Cinema in the Land of Comrade Kim

Downfall

September 2004 •German

In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force attacking from the west. In Berlin, capital of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler proclaims that Germany will still achieve victory and orders his generals and advisers to fight to the last man. When the end finally does come, and Hitler lies dead by his own hand, what is left of his military must find a way to end the killing that is the Battle of Berlin, and lay down their arms in surrender.

The Kidnapped Filmmakers of North Korea

September 2022 •English

In 1978, two South Korean filmmakers--Director Shin Sang-ok and his star actress and ex-wife, Choi Eun-hee--were abducted and smuggled into North Korea in order to revolutionize the country's dying film industry.

Discovering Christmas Films

December 2018 •English

Gathering for a Christmas lunch, the film critics and writers of Discovering Film discuss the merits of 20 films from Bill Murray's star turn in Scrooged, the James Stewart classic It's a Wonderful Life, Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander, to Bruce Willis' memorable Die Hard.

Takashi Miike : The V-Emperor

January 2024 •French

Takashi Miike is a cinema monster. Let's return to his filmography, his main themes, the framework of his monumental universe.

Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster

June 2025 •English

OceanGate's Titan tourist submersible imploded in 2023 on a deep-sea dive to the Titanic. This documentary details how a bold vision ended in tragedy.

Shadow Flowers

October 2021 •Korean

Ryun-hee Kim, a North Korean housewife, was forced to come to South Korea and became its citizen against her will. As her seven years of struggle to go back to her family in North Korea continues, the political absurdity hinders her journey back to her loved ones. The life of her family in the North goes on in emptiness, and she fears that she might become someone, like a shadow, who exists only in the fading memory of her family.​

Seventh Art is Unique

February 2025 •Portuguese

Seventh art is unique addresses people's relationship with a movie theater or film. What feelings do they feel? What changes in you when you go to the movies? It also addresses Jair Bolsonaro's harsh criticism of culture and cinema in Brazil.

Titanic

September 1943 •German

In 1912, the Titanic embarks on its inevitable collision course with history. In the wake of the over-spending required to build the largest luxury ship in the world, White Star Line executive Sir Bruce Ismay schemes to reverse the direction of his company's plummeting stock value. Onboard the Titanic, brave German 1st Officer Petersen struggles to convince his self-important British superiors not to overexert the ship's engines.

A Night to Remember

July 1958 •English

The sinking of the Titanic is presented in a highly realistic fashion in this tense British drama. The disaster is portrayed largely from the perspective of the ocean liner's second officer, Charles Lightoller. Despite numerous warnings about ice, the ship sails on, with Capt. Edward John Smith keeping it going at a steady clip. When the doomed vessel finally hits an iceberg, the crew and passengers discover that they lack enough lifeboats, and tragedy follows.

Assassins

August 2021 •English

True crime meets global spy thriller in this gripping account of the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, the half brother of the North Korean leader. The film follows the trial of the two female assassins, probing the question: were the women trained killers or innocent pawns of North Korea?

The Girls

June 2014 •Spanish

Four lucid grandmothers tell their story forgotten by history: the militancy and resistance of the young women of the leftist youth against the dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez.

50 minutos e 23 segundos com Júlio Bressane

January 2000 •Portuguese

Homes Apart: Korea

January 1991 •Korean

They speak the same language, share a similar culture and once belonged to a single nation. When the Korean War ended in 1953, ten million families were torn apart. By the early 90s, as the rest of the world celebrated the end of the Cold War, Koreans remain separated between North and South, fearing the threat of mutual destruction. Beginning with one man's journey to reunite with his sister in North Korea, filmmakers Takagi and Choy reveal the personal, social and political dimensions of one of the last divided nations on earth. The film was also the first US project to get permission to film in both South & North Korea.

The Fencing Master

September 1992 •Spanish

A fencing master in pre-revolution Spain is hired to teach fencing to a beautiful young woman. Although he has never taught a woman before he is fascinated by her and agrees. She wishes to learn a particular thrust which he is famous for. When a local nobleman becomes involved with her the intrigue begins.

The Women of Godzilla

April 2008 •English

One aspect of Japanese fantasy films that often goes overlooked is the significant part that women play in the drama.

The Creator of Godzilla: Tomoyuki Tanaka

June 2007 •English

Many people contributed to the creation of Godzilla, but only one man was truly the father of the monster.

Ship of Dreams: Titanic Movie Diaries

August 2023 •English

Actors cast in James Cameron's TITANIC read their diaries aloud for the first time in a quarter century, evoking never before told anecdotes of auditions and life on set with Cameron, Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Yellow Caesar

May 1941 •English

Using edited archive footage, mockery is made of Italy's dictator Benito Mussolini.

Ergui as Mãos aos Céus e Não Havia Mais Luz

July 2024 •Portuguese

Beyond Utopia

October 2023 •English

A courageous pastor uses his underground network to rescue and aid North Korean families as they risk their lives to embrace freedom.