Le monde est à eux

Chavela

June 2017 •Spanish

Inspired by an exclusive interview and performance footage of Chavela Vargas shot in 1991 and guided by her unique voice, the film weaves an arresting portrait of a woman who dared to dress, speak, sing, and dream her unique life into being.

Acadia Acadia?!?

May 1971 •French

In the late 1960s, with the triumph of bilingualism and biculturalism, New Brunswick's Université de Moncton became the setting for the awakening of Acadian nationalism after centuries of defeatism and resignation. Although 40% of the province's population spoke French, they had been unable to make their voices heard. The movement started with students-sit-ins, demonstrations against Parliament, run-ins with the police - and soon spread to a majority of Acadians. The film captures the behind-the-scenes action and the students' determination to bring about change. An invaluable document of the rebirth of a people.

Paris, the Mystery of the Disappeared Palace

September 2023 •French

In the heart of Paris, an entire palace has disappeared. It was the very first residence of the kings of France. Long before Versailles, long before the Louvre, the Palais de la Cité stood on the most prestigious island in Paris, the historic cradle of France, facing Notre-Dame. So majestic in the Middle Ages, this palace has become a ghost of history. Over the centuries, this architectural masterpiece has almost completely disappeared. A trio of experts will resurrect it in 3D. Using science and unprecedented excavations, they will track down the pieces of the puzzle to reconstruct it at its peak in the 14th century, and bring back to life those who inhabited it. From the Romans to the Vikings, from Saint Louis to the cursed kings, all have left clues of this 'Versailles of the Middle Ages'.

Nothing is Forgiven

January 2019 •French

The story of Zineb El Rhazoui, a young Moroccan woman who, in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack, finds her life radically transformed : from a censored journalist in Morocco she becomes the most protected woman of France.

I Am Hope

October 2023 •English

Through fly-on-the-wall footage and insightful interviews, director ShakaJamal chronicles the effort to create a first-of-its-kind yoga and mindfulness program for Oakland Unified School District middle schools. Aimed at expanding students’ awareness and refining their goals, the initiative has been a unique success, and I Am Hope offers a poignant portrait of the day-to-day struggles of diverse young people united in their desire to pursue big dreams.

A Pathway Forward

October 2024 •English

A year in the life of the unique Central High School Law and Government Magnet Program.

Sur les traces de Louis Braille

January 2018 •French

Regard sur l'école inclusive

April 2017 •French

Vjeran Tomic: The Spider-Man of Paris

October 2023 •French

In his own words, the burglar behind the 2010 robbery of the Paris Museum of Modern Art tells how he pulled off the biggest art heist in French history.

To Be and to Have

August 2002 •French

The documentary's title translates as "to be and to have", the two auxiliary verbs in the French language. It is about a primary school in the commune of Saint-Étienne-sur-Usson, Puy-de-Dôme, France, the population of which is just over 200. The school has one small class of mixed ages (from four to twelve years), with a dedicated teacher, Georges Lopez, who shows patience and respect for the children as we follow their story through a single school year.

Lucie et Maintenant

April 2007 •French

In May of 1982 Julio Cortázar, the Argentinean writer and his companion in life, Carol Dunlop set out in their VW bus on a journey along the highway from Paris to Marseille that, for each of them, was to be their final one. Twenty-five years later, Océane Madelaine and Jocelyn Bonnerave set out to undertake the journey again.

Children Are Too Young to Die

January 1990 •English

The film graphically calls attention to the brutal dangers of playing on top of elevators in public housing high-rise 30-story buildings in New York City. The slang is called "elevator surfing", "elevator action" or "elevator chicken" and it is a deadly game in which groups of children ride up and down the elevator shafts on top of a moving elevator car and jump from one moving car to the top of another. At times, a child waits in the pit of the elevator shaft. When a car pauses on the lowest floor, he grabs the electrical cable and rides upward. "Children Are Too Young To Die" begins with a bloody reenactment of an elevator accident in which a 10-year-old boy gets his arm cut off by the counterweight in an elevator shaft. The story unfolds and reveals real issues and deaths resulting from such dangerous activities.

Lo zebù e la stella

March 2007 •Italian

A zebu disappears while children are drawing it. They find it again in the woods. The notes of a harp accompany their multi-coloured joy. This short was made with children from a nursery school in Mantua. Playing with colours, the children seem to conquer the world.

Lessons from the Air

January 1943 •English

Behind-the-scenes documentary about the making and broadcasting of pedagogical radio shows on the BBC.

Where in the World Is Osama Bin Laden?

January 2008 •English

Morgan Spurlock tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror with Arabic people.

Dance for All

September 2007 •English

Preschool to Prison

July 2023 •English

Preschool to Prison is a compelling examination of how the United States public school system is built and operated like prisons. Zero-tolerance policies are used to justify suspension and arrests that set up a pathway to send children of color and children with special needs from school to prison. Children are being suspended, restrained, dragged, physically manhandled, and subsequently arrested for minor offenses such as throwing candy on a school bus. These personal accounts from people affected by the school-to-prison pipeline give riveting tales about the generational impact on society.

Chihuly Short Cuts III

January 2014 •English

For nearly half a century, Dale Chihuly has traveled the world, creating and installing his artwork. From sculptures to large-scale installations, his blown-glass works revolutionized the American studio glass movement. In Short Cuts III, Chihuly's role as both artist and teacher is revealed, uncovering the stories and the process behind some of his most celebrated projects, from working with students in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington, to exhibitions in prominent botanic gardens worldwide.

Not Even in a Wildest Dream

June 2017 •Portuguese

The challenges of the present, expectations for the future, and the dreams of those who experience the reality of public high school in Brazil. Through the voices of students, principals, teachers and experts, "Not Even In a Wildest Dream" offers a reflection on the value of education.

Deux Cancres

May 2017 •English

A father films the daily efforts and struggle of his son to do his homework. Completing the school tasks is an agony that oppresses the creative passion of a restless, imaginative boy. His father gets deeply involved so he can understand what the problem is, and spends an hour every day to help him with his homework. Days, weeks, years go by, and we observe how the eagerness to learn clashes with the ghost of school dropout. The endearing relationship between father and son, a real rollercoaster of emotions, reveals with a sense of humour the contradictions in the French education system.