Filmphilia - A Fax to Godard

Manzanar

January 1972 •English

Short film about the Manzanar Japanese American internment camp. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2011.

Joseph Cornell: Worlds in a Box

November 1991 •English

This is a 1991 documentary film about the legendary artist and filmmaker, Joseph Cornell, who made those magnificent and strange collage boxes. He was also one of our great experimental filmmakers and once apparently made Salvador Dali extremely jealous at a screening of his masterpiece, Rose Hobart. In this film we get to hear people like Susan Sontag, Stan Brakhage, and Tony Curtis talk about their friendships with the artist. It turns out that Curtis was quite a collector and he seemed to have a very deep understanding of what Cornell was doing in his work.

Chinesische Städte

January 1935 •German

The short documentary presents the difference between North and South China and also presents footage from several Chinese cities.

Unbekanntes China

August 1937 •German

Aerial photographs and cityscapes by aviation pioneer Wulf-Dieter Graf zu Castell, who lived in China between 1933 and 1936 and was tasked with setting up an air traffic network for Eurasia.

Kaiserbauten in Fernost

July 1938 •German

Documentation of a journey along the Great Wall of China to the Ku-Pei-Kuo pass fortress.

Round About Hollywood

May 1931 •English

This short travelogue depicts snippets of locations in Hollywood, California, most of them as seen from the streets. Considerable time is taken showing the kinds of architecture of private homes. There are images of various important buildings, and a depiction of the Hollywood Bowl. Finally, there is a sequence revolving around the premiere of the film “Dirigible” (1931) at the famed Chinese Theatre.

Dance on Film: BBC Introducing Arts

May 2020 •English

Acclaimed dancer Carlos Acosta introduces a new generation of film makers who use b-boying, ballet and contemporary dance to tell their stories. Subjects range from dancing in a bingo hall, acid attacks, body image and wellbeing and the mystical world of baby eels. Each is a remarkable fusion of dance and film. Anatomy of a Crooked Spine; Blast; Elver; Full House; I Am Soldier; I Dance Best with You; Inside; Inside We Break; Manmade; Petals and Pain; Scapelands; We Are Ready Now; We Are Always Here; Do I Have Free Will?

The Occult: Mysteries Of The Supernatural

September 1977 •English

Rare 1977 documentary short hosted by Christopher Lee on the occult. Topics range from witch covens, Astrology, psychic powers, seances and astral projection, amongst others.

Until Further Notice

February 2021 •English

With his industry on lockdown and no end in sight, Toronto chef Luke Donato tries to keep his culinary passion alive during the COVID-19 pandemic - even if it means teaching a group of misfits online.

Making Of Castelo

October 2019 •Portuguese

A two parts making of documentary, following José Augusto Silva and his film crew during the shooting of a university short film called Castelo.

Ram Dass, Going Home

September 2017 •English

Ram Dass is one of the most important cultural figures from the 1960s and 70s. A pyschedelic pioneer, author of Be Here Now, beloved spiritual teacher, and outspoken advocate for death-and-dying awareness, Ram Dass is now himself approaching the end of life. Since suffering a life-changing stroke twenty years ago, he has been living at his home on Maui and deepening his spiritual practice — which is centered on love and his idea of merging with his surroundings and all living things. Shot in a nuanced cinematic style, the film is an intimate summary of his life learning and awareness, and is ultimately a poetic meditation on life, death, and the soul’s journey home.

Scoggie

January 1975 •English

This short documentary profiles 27-year-old Scoggie Watson, a Cape Breton stalwart who clings to the things he cherishes most: the waters of Lake Bras d'Or, his hand-built sailboat, his freedom, and the friends who stayed in Cape Breton instead of leaving for the big cities.

Paris at Dawn

August 1957 •French

Johan van der Keuken's first film is a uniquely beautiful portrait of Paris at dawn.

Buffalo Juggalos

April 2014 •English

An experimental exploration and celebration of the Juggalo subculture in Buffalo, New York. Long and static takes of Juggalos engaged in their favorite activities, first and foremost of which - causing mayhem. Among these seemingly random acts of the everyday, preening, sexual gratification, backyard wrestling, explosions and destruction, a tentative narrative begins to emerge.

Food and Magic

November 1943 •English

A sideshow barker uses magic and visual aids to alert the public that proper food management is both a resource and a weapon that could be to America's advantage if conserved properly in winning the then current World War. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive, Academy War Film Collection, in 2008.

if you seek amy

February 2025 •

Distortions and deconstructions of Y2K pop stars' seductive images and iconic hits.

The House Is Black

February 1963 •Persian

Set in a leper colony in the north of Iran, The House is Black juxtaposes "ugliness," of which there is much in the world as stated in the opening scenes, with religion and gratitude.

The Making of The Documentary II

March 2015 •English

Step into the life and mind of critically acclaimed Hip Hop artist The Game as he travels to Record Room Studios in Miami, FL to record the follow up to his album "The Documentary".

Tram Rides through Nottingham

January 1902 •English

This fascinating record of Edwardian Nottingham was filmed from the driver's platform of a tram on a single journey through the city centre between its two main stations. The sequence follows the same route as today's Nottingham Express Transit tramway, taking the viewer along Listergate and Wheelergate into Old Market Square before turning right into Long Row and on into Queen Street.

Tío Jess

November 2012 •Spanish