A Film Unfinished

Release Date: August 18th, 2010

Starring: Alexander Beyer, Rüdiger Vogler

Director: Yael Hersonski

Writer: Yael Hersonski

Studio: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 29 minutes

The documentary from Yael Hersonski is based on real facts, proved by the hard work of German archivists. The last ones have discovered thousands of Nazis films, considered to be the chronicles of the times of Hitler’s propaganda.

The films were hidden somewhere in a forest and buried in a concrete grave. The last film found there became a historical event of the world importance. It was a raw copy about an hour long entitled as “Ghetto”. It had neither opening nor closing credits; neither soundtracks, nor comments of the narrator. Shot in the Warsaw ghetto, the film propagandized the Nazis care of over a half a million Jews whom they kept in the ghetto, where poverty, starvation and typhus were ordinary things.

“A Film unfinished” is also supplemented with the shocking stories told by former residents of the ghetto and even of a Nazi cinematographer, who took part in the film production of those times.

The documentary by Yael Hersonski reveals the brutal truth about the hardships of living in ghetto and centers on the internal regulations and severe restrictions, which made living there nothing else but a desperate struggle for survival…

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The Tillman Story

Release Date: August 20th, 2010

Starring: Pat Tillman

Director: Amir Bar-Lev

Writer: Mark Monroe

Studio: Passion Pictures

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes

A riveting documentary from filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev follows the true story of Pat Tillman – a man, who is considered a national hero.

Still, he has never dreamed to become a hero one day. A professional football player, Pat has chosen another way for himself. Having left a multimillion-dollar contract, he decided to join military forces of his country in 2002. The only reason of such decision was his own belief - that was the right thing for him to do.

The politicians and media made everything possible to create a picture of Tillman as a symbol of patriotism, using it for their own purposes, one of which was war propaganda. In his film Amir Bar-Lev reveals all the truth about Pat Tillman, his life and his tragic death, which were more heroic and more complex, than the media and the government made most of the people think.

Based on the numerous interviews with his family members and many of his fellow soldiers, the documentary touches upon the notion of heroism and patriotism by Pat Tillman’s example. Pat’s mother, Dannie Tillman played the great role in this discovery. She undertook a great family’s crusade for the sake of her son. The documentary is written by Mark Monroe and narrated by Josh Brolin.

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The Wildest Dream

Release Date: August 6th, 2010

Starring: Conrad Anker, Hugh Dancy, Ralph Fiennes, Leo Houlding, Liam Neeson

Director: Anthony Geffen

Writer: Mark Halliley

Studio: National Geographic Entertainment

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes

“The Wildest Dream” is a documentary, directed by Anthony Geffen, which follows the breathtaking adventure to the summit of Everest. The film features brilliant voices of such celebrities as Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Natasha Richardson, Alan Rickman and Hugh Dancy, who narrate this beautiful story, full of mysteries.

The most enduring mystery of conquering Mount Everest is connected with its first climber George Mallory and his disappearance in 1924. The frozen remains of Mallory and his friend Sandy Irvine have been found in the mountains only 75 years later.

Conrad Anker and his friend Leo Houlding, both devoted to mountains and mountaineering, have taken an attempt to repeat Mallory’s way to the summit of Everest, for the purpose of knowing and telling the real story about George Mallory and his adventure to the top of the world.

Mallory was a man, who had two great passions in his life – for his beloved wife Ruth and for mountains. The documentary combines photos and archive information, taken from the correspondence between Mallory and his wife with picturesque sights of Everest and the amazing story of Mallory’s climbing Everest.

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Winnebago Man

Release Date: July 9th, 2010

Starring: Jack Rebney, Ben Steinbauer, Keith Gordon, Nick Prueher, Joe Pickett

Director: Ben Steinbauer

Writer: Malcolm Pullinger, Ben Steinbauer, Louisa Hall, Joel Heller, Berndt Mader, Natasha Rosow

Studio: Kino International

Genre: Comedy, Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 27 minutes

The main hero of the film is Jack Rebney. He belongs to men, you have never heard of, but who contrives to become very popular among their fans. Rebney is considered to be an underground sensation. Funny underground video tapes with an outrageously cursing man, distributed in nineties illegally, made Winnebago man a superstar. Later his videos, uploaded to the official Winnebago website, brought him unprecedented glory all over the world. His website has over 20 million visitors, and their number grows from day to day. The curious situations, he gets into, made his audience laugh until one cries.

