Fugitive Pieces tells the story of Jakob Beer, a man whose life is transformed by his childhood experiences during WWII. The film is based on the beloved and best-selling novel by Canadian poet Anne Michaels.Jakob’s story (Robbie Kay) begins in Poland in 1942, when he is nine years old. Nazi soldiers have murdered his parents and abducted his teenage sister, Bella. Traumatized by this horrific event, Jakob sneaks out of his hiding place and struggles to survive. He is found by Athos Roussos (Rade Sherbedgia), a Greek archaeologist working at a Polish dig site in Biskupin. Moved by the child’s…
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Hats Off, a feature-length documentary, profiles the beauty and eccentricities of an extraordinary woman, 93-year-old actress Mimi Weddell.With the style and grace of Katharine Hepburn, the smoky wit and wisdom of Dorothy Parker and her own personal philosophy “rise above it,” Mimi is truly an iconic American original, rising above the mundane and difficult confines of her own daily life, to reach for the stars and fulfill her dreams.Hats Off captures the essence of this unique woman whose full-time acting career began at age 65, and whose daily routine mocks the traditional image of old age. From her 14-hour days…
The Cats of Mirikitaniis a beautiful documentary on Jimmy Mirikitani. Eighty-year-old Jimmy Mirikitani survived the trauma of WWII internment camps in USA, Hiroshima, and homelessness by creating art. But when 9/11 threatens his life on the New York City streets and a local filmmaker brings him to her home, the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy’s painful past. An intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing powers of friendship and art, this documentary won the Audience Award at its premiere in the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. Produced by Lucid Dreaming inc. in association with…
Born 1976 in Tehran, Ayat Najafi has studied set design in the University of Tehran. In 2003 he established the “Arta Atelier”, focusing on interdisciplinary, multimedia approach to theatre, as well as experimental short and documentary film, whose subject matter dealt primarily with behaviour in Tehran, and the city of Tehran itself as a concept. Ayat had participated in “Shoot Goals, Shoot Movies” in Berlinale Talent Campus, 2005, with his short film, “Move it”. His first feature documentary “Football Under Cover” co-directed with David Assmann will be released to theaters on April 10th in Germany.Football Under Cover happens in Tehran…
My Brother is an Only Child is set in a small Italian town in the 60’s and 70’s; the film tells the story of two brothers who want to change the world – but in completely different ways. The elder, Manrico (Riccardo Scamarcio), is a handsome, charismatic firebrand who becomes the prime mover in the local Communist Party.Accio (Elio Germano), the younger, more rebellious brother, finds his own contrarian voice by joining the reactionary Fascists. What starts as a typical tale of sibling rivalry becomes the story of the polarizing and paralyzing politics of those turbulent times and the rift…
Throughout the 1950’s and 60’s, William Castle produced and directed a series of horror films featuring some nifty audience-participation gimmicks. Castle treated moviegoers to buzzing seats, flying skeletons, luminescent ghosts and mock life insurance policies, and they loved every minute of it. In the documentary Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story, audiences are served up a different kind of treat: a rags-to-riches tale about one of the last great American showmen, a master of self-promotion and exploitation who, privately, was plagued by a fear of failure and a desperate desire to be respected among his peers. Castle’s first breakout film…
Bam 6.6 is the story of the human condition. The film weaves together stories of survival, loss, and healing, as we explore the humanity of the Iranian people through the prism of the devastating 2003 earthquake that struck at the heart of Bam, an ancient Iranian village.Bam 6.6 subjects come from different walks of life – A Jewish-American woman, an American businessman, and the Iranian residents of Bam. Through their experiences, viewers will witness how a natural disaster can overcome religious and political barriers, dispel stereotypes, and unite disparate members of the human family.Jahangir Golestan-Parast, producer/director of Bam 6.6, was…
BIG RIG is a broad portrait of modern America as seen through the eyes of long-haul truck drivers. Spanning 21,000 miles, 45 states, and dozens of truck stops, director Doug Pray and producer Brad Blondheim (the team who created SCRATCH) went far beyond just stereotypical chrome and coffee culture and made a film that delves deeply into the lives and personal struggles of these working-class heroes, who are, literally, carrying the nation upon their backs. From New York City’s Hunt’s Point Market, where semis arrive at 3am to deliver produce to feed the entire Northeast, to California’s San Joaquin Valley,…
Hollywood – February 24 – Tonight Freeheld , directed by Cynthia Wade won the Best Documentary Short Film Award. Here is a Cinema Without Borders exclusive interview with Cynthia Wade. Cynthia Wade is a NYC-based documentary filmmaker. Her short documentary “Freeheld” won a Special Jury Prize at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival, and her award-winning HBO documentary “Shelter Dogs” was broadcast in seven countries. Wade directed the 1999 Cinemax Reel Life documentary “Grist For The Mill”, which The Hollywood Reporter called “a delight…full of quirky moments and clever humor” and Variety called “a jewel … extremely comical.” She was co-producer and…
XXY is about Alex is a 15-year-old teenager with a secret. Soon after her birth her parents decide to leave Buenos Aires to make a home out of an isolated wooden cabin tucked away in the dunes of the Uruguayan shoreline. XXY begins with Alex´s parents receiving a couple of friends and their 16-year-old son Álvaro from Buenos Aires. Álvaro´s father is a plastic surgeon who accepted the invitation because of his medical concern for their friend´s daughter. The inevitable attraction between both teenagers forces them all to face their worst fears… Rumours are spreading around town. Alex gets stared…