Stammheim 77/12

Germany in Autumn

March 1978 •German

The film does not have a plot per se; it mixes documentary footage, along with standard movie scenes, to give the audience the mood of Germany during the late 1970s. The movie covers the two-month time period during 1977 when a businessman was kidnapped and later murdered by the left-wing terrorists known as the RAF-Rote Armee Fraktion (Red Army Fraction). The businessman had been kidnapped in an effort to secure the release of the original leaders of the RAF, also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang. When the kidnapping effort and a plane hijacking effort failed, the three most prominent leaders of the RAF, Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, and Jan-Carl Raspe, all committed suicide in prison. It has become an article of faith within the left-wing community that these three were actually murdered by the state.

Ein deutscher Boxer

September 2012 •German

The Lawyers

November 2009 •German

In the early 1970s, Otto Schily and Hans-Christian Ströbele were part of the group of attorneys of the left-wing extraparliamentary opposition in Germany. In this function, they, for instance, represented the militant Horst Mahler in court. One thing that united all three of them was their goal to create a new and different republic. They viewed Federal Germany as an oppressor of political freedom and as a vassal of the United States. Today, Schily is a former Federal Minister of the Interior with a firmly conservative stance and Ströbele is a well-respected member of the left wing of the Green Party in the German parliament while Mahler has again come into conflict with the law because of his extremist right-wing activities.

Stockholm - 75

September 2003 •Swedish

In April 1975 Commando Holger Meins occupies the West German Embassy in Stockholm. In exchange for the hostages they want to force the release of RAF-prisoners in Germany; Andreas Baader, Ulrike Meinhof, Gudrun Ensslin, etc. The occupation lasts twelve hours and ends in defeat for the occupants, left is a blown-up Embassy and four people dead, two of them executed by the occupants. Karl-Heinz Dellwo, 23 years old, is arrested and sentenced to jail. In 1995 he is released from prison. Today he lives in Hamburg with his girlfriend Ella, also a former terrorist. Karl-Heinz is trying to create a new life for himself, but he is always haunted by his violent past.

Public Execution

January 1975 •German

This documentary film essay analyses controversial police procedures in Germany in autumn 1974, when in a number of the police interventions suspects were killed before being arrested or tried.

From the Sideline

December 2015 •German

The filmmaker, Simon Brückner, goes in search of his long-deceased father, one of the central figures of the German students' movement. A picture of a multi-faceted character emerges and a piece of German history is retold.

Baader

November 2002 •German

Andreas Baader starts out as a small-time criminal. In Berlin, he is recruited by a revolutionary cell. They plan to overthrow the state.

The Baader Meinhof Complex

September 2008 •German

When German police viciously quell a protest against the shah of Iran, popular journalist Ulrike Meinhof rebels against her dishonest marriage, walks away from her children and joins radical anarchist Andreas Baader. Together with Baader's girlfriend, Gudrun Ensslin, they form the violent Red Faction Army, and together perpetrate a slew of terrorist attacks as a way of disrupting the fabric of what they see as an increasingly fascist state.

Munich

December 2005 •English

During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack.

The State I Am In

February 2001 •German

Clara and Hans are left-wing terrorists who have been sought by police for almost fifteen years. Their increasingly rebellious daughter Jeanne begins to pose a threat to their security when she falls in love with a boy she meets on the beach.

Journeys from Berlin/1971

January 1980 •English

An epic meditation on psychoanalysis, the Baader-Meinhof, feminism, and pre-revolutionary Russia.

If Not Us, Who?

March 2011 •German

In the early 60s, Bernward Vesper and fellow university student Gudrun Ensslin begin a passionate love in the stifling atmosphere of provincial West Germany. Dedicated to the power of the written word, Bernward and Gudrun found a publishing house whose first publication is, paradoxically to many, a controversial past work of Bernward's ostracized father, an infamous Nazi author. Bernward defends his father's writing ability, even if he is haunted by his father's suspicious past.

Buena Vista Social Club

June 1999 •English

In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.

The Jill & Tony Curtis Story

April 2008 •English

Actor Tony Curtis and his wife, Jill, discuss the important need to protect horses from consumption overseas in this documentary, which examines the couple's passionate struggle for equestrian rights and personal efforts to rescue horses. Featuring startling footage captured directly inside a slaughterhouse, this meaningful movie aims to celebrate horses and keep them shielded from cruel and senseless deaths.

Inhaling the Spore: A Journey Through the Museum of Jurassic Technology

September 2006 •English

A fascinating look into an obscure institution, this documentary visits the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City, Calif. Comprising a collection of exhibits, dioramas and curios -- most of which seemingly have nothing to do with the Jurassic period or technology -- the museum offers an intellectual trip down the rabbit hole. The film includes interviews with founder and curator David Wilson and an extensive tour of the museum's oddities.

Who the Hell Is Pete Doherty?

June 2005 •English

Filmed in Britain during the 2004 Babyshambles tour, director Roger Pomphrey's intimate portrait attempts to peel back the layers of Pete Doherty's media mask to reveal his true artistic identity. Simultaneously dubbed "the coolest man in rock" and "waster of the year," the controversial singer-songwriter -- a perennial favorite of the tabloid press -- embraces a murky duality. But just who is the man behind all the hype?

The (Dead Mothers) Club

May 2014 •English

Three women whose paths never cross, yet are bound by the shared experience of losing their mothers during adolescence, exploring each one’s sometimes-complex relationship with her mother.

A Brony Tale

July 2014 •English

Vancouver-based voice artist Ashleigh Ball has been the voice of numerous characters in classic cartoons such as Care Bears, Strawberry Shortcake, Cinderella and more. When Ashleigh was hired to voice Apple Jack and Rainbow Dash for Hasbro's fourth series to use the My Little Pony name - My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic - she had no idea she would become an Internet phenomenon and major celebrity to a worldwide fan-base of grownups. Bronies are united by their belief in the show's philosophy. This documentary gives an inside view of the Pony fan-world, and an intimate look at the courage it takes to just be yourself...even when that means liking a little girls' cartoon.

Road

June 2014 •English

Brothers addicted to speed at any price. Documentary following the motorcycle road racing careers, and fate, of the Dunlop family.

Won't Back Down

June 2014 •English

From his humble beginnings in his hometown of Sheffield, England, Steve Peat has established himself as one of the worlds most iconic cyclists. Peaty has been competing at the top level in his chosen sport of downhill mountain bike racing for the past 23 years, longer than the lifetime of many of his current competitors. Through 20 years of archival footage and photos and intimate interviews with Steve, his family, close friends and competitors, Won’t Back Down takes viewers on a captivating tour of the history of the sport of downhill mountain bike racing and offers a never-before-seen view into the life and legacy of this enduring icon.