The story of Rebney, the angriest man in the world, and his great success are the main themes of the documentary from the filmmaker Ben Steinbauer. The hilarious out-takes with Rebney made him a phenomenon, the secrets of which are revealed in the film by Steinbauer. The director of “Winnebago Man” offers the viewer a deep and smart look at Jack Rebney’s life and lifestyle and researches the phenomenon of such a great response of people, which made him an Internet celebrity beyond his own expectations.

Starring in the documentary are Jack Rebney, Ben Steinbauer, Nick Prueher, Keith Gordon and Joe Pickett.

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Smash His Camera

Release Date: July 30th, 2010

Starring: Floyd Abrams, Gilbert M. Anderson, Joseph Basile, Harry Benson, Humphrey Bogart

Director: Leon Gast

Studio: Magnolia Pictures and Got Shot Productions

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 27 minutes

The documentary tells the story of Ron Galella – a great paparazzo, who had the talent for taking unforgettable shots of celebrities. Most of them hated Galella for his importunity, which often made the photographer disregard the right to privacy. Hi didn’t confine himself to sneaking around; Galella’s methods included also invasion and bribe. He held up his camera and did his job, until somebody interfered in his activity. Nothing could stop Ron Galella in his sniper artistry, even law and imprisonment.

He pursued Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who sued the notorious photographer. Marlon Brando had to break his jaw. Steve McQueen presented paparazzo his look, full of anger. If only looks could kill…

For most of the stars Galella was a freak, but they couldn’t deny his unsurpassed skill in photography. Thanks to the paparazzo mastery movie fans received a plenty of wonderful photos of their beloved actors and actresses. He had the ability to see and show someone’s beauty in his own way. And, what is also important, Galella had a talent for hunting celebrities in order to capture these exclusive shots.

“Smash His Camera”, directed by Leon Gast, is an open-minded look at the work and lifestyle of paparazzi, which is fascinating, annoying, beautiful and stressful.

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Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel

Release Date: July 23rd, 2010

Starring: Joan Baez, Tony Bennett, Pat Boone, Jim Brown, Susan Brownmiller

Director: Brigitte Berman

Studio: Phase 4 Films

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 2 hours 04 minutes

The documentary film, directed by Oscar-winner Brigitte Berman, describes the remarkable life story of Hugh Hefner - one of the beginners of sexual revolution.

This story began in 1953, when Hefner first appeared in Playboy magazine and where he scored a success as hedonistic playboy and troublemaker for many of his opponents, including religious representatives, feminists and even the government. He was the man, whose innovative viewpoints kept him in a constant war against the forces of State and Church over the decades.

Berman shows us not only a sexual star, loved by and infatuated with lots of beautiful women, but the extraordinary person with controversial style of life. The filmmaker offers a deep sight into Hefner’s life with his fights over sexual freedom, abortion rights, First Amendment rights, social justice, censorship and many others.

The documentary provides the audience with numerous interviews and rare snapshots of Hefner, most of which was taken from his own voluminous archives. Besides, the film offers the curious interviews with such celebrities as George Lucas, Joan Baez, Jesse Jackson, Tony Bennett, James Caan and Jim Brown.

