Alternativ Festival 1975(1975)

Moravian Hellas(cs)

Karel Vachek’s graduate film offers us a documentary essay which is both a light-hearted and aggressive little piece and also a parody of investigative film journalism. The Strážnice folk festival, backed by the cultural Party apparatus of the time, for years had little to commend itself to authentic folklore. In the film the event assumes the form of a bizarre stage spectacle with almost surrealistic elements that Vachek reinforces with unconventional approaches (commentary appearing as titles on screen, singing, declamations into the camera, feature etudes, the fusion of news coverage and fiction). The result is a stirring film collage depicting various characters, from crowd-pleasers, Easter egg decorators, kitsch artists and peddlers, to museologists and local residents, all of whom come up against the eccentric "identical” twin reporters Karel and Jan Saudek and a bored actress who appears as an extra. Using their special blend of irony and wit, they present us with the sad truth.

Ultimate Scandinavia(en)

In this ultimate guide to Scandinavia travelers Megan McCormick, Ian Wright and Neil Gibson explore Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Lapland, Finland and the Baltic States. From enjoying a traditional Viking festival to crossing the Arctic Circle into Lapland for dinner with reindeer herders to a visit to the capital of Lithuania, Vilinus, and the Midsummer Night Festival in Kernave, these hosts will introduce the viewer to a variety of sites and attractions during their Scandinavian tour.

Bulgaria: Fire Dance Ritual(de)

Every year in June, the small Bulgarian village of Balgari celebrates St Constantine with a special ritual. Initiated ‘nestinari’ go into a music-induced trance and dance on bonfires in a display of religious passion.

Punky Night at Hinton St. George(xx)

Children parade through the streets of Hinton St George in Somerset on the last Thursday of October. Children have hollowed out pumpkins or mangelwurzels, a type of animal fodder turnip to make lanterns following a tradition in this part of West Somerset that coincides with Halloween. Punky or Punkie Night is thought to date from the turn of the 20th century or perhaps medieval times chanting rhymes and following a Punkie King and Queen.

Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man(en)

Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man is a full-color book (which includes a DVD) based on the captivating images of Holly Kreuter, with contributions from an additional 90 Burning Man participants, offering the reader a taste of the Burning Man experience. The DVD includes an original Score by Sean Abreu, seven slideshows featuring 560 Kreuter photographs and video interviews with 8 artists including Larry Harvey.

AquaBurn(en)

AquaBurn is an award-winning documentary film by director Bill Breithaupt showcasing "The Floating World" theme of the 2002 Burning Man Festival. AquaBurn features many of the incredible Burning Man art installations, the imagination and originality that went into their creation, and the artists who conceived them. Unlike conventional documentaries on the Burning Man Festival, AquaBurn captures the true feeling and excitement of the event itself, transporting the viewer to a hot, dusty wonderland without ever leaving home.

Dust Devils(en)

A beautifully done video of Burning Man 2001, 2002 & 2003. Lots of people interviews, Center Cafe activity and extensive coverage of artist David Best and the Temple construction and burn. This documentary captures the swirling columns of dust that were created during the intense heat of the 2002 Temple burn.

I'll take Your Bread(lt)

Documentary film showing authentic Lithuanian traditions & rituals during major seasonal festivals: Winter solstice, Mardi Gras, Easter, Midsummer.

Fairport Convention: Who Knows Where the Time Goes?(en)

Documentary following English folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention as they celebrate their 45th anniversary in 2012. Fairport's iconic 1969 album Liege and Lief featured some of folk music's biggest names - including singer Sandy Denny, guitarist Richard Thompson and fiddler Dave Swarbrick - and was voted by Radio 2 listeners as the most influential folk album of all time.

Ramón Ayala(en)

Marcos Lopez's first feature film explores the world and oeuvre of Argentine folk musician, Ramón Ayala. The movie also provides interviews with contemporary musicians from Argentina, who were influenced by Ayala. At the same time, the picture portrays the different landscapes of the country: the jungle and soil of Misiones (Ayala's native province), the folk festival in Córdoba and the urban environment of Buenos Aires; paying special attention to those places where Ayala's music circulate. One of the most famous Argentine photographers, Lopez takes advantage of the cinematographic medium to stamp his visual aesthetics, which offer a very ironic, yet loving, approach to Argentina.

The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan: Live at the Newport Folk Festival(en)

An unvarnished chronicle of Bob Dylan's metamorphosis from folk to rock musician via appearances at the Newport Folk Festival between 1963 and 1965.

Mayor of Lowell(en)

This short documentary chronicles the culture and arts of Cambodian Americans and the Lowell, MA community through the eyes of Sokhary Chau, the first Cambodian American Mayor in the United States. Chau immigrated to the U.S. at seven years old to escape the Khmer Rouge genocide. Through this unique story that showcases the best of Lowell—immigrant success, assimilation, history, and the development of the arts—we see a man born into a war-torn country who comes to America to be a first-in-the-nation leader.

Valašské tance(cs)

Burning Man: Just Add Couches(en)

One year after discovering the Burning Man Festival, filmmaker Joe Winston and his pals return to the desert. "What this party really needs is a comfortable living room setting, where people can watch TV and drink beer," they proudly declare. Unfortunately, creating the "Couch Potato Camp" over 50 miles from the nearest hardware store turns out to be harder than they thought...

How to Kill a Cloud(fi)

Scientist Hannele Korhonen has one ultimate passion: to work at the top of the atmospheric science community in the world. She wishes to be totally independent and concentrate on her science while maintaining high ethical values. Her life changes dramatically when she is awarded a 1,5 million USD research grant by the United Arab Emirates. The funder expects her to find ways to make the migratory clouds above the UAE to rain on the country suffering of drought. The opportunity to get proper funding for such a special research is perfect. Gradually she learns that the aim of the funder is to benefit one country, not science at large. Korhonen’s enthusiasm morphs into an ethical dilemma and inner conflicts.

The Society of Anonymous Optimists(ru)

Boris, in a state of deep depression, gets drunk in a bar and meets his childhood friend Kostya. He advises him to enroll in the Society of Optimists Anonymous.

The Remains of the Day: The Filmmaker's Journey(en)

A documentary about making The Remains of the Day.

Swan Song(en)

An aging hairdresser escapes his nursing home to embark on an odyssey across his small town to style a dead woman's hair for her funeral, rediscovering his sparkle along the way.