights and discrimination in Hollywood. Deep inside that sweet, generous, multi-talented performer seethed an army of demons, that even alcohol and drugs couldn't mask.
Actor/director Sidney Poitier discusses his life and career. He tells of his upbringing in Jamaica; the difficulties he encountered in New York City at the start of his career; his involvement in the US civil-rights movement; and efforts to end apartheid in South Africa. Friends and acquaintances, as well as other performers, give their insights about what makes him so special.
The father through the eye of the son, the painter through the eye of the filmmaker. Started at random 10 years ago, the picture rewrites in a very subjective way the life of Roger Gobron - born in 1899 in Brussels - who, through his pictorial research, succeeded in giving watercolors a new dimension. "In Belgium, artists are evaluated according to the price of their paintings", A tribute to this simple and generous man who searched and painted watercolors his whole life.
Portrays Louis Robichaud, Canadian politician and former Premier of New Brunswick.
Crash and Burn chronicles the thrilling and turbulent career of Irish racing driver Tommy Byrne, who rose from a rough, working-class background to the cusp of Formula 1 in the 1980s. Directed by Seán Ó Cualáin, the film explores Byrne's undeniable talent and rebellious personality, which set him apart on the track but also clashed with the conservative and elite world of Formula 1. Byrne’s story is filled with highs and lows, from his dominance in lower racing categories to his brief, rocky stint in Formula 1 and subsequent struggles. The documentary combines interviews, archival footage, and personal insights to portray the complexities of Byrne’s character and his “what could have been” legacy in motorsport.