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Great Directors

Release Date: July 2nd, 2010

Starring: Bernardo Bertolucci, Catherine Breillat, Liliana Cavani, Stephen Frears, Todd Haynes

Director: Angela Ismailos

Writer: Angela Ismailos

Studio: Paladin

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 26 minutes

An exclusive work by Angela Ismailos, the documentary “Great Directors” offers the viewer a deep look at the cinema through the vision of ten world-famous filmmakers. Bernardo Bertolucci, Richard Linklater, David Lynch, Liliana Cavani, Stephen Frears, Todd Haynes, Agnes Varda, Catherine Breillat, Ken Loach, and John Sayles appear in the film in detailed interviews and conversations. The documentary provides the personal stories of great directors with exclusive shots, taken from their original films and historical archives. “Great Directors” is created to reveal the stories of life, career and incredible success of ten remarkable personalities in the cinematography. The documentary is not only chronicles of important events of these ten celebrities. It describes their personal lifestyle, their artistic evolution, their feelings and inspirations, in other words - everything, that helped them to become the acclaimed filmmakers of the world-class.

In “Great Directors” Angela Ismailos explores the prominent artists, their great role in the cinematography and their timeless masterpieces, which inspired and continue inspiring numerous movie-fans and filmmakers.

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Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Release Date: July 21st, 2010

Starring: Julian Schnabel, Fab 5 Freddy, Jeffrey Deitch, Glenn O'Brien, Nicholas Taylor

Director: Tamra Davis

Studio: Arthouse Films

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes

The plot of the film is centered on an interview with Jean-Michel Basquiat, shot more than twenty years ago. The filmmaker Tamra Davis, who was also a friend of a young artist, offers a deep sight into the world of this charismatic canvas painter.

The documentary chronicles touch upon the significant periods of life of the artist. Basquiat’s first work was dated 1981. To 1983 he became an artist of great importance. To the age of 25 Basquiat achieved the incredible popularity: his career as an artist was at the height. 1985 he befriended and collaborated with painter Andy Warhol, but the sudden death of the last one in 1987 interrupted their successful cooperation. Basquiat passed away a year later. Heroin addicted, Jean-Michel couldn’t overcome his weakness for drugs and died at the age of 27, in 1988. The masterpieces of Basquiat, created not long before his death, sell nowadays for over a million US dollars.

The film by Davis is a biographical story of an unprecedented rise and fall of the artist, whose name and works belong to neo-expressionism and minimalism. Continually confronted with racism and misunderstanding, Basquiat could nevertheless have created and painted his own world full of mystery, which discovers the unsurpassed talent of its owner.

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A Small Act

Release Date: July 12th, 2010

Starring: Chris Mburu, Hilde Back

Director: Jennifer Arnold

Studio: Considered Entertainment

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes

The documentary, directed by Jennifer Arnold, is a moving life story of a Kenyan boy, who achieved a lot thanks to his casual benefactor’s help.

Chris Mburu is a young and poor Kenyan, living and studying in one of the rural schools of Kenya. He is the best pupil in his school, but his top-ranked position there doesn’t nevertheless promise him bright future. Growing up in a penniless family, he has no chances to continue his education and find a deserving job. Coffee picking - the destiny of many of Kenyans doesn’t attract talented Mburu.

To his great luck the casual encounter with a Swedish pre-school teacher changes all his life. Hilde Back becomes Mburu’s sponsor. Every month she donates just a few dollars for Mburu, and this support helps the boy to fight for his best future. Thanks to Hilde Back he enters Harvard Law School and several years later he becomes a United Nations human rights advocate.

Having achieved great success in his professional life, Mburu decides to find his sponsor and thank her for her support and inestimable contribution to his future. Surprisingly he learns, that his sponsor is a Holocaust survivor, who ran away from Germany as a child. And Hilde Back is also surprised to learn, that her small donation could help Mburu so much on his way to the best future.

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Countdown to Zero (2010)

Release Date: July 23rd, 2010

Starring: Lucy Walker, Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy

Director: Lucy Walker

Writer: Lucy Walker

Studio: Magnolia Pictures

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 30 minutes

“Cowndown to Zero” is a documentary by Lucy Walker, touching upon the question of the universal importance. That is the question on nuclear weapons and their proliferation.

There was nothing more threatening for all nations during the Cold War, as the bombs. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the threat to all human, connected with the bombs, seemed to be left in the past. We thought the danger had passed since that time. But the history proved contrary of this statement.

