June Turmoil

Black Power Salute

July 2008 •English

A film about one of the most iconic images of the 20th century, the moment when the radical spirit of the 1960s upstaged the greatest sporting event in the world. Two men made a courageous gesture that reverberated around the world, and changed their lives forever. This film is about Tommie Smith and John Carlos' protest at the 1968 Olympics.

Leipzig in Autumn

November 1989 •German

Voigt, Kroske and Richter were among the first filmmakers who documented the events of the historic 9th of October 1989. Their “material” reflects them from different angles: protesters, workers, opposition members, policemen, street sweepers and functionaries. THE document of the “peaceful revolution”.

City of Photographers

November 2006 •Spanish

A film about the fearless photographers and photojournalists who documented strikes, demonstrations, protests etc during the Chilean military regime of Augusto Pinochet, sometimes risking their very lives.

Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing

October 2006 •English

Shut Up and Sing is a documentary about the country band from Texas called the Dixie Chicks and how one tiny comment against President Bush dropped their number one hit off the charts and caused fans to hate them, destroy their CD’s, and protest at their concerts. A film about freedom of speech gone out of control and the three girls lives that were forever changed by a small anti-Bush comment

Leftist Extremism: Activism or Terror?

January 2019 •German

Leftist extremist groups operating in Europe have chosen violence as a political tactic: they attack the right-wing parties offices, attack the police, provoke riots in demonstrations. Although leftist violence is increasing, it receives almost no public attention. An investigation into the alleged good violence exercised in the name of a supposedly just cause.

Road Not Taken

December 2016 •Chinese

After the failed Umbrella Revolution in 2014, lives go back to normal, but the scenes of the great protest are like yesterday for Billy and Popsy, students in the University of Hong Kong who took part in the movement. One of them now becomes a student leader, while the other chooses a low-profile life as a private tutor. Amid the rapid social changes, when the Communist Beijing government is extending their influence to Hong Kong to take away the freedom and democracy, how would the youths see their future? Do they still see hopes, when both peaceful protests and radical actions seem to be futile?

Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower

January 2017 •English

When the Chinese Communist Party backtracks on its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong, teenager Joshua Wong decides to save his city. Rallying thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets, Joshua becomes an unlikely leader in Hong Kong and one of China’s most notorious dissidents.

Freedom Isn't Free — The Freedom Charter Today

June 2018 •English

Since its adoption in June 1955 by the Congress movement, the Freedom Charter has been the key political document that acted as a beacon and source of inspiration in the liberation struggle against Apartheid. It was reputedly the main source that informed democratic South Africa’s liberal constitution and a constant reference point for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) and rival political parties that it spawned since 1994, all claiming the Freedom Charter’s legacy. Freedom Isn’t Free assesses the history and role of the charter, especially in relation to key political and socio-economic aspects of developments in South Africa up to the present period. It includes rare archival footage with interviews of a cross-section of outspoken influential South Africans.

I Am FEMEN

May 2014 •Russian

Oxana is a woman, a fighter, an artist. As a teenager, her passion for iconography almost inspires her to join a convent, but in the end she decides to devote her talents to the Femen movement. With Anna, Inna and Sasha, she founds the famous feminist group which protests against the regime and which will see her leave her homeland, Ukraine, and travel all over Europe. Driven by a creative zeal and a desire to change the world, Oxana allows us a glimpse into her world and her personality, which is as unassuming, mesmerising and vibrant as her passionate artworks.

Gewalt no Mori - Kare ha Waseda de shinda

May 2024 •Japanese

A documentary about the end of the student movement in 1972 and the lynching of Daizaburo Kawaguchi, a student at Waseda University. The documentary interweaves testimonies from japanese intellectuals and a short play, written and directed by Shôji Kôkami, about the murder.

Selkirk Common Riding 1899

January 1909 •

Selkirk does its Border traditions proud with a cavalcade of riders and a herculean feat of banner waving.

Oproerkraaiers

December 2020 •Dutch

The White Match

September 1968 •Swedish

Documentary film about the protests against the 1968 Davis Cup tennis match between Sweden and Rhodesia, in Båstad, Sweden. In a series of interviews, demonstrators and members of the Swedish government give their views on sport, politics and civil disobedience.

Belarus: An Ordinary Dictatorship

March 2018 •French

It’s the last dictatorship of Europe, caught in a Soviet time-warp, where the secret police is still called the KGB and the president rules by fear. Disappearances, political assassinations, waves of repression and mass arrests are all regular occurances. But while half of Belarus moves closer to Russia, the other half is trying to resist…

Warriors of the Net

January 1999 •English

For the first time in history people and machinery are working together, realizing a dream. A uniting force that knows no geographical boundaries. Without regard to race, creed or color. A new era where communication truly brings people together. This is the dawn of The Net.

The Luddites

June 1988 •English

In 1812 there were violent disturbances in Yorkshire when new machines were introduced into the wool industry. This film is an interpretation of those events made in the style of a documentary.

Refuge(e)

March 2019 •English

Refuge(e) traces the incredible journey of two refugees, Alpha and Zeferino. Each fled violent threats to their lives in their home countries and presented themselves at the US border asking for political asylum, only to be incarcerated in a for-profit prison for months on end without having committed any crime. Thousands more like them can't tell their stories.

A Fight for

September 2014 •Slovenian

A month after the Wall Street occupation, a number of protesters follow their example and set up their tents in front of the Ljubljana stock market. The protesters are united in the critique of representative democracy and global financial capitalism under the slogan ‘nobody represents us’. Their organisation is based on the principles of direct democracy. In absence of other social alternatives, a community starts to emerge in the camp in front of the stock market where everyone has an equal say, and everyone is united in their diversity. After the initial euphoria the great idea of direct democracy clashes against the contemporary individual; antagonisms surface, similar to those of the system which the protesters fight against. The story about the Slovenian version of the ‘occupy’ movement is portrayed with the stories of a few protagonists, who despite several defeats do not lose hope in a different world.

The Brave Class

June 2017 •Spanish

Three college students start a social experiment to prove that reality changes according to the words we use to describe it. Through research, activist actions, and artistic interventions, they analyze the importance of language in the way we understand the world. The documentary includes analysis from more than 20 international experts and leaders in the fields of political communication and information.

A Film Like Any Other

September 1968 •French

An analysis of the social upheaval of May 1968, made in the immediate wake of the workers’ and students’ protests. The picture consists of two parts, each with with identical image tracks, and differing narration.