Cruz Quinal, "the mandolin king," lives near Cumana in a mountain valley surrounded by sugarcane fields. Perpetuating 16th century Spanish traditions of guitar-making, Cruz fashions such musical instruments as cuatros, marimba, escarpandola, and his own creation, a mandolin with two fretboards. He is an accomplished musician as well. In this moving portrait, Cruz compares himself to a decaying colonial church across the street: revered yet neglected, the village altar stands, paint peeling, under the open sky.
Hugo Chavez was a colourful, unpredictable folk hero who was beloved by his nation’s working class. He was elected president of Venezuela in 1998, and proved to be a tough, quixotic opponent to the power structure that wanted to depose him. When he was forcibly removed from office on 11 April 2002, two independent filmmakers were inside the presidential palace.
Documentary about the life of Luis Mariano Rivera.
Short that tells the history of Campoma, a small Venezuelan town founded by black slaves.
Hugo Chávez: Itinéraire d'un révolutionnaire
Trade union leader Manuel Taborda, a pioneer of workers' organisations in the oil industry, recounts his experiences and those of his colleagues from 1920 to 1936, with an emphasis on the struggles against foreign companies and the government.
In 1969, the Renovación Universitaria movement and the subsequent raid on the Central University of Venezuela by the government of Rafael Caldera, triggered a strong wave of protest in the Institutes of Higher Education in Venezuela. This documentary collects part of the events that took place in the city of Mérida, Mérida State, where the University of the Andes is located.
1780, a group of slaves flee from a sugar cane hacienda. As they are pursued by Don Manuel Aguirre, obsessed landowner who has fixed his eyes on Azu, the beautiful slave with an ancestral destiny.
Intertwined stories of people fighting for love, survival and the truth during quarantine.
Río Negro is the struggle of two men, Osuna and Funes, hungry for power and wealth in a small town in Venezuela, during the dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez
Documentary about the life of Simón Bolívar, directed by Antonio Bacé.
Fragments of footage, unpublished snapshots and interviews with friends and colleagues. A tribute to the actor, director and producer Massimo Troisi, to celebrate what would have been his sixtieth birthday.
Every year during summer one of the biggest battles of mankind takes place amidst the hillsides of middle earth. Knights, elves and magicians are fighting orcs and the dark powers. What looks like a scene from Lord of the Rings actually takes place in a field in Germany, where thousands of role players meet to plunge into a fantasy world of their own. More than 250.000 people in Germany regularly make this transition. The documentary accompanies five role players in their daily lives and their parallel ones. Where does their yearning for a shared world of fantasy come from? What does this reveal about our hectic, technological life? Sunday warriors is a film about the passion for playing and the ambition to exceed your limits.
One of the world's most precious resources is at risk. This film will help others learn what is at stake and what can be done to protect the source of nearly all our food: SEEDS. While the price of gold and oil skyrockets the fate of our most priceless commodity is ignored. Seeds provide the basis for everything from fabric, to food to fuels. They are as essential to life as the air we breathe or water we drink... but given far less attention. Over the past one hundred years, seeds have steadily shifted from being common heritage to sovereign property. This film tells the story of seeds by following the challenges and triumphs of some of their most tireless stewards and advocates.
A look at global sex tourism, focusing on the situation in Venezuela and Thailand.
A couple of retired teachers transform an unused school bus into a mobile home. With the help of a few telescopes, a pension, and a heartfelt dream, they begin their journey to the most isolated parts of Mexico to teach a little astronomy to the public schools across the country for free.
Germán Cipriano Gómez Valdés Castillo, a young radio announcer from Cuidad Juárez, succeeds in drawing attention to the pachuco movement through his character Tin Tan, laying the groundwork for a new form of binational and mass linguistic expression: Spanglish. He soon became a leading figure in theater and film on the American Continent. Singled out by critics as a destroyer of the language, he quickly won the approval of the public. His ability to improvise revolutionized the film industry. His talent as an actor, singer, dancer and comedian contributed to the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema. From El Hijo Desobediente to Capitán Mantarraya, from Cuidad Juárez to Havana, from mambo to rock, the legacy of Tin Tan makes him one of the great icons of Mexico today. This film tells his story as it has never been told before.
A Short Doc About the Short Form & Anthologies
An appreciative, uncritical look at silent film comedies and thrillers from early in the century through the 1920s.
Witness the earth’s greatest wildlife, shot by the world’s greatest wildlife cinematographers, in a spectacular 2-hour special originally broadcast on National Geographic, Sunday July 9th, 2017. Hosted by award-winning actress Jane Lynch and award-winning television personality Phil Keoghan, Earth Live gives viewers access to key locations across six continents — from South America to Asia and everywhere in between — as world-renowned cinematographers use cutting-edge technology to showcase a number of wildlife firsts. And, for the first time, viewers will watch live wildlife lit only by the moon, in full color, via new low-light camera technology.