LIFT - Connecting Humanity

Hidden Contamination

September 2015 •Japanese

The 20 km zone surrounding the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant was designated an evacuation zone due to the radiation caused by the accident in March 2011. However, the thousands of people of Itate, situated just outside the zone, and those who had fled the area and taken shelter there were left to their own devices for over a month. Later on Itate became a restricted area and the residents were allowed only visits having to leave the area for good. The place became a ghost town, as it was too close to the Zone and many pets and farm animals are stranded there. There are said to be 150~200 dogs, 400~800 cats, 50 chickens and a pig although the exact numbers are unknown. The public interest in the accident has all but gone but there is one man who still cares what happens to those animals.

UnCharitable

September 2023 •English

After three of the most dynamic and successful U.S. charities were shut down by conservative charity watchdogs, destroying lives and cutting off precious resources, many of the top influencers in the field knew something had to be done to overhaul the nonprofit sector. Led by Dan Pallotta, whose record-breaking TED Talk on the subject has inspired leading philanthropists and changemakers, this feature-length documentary directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal exposes the dark side of philanthropy and introduces a radical new way of giving. In a powerful call to action, Uncharitable demands that charities be freed from the traditional sackcloth-and-ashes constraints, so that they can truly change the world.

Made in Holland - The Great Gift

September 2024 •Dutch

The De Mol van Otterloo couple has the most important and largest private collection 17th-century Dutch and Flemish masters in the world. They collected from Ruisdael, Steen, Dou, Cuyp, Potter, Lievens, Hals and yes, also a Rembrandt. There is millions of masterpieces on the walls of their villa in Massachusetts. But what do you do with such a collection? Together with the friendly couple Weatherbie, who also built up a special art collection, they decide that their collections should stay together after their death. The result is an art gift that is unparalleled.

The Wikipedia Promise

January 2021 •German

In 2001, Jimmy Wales published the first article on Wikipedia, a collaborative effort that began with a promise: to democratize the spreading of knowledge, monopolized by the elites for centuries. But is Wikipedia really a utopia come true?

The Typewriter and Other Headaches

April 2024 •French

This third opus will take us into the homes of some of the ADAMANT and AVERROES & ROSA PARKS’ protagonists, during the visits led by their caregivers.

Brother Nature Takes America

November 2023 •English

Follow Kelvin Peña across America as he explores the country's natural wonders, meeting interesting individuals and various wildlife along the way.

Un jour, je serai docteur

September 2024 •French

Billions in Change

October 2015 •English

The world is facing some huge problems. There’s a lot of talk about how to solve them. But talk doesn’t reduce pollution, or grow food, or heal the sick. That takes doing. This film is the story about a group of doers, the elegantly simple inventions they have made to change the lives of billions of people, and the unconventional billionaire spearheading the project.

The Prodigal Tale

June 2004 •English

Set in an Aussie farmhouse and a 50's style diner, Rocfish presents this classic tale of a Father's love for his runaway child.

Love Happens

September 2009 •English

Dr. Burke Ryan is a successful self-help author and motivational speaker with a secret. While he helps thousands of people cope with tragedy and personal loss, he secretly is unable to overcome the death of his late wife. It's not until Burke meets a fiercely independent florist named Eloise that he is forced to face his past and overcome his demons.

Blink Twice

August 2024 •English

When tech billionaire Slater King meets cocktail waitress Frida at his fundraising gala, he invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. But despite the epic setting, beautiful people, ever-flowing champagne, and late-night dance parties, Frida can sense that there’s something sinister hiding beneath the island’s lush façade.

Louder Than Words

October 2013 •English

After the unexpected death of their daughter, a couple work to build a state of the art children's hospital where families are welcomed into the healing process.

Bagdad Cafe

November 1987 •German

A German woman named Jasmin stumbles upon a dilapidated motel/diner in the middle of nowhere. Her unusual appearance and demeanor are at first suspicious to Brenda, the exasperated owner who has difficulty making ends meet. But when an unlikely magic sparks between the two women, this lonely desert outpost is transformed into a thriving and popular oasis.

Tampopo

November 1985 •Japanese

In this humorous paean to the joys of food, a pair of truck drivers happen onto a decrepit roadside shop selling ramen noodles. The widowed owner, Tampopo, begs them to help her turn her establishment into a paragon of the "art of noodle-soup making". Interspersed are satirical vignettes about the importance of food to different aspects of human life.

HELP

February 2025 •English

A man in need of help eventually receives it, whether he asks for it or not.

Hidden Face

October 2024 •French

Can't Buy My Love

March 2017 •English

Lilly, a hard working EMT, is only focused on her job and getting into medical school. So when wealthy slacker Jeff enters her life it throws her off course. At first, Lilly wants nothing to do with Jeff or his sense of entitlement and lack of direction. As she spends more time with him, she starts to realize that you can’t always judge a book by its cover.

The Man Who Played God

February 1932 •English

While giving a private performance for a visiting monarch, concert pianist Montgomery Royle is deafened when a bomb is detonated in an attempt to assassinate the foreign ruler. With his career over as a result of his injury, Royle returns to New York City with his sister Florence, close friend Mildred Miller, and considerably younger fiancée Grace Blair. After abandoning thoughts of suicide, Montgomery discovers he can lip read, and he spends his days observing people in Central Park from his apartment window. As he learns of people's problems, he tries to help them anonymously and becomes absorbed in his game of "playing God".

Amante Latino

June 1979 •Portuguese

Upon learning that the school where he learned music is going to be expropriated, a famous singer decides to do a show for the benefit of the institution.

Franklin's lost ships - the ultimate discovery

April 2015 •English