Free Speech Fear Free

Acorn and the Firestorm

April 2017 •English

For 40 years, the community-organizing group ACORN advocated for America’s poorest communities, while its detractors accused it of promoting the worst of liberal policies. Riding high on the momentum of Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008, ACORN was at its political zenith when a hidden-camera video sparked a national scandal and brought it crashing down. The story involves voter fraud, a fake prostitute, and the rise of Breitbart.com.

Holocaust Denial vs. Freedom of Speech

January 1994 •English

Salman Rushdie: Death on a Trail

January 2019 •French

An intimate portrait, in his own words, of the Indian writer Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses (1988), thirty years after the fatwa uttered by the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini: his youth in multicultural Bombay, his life in England, his many years of forced hiding, his thoughts on President Trump's United States of America.

The Gulag Archipelago: The Book That Changed Russian History

November 2023 •French

The story of Russian writer and Soviet dissident Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008) and his masterpiece, The Gulag Archipelago, published in Paris in 1973, which forever shook the very foundations of communist ideology.

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

Wealth of a Nation

January 1964 •English

"This film explores how freedom of speech — including dissent — is afforded to all Americans, and shows freedom of expression in art, music, dance, architecture, and science. The film also emphasizes the importance of the individual’s contribution to the whole of society and demonstrates how a productive and creative society is formed by the open and respectful exchange of ideas. The film was written, produced, and directed by William Greaves" (National Archives).

Adam the Apostate

November 2020 •English

In the realm of contemporary music, Adam “Nergal” Darski surely needs no further introduction. Yet the guitarist and singer has even made inroads into general pop culture and shaped social discourse, all the while not moving away an iota from the underground ethos his ongoing career is based on. Rising from his humble beginnings in Cold-war Poland to global fame with his band Behemoth, striving for musical excellence throughout the ignominies of life-threatening illness and dubious legal battles, staying deeply spiritual and focused during even the most casual appearances in mundane limelight, it is safe to say the 1977-born has many faces, the sum of which defies categorization. Satanist or dexterous money spinner? Academically certified historian or shallow media figure? Inspired and inspiring spokesperson of a generation or mere agent provocateur? Make your guesses...

Endangered

June 2022 •English

A sobering look at the erosion of democracy & freedom of the press in the United States and abroad.

Carceller, the Man Who Died Twice

October 2021 •Spanish

The life story of Vicente Miguel Carceller (1890-1940), a Spanish editor committed to freedom who, through his weekly magazine La Traca, connected with the common people while maintaining a dangerous pulse with the powerful.

Draw Me Egypt - Doaa El-Adl, A Stroke of Freedom

June 2023 •English

Doaa el-Adl, the first woman to be awarded the esteemed Journalistic Distinction in Caricature, serves as a catalyst for transformation within the predominantly male-dominated realm of Egyptian political cartoonists. Challenging patriarchal norms, she routinely confronts censorship, harassment, and even threats to her life. In a remarkable fusion of documentary, cartoons, and animation, Egyptian director Nada Riyadh breathes life into el-Adl's most renowned works. This dynamic and fearless presentation delves into the issue of violence against women, stretching the boundaries of freedom of speech in a society often characterized by restrictions. Through her exceptional talent, el-Adl not only champions women's rights but also serves as an inspiration for societal change.

Beat Generation

February 2014 •French

Tells the story of the wonderful and long-lasting friendship between Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and William Burroughs that gave birth to the Beat Generation movement.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

June 2012 •English

An account of the many tribulations that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, known for his subversive art and political activism, endured between 2008 and 2011, from his rise to world fame via the Internet to his highly publicized arrest due to his frequent and daring confrontations with the Chinese authorities.

Les Rose

August 2020 •French

In October 1970, members of the Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ) kidnapped and murdered Minister Pierre Laporte, part of an unprecedented crisis in Quebec. Fifty years later, Félix Rose tries to understand what could have led his father and uncle to commit such crimes. Thanks to his uncle Jacques, who agrees for the first time to speak on the subject, and to the traces left by his father Paul, he revives the heritage of a Quebec working class family. The fruit of ten years of research, Les Rose allows us to revisit a time and people that we knew through clichés, and gives a glimpse of the experiences of a rebellious youth and the crimes that followed.

Hail Satan?

April 2019 •English

The story of The Satanic Temple, a controversial movement that combines religion and activism with the apparent purpose of questioning the basic foundations of US society.

Shut Him Down: The Rise of Jordan Peterson

November 2018 •English

Lauded as the most influential thinker of the Western world, psychology professor Jordan Peterson has become a polarizing paradox. After sparking both outrage and support for his stand against Canadian human rights legislation in late 2016, Peterson quickly transformed into a famous public intellectual and internationally best-selling author. SHUT HIM DOWN offers an intimate look into the controversy that started over alternate gender pronouns and left us with two stories about Peterson: Is he a heroic cultural warrior who pushes boundaries and transforms people's lives for the better? Or is he a bigoted peddler of regressive ideas that cause harm?

Silenced

December 2016 •English

“Silenced” is a film about the state of free speech in America.

Mighty Ira

October 2020 •English

Ira is one of America's unsung champions of civil rights and liberties. As his generation retires from the barricades, Ira reminisces on his life at the forefront of defending the rights of all Americans.

Words for an End of the World

November 2020 •Spanish

Spain, April 14, 1931. The Second Republic is born. From the beginning, the writer Miguel de Unamuno is considered one of the ethical pillars of the new regime. Five years later, on December 31, 1936, a few months after the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War (1936-39), Unamuno dies at his home in Salamanca, capital of the rebel side, led by General Francisco Franco, and main center of dissemination of its propaganda apparatus.

Boiled Angels: The Trial of Mike Diana

March 2018 •English

Florida, 1994. Artist Mike Diana is convicted on an obscenity charge in the wake of an undercover police officer purchasing his limited edition zine Boiled Angel. Here is the very unusual story of what led to this First Amendment debacle happening for the first time in the United States.

CORONA.FILM - Prologue

March 2021 •German

As the first part of our investigation, the CORONA.FILM prologue will delve into the science behind the pandemic. Starting at the very beginning, we shine a light on the responses. The aim is not to point the finger; our aim is to tell the whole story in all its complexity, as we believe that justice cannot prevail if only one side of the story is told.