Nancy's Workshop

Bald: The Making of 'THX 1138'

March 1971 •English

The film features a conversation between Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola, producer of THX 1138. They discuss Lucas' vision for the film, including his ideas about science fiction in general and in particular his concept of the "used future" which would famously feature in his film Star Wars. Intercut with this discussion is footage shot prior to the start of production of THX 1138 showing several of its actors having their heads shaved, a requirement for appearing in the film. In several cases the actors are shown being shaved in a public location. For example, Maggie McOmie is shaved outside the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, while Robert Duvall watches a sporting event as his hair is cut off. Another actor, Marshall Efron, who would later play an insane man in the film, cut off his own hair and was filmed doing so in a bathtub.

Une identité dans la diversité

September 2016 •French

Story of My Hair

January 2011 •English

The story of my hair can be told in two lines. My hair was long and black. It has turned white. It hasn't been cut since 1982, almost thirty years ago. Story of my Hair is a journey, both in space and in time. Anyone looking for truths, whether geographical, scientific or historical, will be disappointed. After looking at real events and real places the film very soon distances itself from them, preferring poetry and fiction. In his own fashion the auteur has combined the story of Samson and Delilah, the journey of those condemned to the death camps, the science of hair and a few thoughts about the meaning and fragility of life.

OJ: Trial of the Century

June 2014 •English

OJ: TRIAL OF THE CENTURY, premiered on June 12, 2014 and it chronicles the twists and turns of the OJ Simpson murder trial and allows viewers to relive every moment of the investigation first-hand.

Brunes et Blondes

October 2010 •French

Actresses' hairstyle in movies always carries a strong aesthetic statement associated with erotic, social, and historical meanings. In a bold and unexpected way, the film revisits this ultimate symbol of femininity in international cinema.

Barbershops Uncut: East Coast

January 2004 •English

A raw and uncensored look at what really goes down in urban barbershops.

She Did That

August 2019 •English

"She Did That” is the first full-length documentary focusing the lens on Black women building brands and legacies. The film explores the passionate pursuits of Black women and their entrepreneurship journeys.

The Devil at Your Heels

March 1981 •English

Devil at Your Heels, traces the trials of stuntman Ken Carter who attempts a death-defying aerial jump in a car. Not content with a normal jump, Ken Carter attempts a jump from Canada to the USA. This feature-length documentary shines a light on the intense preparation that led to Carter’s first attempt to jump a car across a mile-wide stretch of the St. Lawrence River – a 5-year period during which the dare-devil raised a million dollars, erected a 10-storey take-off ramp and built a rocket-powered car. Winner of the Canadian Screen Award for Best Feature Length Documentary at the 4th Genie Awards in 1983.

Broken Palace

September 2014 •English

A short documentary about the rapidly disappearing era of heritage movie palaces and the film going experience once offered within those hallowed walls.

Light Girls

January 2015 •English

From the creator and director of the critically acclaimed documentary Dark Girls, award-winning filmmaker Bill Duke continues the conversation on colorism with Light Girls. Sharing the untold stories and experiences of lighter-skinned women, Light Girls dives deep into the discussion of skin color, preference, privilege, pain and prejudice. The documentary features interviews with Russell Simmons, Soledad O'Brien, Diahann Carroll, India Arie, Iyanla Vanzant, Michaela Angela Davis, Kym Whitley, Salli Richardson-Whitfield and more.

The Mad Canadian

December 1976 •English

A tense, tight close-up of stunt man Ken Carter's role on the stock-car racing track. Risking life and limb to rocket a car from a ramp over a parked line of cars takes more than the will to make a living. What else is involved is shown by the film as the camera looks and listens while the stunt man readies for his act and then makes his wild ride.

Dark Girls 2

June 2020 •English

DARK GIRLS 2 is a follow up to the highly-touted DARK GIRLS, and explores the prejudices darker-skinned women face around the world.

Tax Shelter Terrors

December 2017 •English

The first feature-length documentary that fully explores how the toxic social and political Canadian context after 1968 created some of the most nihilistic and imaginative Canadian cult films of the 1970s and 80s and beyond.

Young, Gifted and Classical: The Making of a Maestro

November 2016 •English

Sheku Kanneh-Mason made history in 2016 when he became the first black winner of the BBC Young Musician competition. Sheku has six musically gifted siblings and this film explores their extraordinary talents and issues of diversity in classical music. We follow Sheku and his brothers and sisters and examine the sacrifices that parents Stuart and Kadie make in order to support their children in pursuing their musical dreams. Told through the prism of family life we get an understanding of what it is that drives this family to be the best musicians they can be. At the heart of the story is 17-year-old Sheku, and we see him coming to terms with his Young Musician win and the pressures and opportunities it brings. His life is changing dramatically as he now has to learn to deal with the challenges of becoming a world-renowned cellist.

Wash Day

February 2020 •English

As they get ready for the day, three young Black women discuss the public perception of their Blackness in relation to their cultivation of a strong sense of self. Wash Day is an intimate exploration into how private, domestic acts such as washing your hair or putting on makeup become a significant re-acquaintance with the body, before and after navigating the politics of one's outwardly appearance. Sundance Ignite 2021

The Trans List

December 2016 •English

A documentary that explores the range of experiences lived by transgender Americans.

Hrash

December 2024 •French

Inès, of North African origin, has frizzy, unruly curls. But why should she bother straightening it? Where does this obsession with straight, neatly styled hair come from?

Dark Girls

November 2011 •English

Documentary exploring the deep-seated biases and attitudes about skin color---particularly dark-skinned women, outside of and within the Black American culture.

Black Crowns

October 2023 •Spanish

The hairstyles of four Afro-descendant people from Mexican - Senegalese families, represent the starting point to reflect, through memories that emerge from their past and present, what it is like to live in México wearing a Black Crown and the consequences that implies.

Outlier: the story of Katherine Johnson

November 2019 •English

Documentary about an African-American girl who grows up to help NASA put astronauts into space and bring them home safely. She was one of the main characters in the movie, "Hidden Figures." Includes interview with Johnson.