Nowadays we face a second nuclear age. Already nine nations construct nuclear weapons and in the coming future the number of countries able to produce the nuclear bombs will grow. According to the reliable information, more than 40 nations have the technical potential to construct nuclear weapons in the nearest future. No matter, how much politicians are worried about the problem and how many efforts they make to achieve total global disarmament. There are those, who threat the world society by mass destruction. Terrorists will stop at nothing. Besides there is a certain risk, that one day the human error occurs, but the price for this mistake is far too big. We must stop the nuclear weapon proliferation, until it comes to countdown to zero…

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The People Vs. George Lucas

Release Date: June 2nd, 2010

Starring: David Brin, Matt Cohen, Brian Comerford, Rafik Djoumi, Art Douglas

Director: Alexandre O. Philippe

Studio: Exhibit A Pictures

Genre: Comedy, Documentary

Runtime:1 hour 37 minutes

“The People vs. George Lucas” is a documentary with elements of comedy, directed by filmmaker Alexandre O. Philippe. The main idea of the film is showing the filmmaking industry and everything, it is connected with, from an interesting and partly unexpected viewpoint.

The documentary uses a courtroom, where the issues of filmmaking are investigated. The cases touched upon in the film include and are based on numerous interviews with the brilliant actors, actresses, filmmakers and scriptwriters. Alongside with the detailed information, the audience receives from the interviews given by celebrities, the documentary is well provided with the data on films, submitted on the original or fan movie websites.

The innovative method of filming and a good creative work of all of the cast and film creators are made to offer to the viewers all over the world this - the most digitally democratic film - the first one of such kind.

Starring in the documentary are Matt Cohen, David Brin, Brian Comerford, Art Douglas and Rafik Djoumi. The film will be interested for viewing for all movie fans and film lovers.

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The Nature of Existence

Release Date: June 18th, 2010

Starring: Rob Adonis, Geoff Bolt, Orson Scott Card, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Gilbert

Director: Roger Nygard

Studio: Walking Shadows

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 34 minutes

Filmmaker Roger Nygard offers us an outstanding documentary, touching the questions, which everyone asks himself once. The most popular among these questions are about the Universe and how it was started, about a human being and his role on the Earth, about God and if he really exists or just thought out by religious fanatics.

The documentary is based on the numerous interviews with the representatives of various religions, philosophies and sciences, who tell us their point of view on the subject in question, guided by the knowledge they possess. Among them are the world-known figures, such as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Indian Holy Man), Zhang Chengda (Taoist Master), Richard Dawkins (evolutionary biologist), Leonard Susskind (Stanford physicist), Brother Jed Smock (confrontational evangelist), Irvin Kershner (the filmmaker of Star Wars) and many others.

Taking into account the information and opinions of these people, Nygard has undertaken his own investigation concerning the most significant points of human quest in this world. The answers he offers to the audience represent the filmmaker’s attempt to bring some spiritual sense into human existence. “The Nature of Existence” by Nygard is an enlightening view on this subject. 

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The Lottery (2010)

Release Date: June 11th, 2010

Starring: Cory Booker, Geoffrey Canada, Joel Klein, Eva Moskowitz, Susan Taylor

Director: Madeleine Sackler

Writer: Madeleine Sackler

Studio: Variance Films

Genre: Documentary

Runtime: 1 hour 21 minutes

“The Lottery” is a documentary, presented by a prominent filmmaker Madeleine Sackler and shot by award-winning cameraman Wolfgang Held. The film touches upon sore subjects of the American educational system, revealing outrageous facts of injustice and so-called lottery for those children, who attempt to enter one of the best schools in New York.

Four families from the Bronx and Harlem are fighting for the chance of their children to be accepted in the school in question, for their best future. Although they know it perfectly well – only few students will be chosen in this sort of lottery, while the majority of the other candidates will be turned away.

The documentary explores the breakdown of American education, its reasons and the way, how it could be possibly meet. The film is provided by numerous interviews with educators and politicians, who express their opinion on the problem.

The emotional stories of four children, full of dreams, hope or disillusionment are given in the film to make it clear – the possibility to get an education in US is presently very much like a high-stakes lottery.  And it is high time the educational system was reorganized.

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