Revolution of Our Times

Hoxsey: When Healing Becomes a Crime

May 2005 •English

In the 1920s, former coal miner Harry Hoxsey claimed to have an herbal cure for cancer. Although scoffed at and ultimately banned by the medical establishment, by the 1950s, Hoxsey's formula had been used to treat thousands of patients, who testified to its efficacy. Was Hoxsey's recipe the work of a snake-oil charlatan or a legitimate treatment? Ken Ausubel directs this keen look into the forces that shape the policies of organized medicine.

Because My Bike Was There...

January 1966 •Dutch

On 19 March 1966, a photo exhibition about the police intervention during the wedding of Beatrix and Claus opened in Amsterdam. After the opening, filmmaker Louis van Gasteren filmed how, in the distance, policemen began beating up a young man, seemingly without any provocation. This footage was shown that same evening on television. Van Gasteren interviewed the victim, a 22-year-old student, who declared that he was walking in that direction because his ‘bicycle was there’. That became the title of this short film, in which Van Gasteren used slow motion to analyse the objectionable actions taken by the police.

The Beginning of Life 2: Outside

November 2020 •Portuguese

Genuine connections between children and nature can revolutionize our future. But is this discovery still possible in the world's major urban centers? The new chapter of "The Beginning of Life" reveals the transformative power of this concept.

Emicida: AmarElo - It's All for Yesterday

December 2020 •Portuguese

Between scenes from his concert in São Paulo's oft-inaccessible Theatro Municipal, rapper and activist Emicida celebrates the rich legacy of Black Brazilian culture.

Here and Elsewhere

September 1976 •French

Here and Elsewhere takes its name from the contrasting footage it shows of the fedayeen and of a French family watching television at home. Originally shot by the Dziga Vertov Group as a film on Palestinian freedom fighters, Godard later reworked the material alongside Anne-Marie Miéville.

Iron Fists and Kung Fu Kicks

August 2019 •English

The fantastic story of how an ancient martial art, Chinese kung fu, conquered the world through the hundreds of films that were produced in Hong Kong over the decades, transformed Western action cinema and inspired the birth of cultural movements such as blaxploitation, hip hop music, parkour and Wakaliwood cinema.

Inside the Red Brick Wall

November 2020 •

In 2019, Hong Kong was swept by demonstrations against the controversial extradition bill. At the Polytechnic University, a group of students also takes a stand for freedom and democracy. Negotiations with the police are chaotic and aggressive, conducted via megaphones and politically charged music played over loudspeakers. The colorful umbrellas which the young people use to protect themselves against the brutal police actions emphasize the group’s bravado, which borders on recklessness. What begins as an energetic battle against the establishment turns into a lopsided game of cat and mouse when the police decide to surround the building. Within its red brick walls, the university building becomes a prison. Over the nearly two weeks that follow, as fear and exhaustion grow among the hundreds of students, so does the uncertainty. Should they hang on inside, or leave the building to face the armed police?

Méta sexe, le documentaire

February 2024 •French

Cathline, Ines and Marie have been visiting the metaverse for years. The three young women explore these virtual worlds where everything is possible: friendship, love, and sexuality. In the heart of breathtaking settings, they push the boundaries of their own body and their identity. Not without dangers. This documentary takes you on a fascinating journey to the heart of these little-known universes, questioning the boundaries between the virtual and the real, and exploring the themes of love and sexuality.

Manufacturing Ignorance

November 2020 •French

Tobacco, climate change, pesticides,... Never has scientific knowledge seemed so vast, detailed and shared. And yet it appears to be increasingly challenged. It is no longer surprising to see private corporations put strategies in place to confuse the public debate and paralyze political decision-making. Overwhelmed by excess of information, how can we, as citizens, sort out fact from fiction? One by one, this film dismantles the workings of this clever manoeuvre that aims to turn science against itself. Thanks to declassified archives, graphic animations and testimonies from experts, lobbyists and politicians, this investigation plunges us into the science of doubt. Along with a team of experts (philosophers, economists, cognitive scientists, political men, or even agnotologists), we explore concrete examples of doubt making and try to understand the whole process and the issues behind it.

The Dark Side of Green Energies

November 2021 •French

Faced with climate change, many countries have embarked on the energy transition. Since the COP21 in 2015, which set demanding targets for reducing greenhouse gases, green energies have been on the rise. The electric car has thus become the mascot of this revolution. But manufacturers remain discreet about the carbon footprint of their cars marked "zero emission". Because not only do they consume electricity that is not always clean, but they also consume rare metals such as cobalt or lithium, the extraction of which causes havoc on the other side of the world. In China, for example, champion of rare metals, in Heilongjiang province, a carpet of toxic dust covers agricultural regions.

Luttes intimes

April 2024 •French

When the Century Took Shape (War and Revolution)

July 1978 •French

In 1978, just after Le fond de l'Air Est Rouge, which mercilessly analyzed the previous ten years of the revolutionary left's momentum until its collapse, Chris Marker made this complementary piece entitled Quand le Siècle a Pris Forme (Guerre et Révolution).

Heroin King of Baltimore: The Rise and Fall of Melvin Williams

January 2013 •English

Baltimore City officials asked drug kingpin Melvin Williams to stop the riots happened following Martin Luther King's assassination. After helping the authorities out, Williams was then labeled a threat, framed and incarcerated by a hypocritical society.

Like a Mighty Wave

December 2019 •English

On Wednesday, July 17th 2019, a heavily armed police force arrested 36 Native Hawaiian kūpuna peacefully protecting Maunakea from desecration. The actions from that day sparked an international outcry and brought new life to the ongoing movement for Native Hawaiians’ rights for self-determination.

Breakpoint: A Counter History of Progress

July 2019 •French

An account of the last two centuries of the Anthropocene, the Age of Man. How human beings have progressed so much in such a short time through war and the selfish interests of a few, belligerent politicians and captains of industry, damaging the welfare of the majority of mankind, impoverishing the weakest, greedily devouring the limited resources of the Earth.

Bil'in Habibti

January 2006 •English

The Israeli filmmaker Shai Corneli Polak records the building of the 'security wall' through Palestinian territory at the village of Bil'in. The villagers protest mostly peacefully, while the Israeli army doesn't react peacefully. By now the Israeli High Court has ruled that the building of the wall was illegal.

Last Exit to Kai Tak

October 2018 •

In the aftermath of 2014's Umbrella Revolution, five Hong Kong activists are confronted with the question of what it means to be Hong Kongers.

Auschwitz Projekt

January 2018 •French

U.S.A.E.R.

January 2015 •Spanish

Documentary where we know the work done by specialized teachers with students face barriers of learning and participation, to present a condition of disability, abilities or difficulties in the development of academic education in 4 elementary schools in Tijuana Mexico.

In Praise of Action

December 2018 •English

Documentary about stunts and their recognition in the film industry. Without their selfless contribution to film, the movies we know and love, would not be nearly the same. It is the art of ACTION that allows us to experience those thrilling moments Just as that famous Director's saying goes, "Lights, Camera. - ACTION!" There is an understood, yet UNSUNG value to the last of those three necessary components in film-making. Directors, Producers, and Studio Execs all know that the work of Stunt Professionals is an effective way to motivate people into the box offices and to help captivate an audience during Award Shows. Many people do not know that Stunt Professionals do not get an Academy Award, even though they are the ones who literally risk life for their life's passion. In Praise of ACTION makes a statement why Stunt Professionals are being forgotten in the biggest film awards ceremonies? This is the right time to talk about it.