Ways to Strength and Beauty

I Beg You to Like Me

October 2022 •Turkish

“I Beg You To Like Me”, serves as a testimony of individuals who felt oppressed about their body image for not meeting the standard beauty criteria, and demonstrates how a reckless language based on others’ physical appearance could turn violent. It aims to achieve much more than simply stating the obvious, which is that we are not obligated to submit to the ideal beauty standards dictated by the media, consumerism and the beauty industry. The intimate stories about one’s own body image as told by women, men, disabled people and LGBT individuals make it apparent that any one of us could end up being a victim and a perpetrator at the same time. What if, this iconic body image is nothing but an unobtainable fallacy? “Is it not yet the time to openly discuss the conventional perception of beauty, and step up onto the catwalk in our actual likeness?

Finlandia

October 1922 •Finnish

A documentary from Erkki Karu, one of the earliest pioneers of Finnish cinema: This government-produced propaganda film introduces the nature, sports, military, agriculture and capital of Finland.

People on the Road

June 1960 •Polish

A portrait of a traveling circus.

Goya

October 1950 •Italian

Presents life in 18th century Spain as the painter Francisco de Goya showed it to us.

Leonardo da Vinci

November 1952 •Italian

How the Telephone Talks

April 1919 •English

"All sounds travel in waves much the same as ripples in water." Educational film produced by Bray Studios New York, which was the dominant animation studio based in the United States in the years surrounding World War I.

Los 5 Faust de F. W. Murnau

November 2002 •Spanish

Buster Keaton: The Genius Destroyed by Hollywood

February 2016 •French

In 1926, Buster Keaton was at the peak of his glory and wealth. By 1933, he had reached rock bottom. How, in the space of a few years, did this uncontested genius of silent films, go from the status of being a widely-worshipped star to an alcoholic and solitary fallen idol? With a spotlight on the 7 years during which his life changed, using extracts of Keaton’s films as magnifying mirrors, the documentary recounts the dramatic life of this creative genius and the Hollywood studios.

Days of Thrills and Laughter

March 1961 •English

An appreciative, uncritical look at silent film comedies and thrillers from early in the century through the 1920s.

The First Foot

January 1981 •Georgian

Voices from the past echo through the deserted, snow-covered stone houses in a village in the Caucasus Mountains.

Galicia

January 1936 •Spanish

Short documentary about social and economic situation in Galicia (Spain) in 1936

Perfect Image?

January 1989 •English

Two actresses take us through a series of 'raps' and sketches about what it means to be beautiful and black.

Cautivos en la arena

February 2006 •Spanish

Un instante en la vida ajena

September 2003 •Spanish

Compilation of images of the amateur recordings of Madronita Andreu, Catalan intellectual of the nineteenth century, daughter of Dr. Andreu, famous for its pills and cough syrup.

Dark Days

August 2000 •English

A cinematic portrait of the homeless population who live permanently in the underground tunnels of New York City.

Madrepérola

August 2015 •Portuguese

The Incredible Bread Machine Film

December 1975 •English

A discussion of the economic and political ideas presented in the book "The Incredible Bread Machine".

Jesy Nelson: "Odd One Out"

September 2019 •English

Little Mix star Jesy Nelson goes on a journey of rehabilitation as she opens up about abuse she has suffered at the hands of cyberbullies and its effects on her mental health.

Amazon: Longest River in the World

January 1918 •Portuguese

Documentary by Portuguese Silvino Santos, about the Amazon, its flora, fauna, its inhabitants and among other wonderful images from the beginning of the 20th century with alternating close-up shots of caimans, jaguars and tropical flora with footage of Indigenous rituals--including some of the earliest known moving images of the Indigenous Witoto people--and longer sequences showcasing the region’s extractive industries: rubber, the Brazil nut, timber, fishing, even the egret feathers that were a staple of women’s fashion at the time.

Cultura de la Delgadez

November 2019 •Spanish

Personal stories taken from a survey on how women's lives are affected by a culture obsessed with body image and thinness.