Debate Team

Debate Team is a documentary exploring the weird subculture of competitive college debate. Competitors battle at 360 words per minute, hauling around mountains of evidence called "cards" and nearly every debate ends in global nuclear annihilation. In 2005, some 200 teams converged on San Francisco State to compete in the National Championship. The documentary follows four teams, from Michigan State, Harvard, West Georgia, and Berkeley in their quest for the national title. What emerges is not simply the chronicle of the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, but a more disturbing examination into the nature of competition itself and the American fetish with championships and champions.

Far from the Villages

Since the conflict in Darfur spread to the eastern border regions of Chad in 2005, some 13,000 people fled from this region to the refugee camp near the village of Gouroukoun. For them, the war is never far off. Many of these traumatised refugees have lived here for years, with little food, no work and no prospect of returning home. Zuchuat took his camera to the camp and captured their uncertain existence without providing any comment. He captures the refugees' arduous daily life in long shots, often from a single angle. They all have their own stories of how they ended up here, how they saw their families and fellow-villagers perish and no longer have any work, cattle or land. Another striking story is told by a child that uses a drawing to explain how he was chased away from his native village. Little girls sing a battle song while waiting for what comes next in this prison without bars.

Die Vampirprinzessin

Introduces the theory of the Viennese media scholar Rainer Maria Köppl that Bram Stoker was indirectly inspired by the figure of Princess Eleonore zu Schwarzenberg.

The Black Belt

In September 2015, the state of Alabama closed 31 Department of Motor Vehicles offices, disproportionately affecting African-American communities and their ability to register to vote. A band-aid solution in the form of a pop-up mobile voter registration unit is quickly dispatched. It's so disorganized and unprofessional it could be a comedy skit—if it weren't so infuriatingly disrespectful.

Rock 'n Roll Junkie

Rock 'n Roll Junkie is a documentary about the extraordinary life of dutch rock 'n roll myth and personification of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll Herman Brood.

Portrait of a Lone Farmer

My Friend, Norman: The Man from Aberdeen

Take a journey with Norman Geske, Nebraska's Father of the Arts, with this feature length documentary about the impact one man has had on the artistic and cultural heritage of Nebraska and beyond.

A Family Is a Family Is a Family: A Rosie O'Donnell Celebration

What is a family? Rosie O'Donnell looks at the many answers to this question in this documentary that features original songs and thoughtful kids musing on love and family. The show provides a less than moving portrait of the remarkable diversity of so called families today, including same-sex parents, mixed-heritage families, and stories of adoption. Animated songs and musical performances by kids and families spice up the festivities along with performances and recordings by artists including Ziggy Marley, Bonnie Raitt, Doris Day, Sweet Honey in the Rock, Frank Sinatra, Rosie O'Donnell and They Might Be Giants.

Santoalla

A Dutch couple, Martin and Margo Verfondern, move to a remote Spanish village of Santoalla to start a new life. There is conflict with the Spanish residents resulting in the disappearance of Martin.

The Mystery Beneath

A group of treasure hunters discover a mysterious object at the bottom of the Baltic Sea in this documentary. Theories abound about the large object's origins. It might be a UFO, manmade, or it might be a naturally occurring phenomenon. Nobody knows.

Aimé Césaire, un Nègre fondamental

Desert: Who Is the Man?

In their very own ways, scientists, artists and wandering souls search in the inhospitable and mythical desert landscape for the meaning of life.

Sticky: A (Self) Love Story

"Sticky" is everything your mother was too embarrassed to tell you about masturbation, in one stimulating documentary. Full of candid interviews from celebrated figures to everyday people, health care professionals, sex therapists, zoologists, anthropologists, and religious figures, this feature length doc answers age-old questions like: What is masturbation? Will it make me go blind? Is it "normal"? Is it wrong? And why are we so afraid to be caught in the act? In a world where confusion about sexuality remains at the root of so many societal problems - rape, sexual abuse, and the threat of sexually transmitted diseases - "Sticky" will help shatter misconceptions and myths surrounding this intimate aspect of human sexuality.

MxPx - Both Ends Burning

"Both Ends Burning" is a film that captures MxPx at a crossroads in their seasoned career. Directed by Bryan Buchelt, this documentary not only follows the band's struggles in the face of the new touring climate, it also looks at the legacy and impact that Mike, Tom, and Yuri have had on the music industry, fellow bands, and their fans. This is one of the first true looks into the life of the notoriously private working class band on the road and at home.

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Documentary footage of the author and his two daughters at home.

Looking for Modern Art: Rethinking Art History

Many twentieth century European artists, such as Paul Gauguin or Pablo Picasso, were influenced by art brought to Europe from African and Asian colonies. How to frame these Modernist works today when the idea of the primitive in art is problematic?