The Ozu Diaries

Footage shot in and around North Bergen, New Jersey presented in a minimalist series of fixed camera angles and long-takes accompanied by the ambient noise of city streets.

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..

“This film was a gift to me. I make no claims for it, nor do I offer any apologies. It comes from work on The Thoughts That Once We Had. There was one shot we had to cut whose loss I particularly regretted. It was a shot of a train pulling into Tokyo Station from Ozu’s The Only Son (1936). So I decided to make a film around this shot, an anthology of train arrivals. It comprises 26 scenes or shots from movies, 1904-2015. It has a simple serial structure: each black & white sequence in the first half rhymes with a color sequence in the second half. Thus the first shot and the final shot show trains arriving at stations in Japan from a low camera height. In the first shot (The Only Son), the train moves toward the right; in the last shot, it moves toward the left. A bullet train has replaced a steam locomotive. So after all these years, I’ve made another structural film, although that was not my original intention.”

Conspiracy, cover-up and condemnation... Those brave enough to share their stories from that mysterious night in Roswell 1947 faced humiliation and intimidation. 75 years later, as all those who had first hand knowledge of the event have now passed, the truth may never be accepted. We take a look back at the first hand accounts of those who saw, held and were instrumental in disclosing what the government could not, the crash of an alien spaceship. Diluted over the years, this documentary re-examines and focuses on the personal experiences, from witnessing a close encounter to traumatic military threats, which the ordeal had on unwitting bystanders within the Roswell community.

Bernard Tapie, le spectacle permanent

Documentary focusing on the SHARP FOCUS project, where four groups of Northern Irish teenagers (from Shankill Road, Belfast; The Falls Road, Belfast; Monaghan; and Muirhevnamor in Dundalk) come together to film four short films reflecting the effects the Troubles had on their contemporary lives.

The film 3211 is a true story about Stefan Đurić, a successful musician who one day loses everything and goes to prison, where only his songs remain from his former life.

What is 'a mother' really? Does Google provide an unequivocal answer? Wikipedia? Friends perhaps? The latter call it 'coming home' or 'someone who’s always there for you'. Now that his sister, twenty-five years after their own mother passed, is expecting her first child, filmmaker Wieke Kapteijns decides to examine the 'mother' concept. For the first time in his life, he has to venture into unknown territory and face up to long-suppressed grief

A land full of cliffs, streams, dotted with lakes and peat bogs, buffeted by strong sea winds... One of the most fascinating countries in Europe, but above all, one of the most mysterious. An island at the mercy of the sea winds, washed by the Atlantic and the waters of the Celtic and Irish seas. The island's beauty can be found in its rugged coastline, dramatic cliffs, streams, lakes and peat bogs. But above all, Ireland is a country full of spectacular stories. Its Celtic myths and legends have shaped its culture and our imagination. An air of mystery still hovers over the country of over 70,000 square kilometres. This is reflected in traditions, beliefs, folk music. This is also the legacy of thousands of years of history in an extraordinary land where, according to legend, giants and fairies still hide in the rocks and caves.

From the music of Hungarian composer Mihály Vig , Georgian filmmaker Koberidze, Alexandre crafts a story of pixelated dogs on a ledge. This short film is part of the 2x25 Project of Film Fest Gent and the World Soundtrack Awards. The project commissioned 25 composers to compose a short piece of music, after which 25 filmmakers made short films that are the ultimate symbioses of music and cinematography, fitting completely within the DNA of the festival. The result: 25 exceptional films where the music inspired the form, narrative and texture.

From the music of Scottish composer Patrick Doyle, Colombian filmmaker Juanita Onzaga crafts a story that aims to give account of everything that is worth to preserve and adore: shimmering reflections, dusty windows, a beloved mother, Virgin of Guadalupe, conspicuous trees, a chaotic city. This short film is part of the 2x25 Project of Film Fest Gent and the World Soundtrack Awards. The project commissioned 25 composers to compose a short piece of music, after which 25 filmmakers made short films that are the ultimate symbioses of music and cinematography, fitting completely within the DNA of the festival. The result: 25 exceptional films where the music inspired the form, narrative and texture.

Bruce Brown's The Endless Summer is one of the first and most influential surf movies of all time. The film documents American surfers Mike Hynson and Robert August as they travel the world during California’s winter (which, back in 1965 was off-season for surfing) in search of the perfect wave and ultimately, an endless summer.

An exploration —manipulated and staged— of life in Las Hurdes, in the province of Cáceres, in Extremadura, Spain, as it was in 1932. Insalubrity, misery and lack of opportunities provoke the emigration of young people and the solitude of those who remain in the desolation of one of the poorest and least developed Spanish regions at that time.

Megacities is a documentary about the slums of five different metropolitan cities.

Kieslowski’s later film Dworzec (Station, 1980) portrays the atmosphere at Central Station in Warsaw after the rush hour.

A detailed chronicle of the famous 1969 tour of the United States by the British rock band The Rolling Stones, which culminated with the disastrous and tragic concert held on December 6 at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, an event of historical significance, as it marked the end of an era: the generation of peace and love suddenly became the generation of disillusionment.

Primary is a documentary film about the primary elections between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey in 1960. Primary is the first documentary to use light equipment in order to follow their subjects in a more intimate filmmaking style. This unconventional way of filming created a new look for documentary films where the camera’s lens was right in the middle of what ever drama was occurring. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation in 1998.

In this wildly entertaining vision of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artists, Bob Dylan is surrounded by teen fans, gets into heated philosophical jousts with journalists, and kicks back with fellow musicians Joan Baez, Donovan, and Alan Price.

Magie Venezuely

A young filmmaker meets and follows Raya, a 94-year-old Soviet war heroine who fought in the Siege of Leningrad. As Head of the World War II Disabled Veterans Club in her city, she introduces him to a vanishing generation in Israel. Her own fighting spirit and willpower are still fierce. As Raya faces the loss of her last comrades and her health deteriorates, the two become involved in a spiritual process that awakens the young woman within her; Through her eyes and dreams, they create their own reality in which time and age lose all meaning. Their growing closeness transforms a film about war and loss into a mystical story of love and friendship.