Believe It or Not (Second Series) #6

Growing Girls

November 1949 •English

After several farmyard analogies featuring chicks and calves, the well-spoken narrator and director of the film, Winifred Holmes, considers the subject of girls and how they reach adulthood and readiness for the 'important job of motherhood.

Land Without Bread

December 1933 •Spanish

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. (Silent short, voiced in 1937 and 1996.)

Deepa Mehta, in Profile

January 2012 •English

A portrait and tribute to Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta.

Superman Now

February 2011 •English

Writer Grant Morrison and artist Frank Quitely take over the Superman stories to refocus and revitalize them, centered on a more relaxed and reflective Superman.

Borneo in de jungle van de Sarawak

January 1982 •Dutch

Short documentary.

The Crystal Text

August 2012 •English

The Crystal Text is a fleeting, poetic impression of the the fragmented emotional world of Young Moon's music. Amazingly, all of the visual effects are created within the camera, rather than through digital manipulation. The resulting film explores the rhythms inherent in the combination of music and film, as it evokes both memory and gesture to create an audio and visual dialog with the audience.

Streaming

February 2024 •English

A series of short films including Detergent, Square and ACPOAPM, made in New York.

Hymn of the Nations

February 1944 •English

Hymn of the Nations, originally titled Arturo Toscanini: Hymn of the Nations, is a 1944 film directed by Alexander Hammid, which features the "Inno delle nazioni," a patriotic work for tenor soloist, chorus, and orchestra, composed by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi in the early 1860s. (For this musical work, Verdi utilized the national anthems of several European nations.) In December 1943, Arturo Toscanini filmed a performance of this music for inclusion in an Office of War Information documentary about the role of Italian-Americans in aiding the Allies during World War II. Toscanini added a bridge passage to include arrangements of "The Star-Spangled Banner" for the United States and "The Internationale" for the Soviet Union and the Italian partisans. Joining Toscanini in the filmed performance in NBC Studio 8-H, were tenor Jan Peerce, the Westminster Choir, and the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2010.

María Domínguez. La palabra libre

January 2015 •Spanish

Cavedigger

January 2013 •English

Ra Paulette digs cathedral-like, 'eighth wonder of the world' art caves into the sandstone cliffs of Northern New Mexico. Each creation takes years to complete, and each is a masterwork. But patrons who have commissioned caves have cut off nearly all of his projects due to artistic differences. Fed up, Ra has chosen to forego all commissions to create his own Magnum Opus, a massive 10-year project.

The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

May 2013 •English

The story of Alice Herz-Sommer, a German-speaking Jewish pianist from Prague who was, at her death, the world's oldest Holocaust survivor. She discusses the importance of music, laughter, and how to have an optimistic outlook on life.

Reconnaissance Pilot

January 1943 •English

Documentary/training film depicting the duties of a pilot in the Pacific Theatre of the Second World War as he flies reconnaissance missions over enemy-held islands.

Dans l'ombre

February 2024 •French

This short documentary provides a new look at the Lauberivière organization as well as the individuals who benefit from and operate the services.

Naive Cinema

March 1979 •Portuguese

An essay film on the editing of erotic movies.

your fingerprints on my eyes... or will it be the opposite...

November 2016 •

Optical art with camera movement.

Bats, Balls and Bradford Girls

January 2019 •English

This BBC Three film follows the first all Asian girls’ cricket team over the summer holidays as they train for their last ever tournament together. The team started at school four years ago when their only experience of cricket was their dads and brothers watching it on the TV. In spite of this, they took to it like naturals and began winning almost all of the tournaments they entered. Last year they lost out on becoming National champions at Lords by only one run.

Breakdowns of 1938

December 1938 •English

Flubs and bloopers that occurred on the set of some of the major Warner Bros. pictures of 1938.

Linda's Film on Menstruation

January 1974 •English

This is an educational short released by the Los Angeles Public Library explaining what to expect when you get your first period.

UPC Codes and 666

June 1994 •English

“Using straightforward, scientific methods, this video reveals irrefutable proof of the presence of the number 666 in the Universal Product Code, which appears on 95% of all supermarket products. A comprehensive, step-by-step deciphering process is used to break down the UPC into its component parts, and the derivation of the number 666 is made clear. Startling evidence of the role of UPC's in the new monetary system is uncovered--the prophecy of Revelation coming true today!”

Matisyahu

February 2004 •English

Short Documentary. Matisyahu is a Hasidic Reggae/Beat Box/Rapper whose performances meld Jewish tradition with modern sounds, creating a new form of spiritual expression. This documentary follows Matisyahu as he performs in New York City and explains his conversion to Hasidism and his mission to ignite spirituality in others with his music. Directed by David Baugnon.