Here's a Health to the Barley Mow

The Long Road Through Balkan History

January 2009 •English

Bosnian Croat writer Miljenko Jergović and Serbian writer Marko Vidojković replace one another by the steering wheel of Yugo, a symbol of their common past while driving on the Brotherhood and Unity Highway that stretched across five of six republics of Yugoslavia.

Freeports: The Beauty Of Tax Free Storage

November 2021 •German

Documentary that exposes the secret world of these unknown tax havens. There is a global network of tax-free storage facilities valuable goods, catering to the super rich - and it's virtually unknown, until now. Freeports feature highest security levels, confidential record keeping and an offshore legal status and are a huge potential for tax savings. The film investigates their rise, who is using them, and why.

Osipovův soubor v Praze

December 1950 •Czech

Documentary about the concerts of the Russian Osipov ensemble of folk instruments in Czechoslovakia

Punky Night at Hinton St. George

October 1977 •

Children parade through the streets of Hinton St George in Somerset on the last Thursday of October. Children have hollowed out pumpkins or mangelwurzels, a type of animal fodder turnip to make lanterns following a tradition in this part of West Somerset that coincides with Halloween. Punky or Punkie Night is thought to date from the turn of the 20th century or perhaps medieval times chanting rhymes and following a Punkie King and Queen.

Grab and Run

January 2017 •Kyrgyz

After the Kyrgyzstan Independence in 1991, the ancient practice of Ala-Kachuu ("grab and run") returned. Some women escape the men that kidnap them, but many remain married because of tradition and the fear of scandal.

La Madonna in cielo, la "matre" in terra

January 2006 •Italian

An anthropological research on the survival of the supernatural in traditional culture. Shot in different locations in southern Italy, the documentary focuses on the link between the cult of the Madonna and ancient rites related to female fertility.

Taneční zeměpis I. – Z Moskvy do Prahy

January 1948 •Czech

Bulgaria: Fire Dance Ritual

January 2020 •German

Every year in June, the small Bulgarian village of Balgari celebrates St Constantine with a special ritual. Initiated ‘nestinari’ go into a music-induced trance and dance on bonfires in a display of religious passion.

Hody v Hrubé Vrbce

January 1935 •Czech

Horňácká svatba

January 1945 •Czech

Okay, Mr. Ray!

Invalid date •English

No one could spin a yarn to make a sale like Ray Lum. Twenty years after their initial meeting, Bill Ferris returned home to Mississippi in the early ‘70s with a camera. The result reveals a look back at the colorful rhythms of Ray’s life—at home, at the auction, joking with strangers outside country stores— and provides a glimpse at Southern manhood, friendship and loss. Now nearly Ray’s age when they first filmed, Ferris has become a Grammy Award winning documentarian and renowned folklorist. Using never before seen 16mm footage and new animations, OKAY, MR. RAY is a short documentary film about how even the tallest tales help us keep the memory alive of the ones we love.

Ayrudzi

January 2017 •Armenian

The members of the Ayrudzi troupe travel across various villages of Armenia on horseback and put on folk song and dance concerts and shadow theatre performances for the locals.

Frame for A Few Poses

January 1976 •

Six part TV series where Karpo Godina filmed common folk, showing the world of people who have filled their lives with hobbies and skills of their own making. It features gold panners on the river Pek, a shepherdess who plays music on a leaf, a football fan, a potter, and an unusual orchestra.

Here's a Health to the Barley Mow

February 2011 •English

From the sexy, savage Cornish May Day rites of Alan Lomax's Oss Oss Wee Oss, to Jeremy Deller and Alan Kane's footage of ferociously fought traditional football; from children's games in London's bombed East End to intricate sword and step dances, this collection of poetic documentaries, long unseen television reports and rare silent film footage reveals just how powerful and enduring the folk traditions of Great Britain have always been. The silent films feature innovative fiddle and melodeon accompaniments by contemporary folk musicians.

Hrály dudy

January 1954 •Czech

Z Karviné do Carnegie Hall

January 2023 •Czech

Shaping Bamboo

January 1979 •English

For the 'Are'are people of the Solomon Islands, the most valued music is that of the four types of panpipe ensembles. With the exception of slit drums, all musical instruments are made of bamboo; therefore the general word for instruments and the music performed with them is "bamboo" ('au). This film shows the making of panpipes, from the cutting the bamboo in the forest to the making of the final bindings. The most important part of the work consists in shaping each tube to its necessary length. Most 'Are'are panpipe makers measure the length of old instruments before they shape new tubes. Master musician 'Irisipau, surprisingly, takes the measure using his body, and adjusts the final tuning by ear. For the first time we can see here how the instruments and their artificial equiheptatonic scale-seven equidistant degrees in an octave-are practically tuned.

Last Night at the S&S Diner

January 1988 •English

Story about the last original "American Diner" in Miami, Florida. Since 1938 the S & S has been owned and operated by the family of the present owners, Charles and Jean Cavalaris. The S & S Diner is the ubiquitous Miami landmark on Northeast Second Avenue, known for serving large portions of homestyle food.

Zďaleka ideme, novinu nesieme

January 1965 •Slovak

Slovácká kubaňa

January 1940 •Czech