Russia from Above

Lenin and the Other Story of the Russian Revolution(fr)

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov, better known as Lenin, is remembered as the instigator of the October Revolution of 1917 and, therefore, as one of the men who changed the shape of the world at that time and forever, but perhaps the actual events happened in a way different from that narrated in the history books…

Don't Call Him Dimon(ru)

A 2017 Russian documentary film about alleged corruption by Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Medvedev. The film claims that Dmitry Medvedev has embezzled an estimated $1.2 billion.

Space Dogs(ru)

Laika, a stray dog, was the first living being to be sent into space and thus to a certain death. A legend says that she returned to Earth as a ghost and still roams the streets of Moscow alongside her free-drifting descendants. While shooting this film, the directors little by little realised that they knew the street dogs only as part of our human world; they have never looked at humans as a part of the dogs’ world.

Karenina & I(en)

The actor Gøril Mauseth goes on a 11.000 kilometer travel with the Trans-Siberian to play Anna Karenina in a new language in Leo Tolstoj's Russia, discovering the language, and the reasons Tolstoj wrote what he wrote, changing her forever.

The Russian Revolution(en)

Starting in 1881 this film shows the personal battle between Lenin's Ulyanov family and the royal Romanovs that eventually led to the Russian revolution.

Village of Women(hy)

Only women, children and old people live in this Armenian village, while the men work in Russia. A life with a rhythm of its own, an independent daily life marked nonetheless by exile.

Rich Hall's Red Menace(en)

2019 marks the 30th year since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Rich Hall examines the relationship between the West and the USSR in his inimitable fashion.

On Putin's Blacklist(en)

Traces the new Cold War between Russia and the West from the ban on American citizens adopting Russian children to the Kremlin’s anti-LGBTQ campaign, which positions the international marriage equality movement as a national threat.

Michael Jackson: Moscow Case 1993(en)

The Moscow Case is a 52 minute documentary with never-before-seen footage of Michael Jackson in Moscow during the "Dangerous" tour. This film tells the behind the scenes story of Jackson's ill fated concert in September 1993. It includes unique archival footage showing Michael close up and personal while meeting fans and playing with orphan children.

Over the Limit(pl)

Margarita Mamun, an elite Russian rhythmic gymnast, is struggling to become an Olympic champion. It is the most important year of her career and her last chance to achieve the ultimate goal, the gold Olympic medal. The film creates a captivating portrait of a young woman who is desperately trying to handle her own ambitions and meet the expectations of the official Russian training system.

Zembla - The Dubious Friends of Donald Trump Part 1: The Russians(en)

For months, the FBI have been investigating Russian interference in the American presidential elections. ZEMBLA is investigating another explosive dossier concerning Trump’s involvement with the Russians: Trump’s business and personal ties to oligarchs from the former Soviet Union. Powerful billionaires suspected of money laundering and fraud, and of having contacts in Moscow and with the mafia. What do these relationships say about Trump and why does he deny them? How compromising are these dubious business relationships for the 45th president of the United States? And are there connections with the Netherlands? ZEMBLA meets with one of Trump’s controversial cronies and speaks with a former CIA agent, fraud investigators, attorneys, and an American senator among others.

Snowden's Great Escape(en)

Tells the story of how Edward Snowden managed to evade capture by the US. For the first time Snowden tells the story of how he managed to escape so that not to have to spend the rest of his life in an American prison.

Happy People: A Year in the Taiga(en)

In the center of the story is the life of the indigenous people of the village Bakhtia at the river Yenisei in the Siberian Taiga. The camera follows the protagonists in the village over a period of a year. The natives, whose daily routines have barely changed over the last centuries, keep living their lives according to their own cultural traditions.

Babushka(ru)

Twenty-five years after she moved away, Canadian filmmaker Kristina Wagenbauer (a participant in the 2019 Talent Lab) returns to her native Russia to visit her grandmother – her Babushka – with whom she spent part of her childhood, in this film brimming with tenderness and humour. The two women reflected in the mirror bear an undeniable resemblance, and each seeks to recognize herself in the other. Plumbing her memories, Wagenbauer hopes to re-establish a lost bond of intimacy and to confront the wounds of the past. Babushka has survived the Second World War, the break-up of the Soviet Union, the void that her daughter and granddaughter left behind when they moved abroad, and, more recently, the death of the love of her life. Despite all of this, she holds to life with a strong spirit of resilience.

Russia 1917: Countdown to Revolution(en)

Russia, 1917. After the abdication of Czar Nicholas II Romanov, the struggle for power confronts allies, enemies, factions and ideas; a ruthless battle between democracy and authoritarianism that will end with the takeover of the government by Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

The Son(ru)

In 2013, Dima Ilukhin, the cousin of the film’s director and a soldier in the Russian army, died on duty in the Republic of Dagestan in the North Caucasus. He was 21 years old. This incident marks the starting point for Abaturov’s reflection on the military. He films the training of new recruits in Siberia, as they bid farewell to their mothers and girlfriends, learn the mechanics of a Kalashnikov, or how to throw a hand grenade and administer first aid. While his parents try to cope with their loss, Dima’s former fellow recruits have to return to battle.

Moscow 1996, Vote or Lose!(fr)

Moscow, January 1996. Boris Yeltsin gets ready to run for a second mandate of the presidency of the young Russian Federation. Polls are in the single digits. A painful economic transition, war in Chechnya, and the rise of criminal groups have left the majority of Russians dissatisfied with Yeltsin… and willing to vote for the communist leader Gennady Zyuganov. Yet six months later, Yeltsin won the election with nearly 54% of the vote. How did that happen?

Something Better to Come(en)

Right outside of Moscow – home to the highest number of billionaires pr. capita – you’ll find the largest junkyard in the world: The Svalka. It’s a hard place run by the Russian mafia. And it's where Yula lives with her mother, her friends and many other people. Life is tough in the Svalka, but it’s also a place where beauty and humanity can arise from the most unlikely conditions. It is from this place that Yula dreams of escaping and changing her life, even if it seems impossible. Oscar-nominated director Hanna Polak followed Yula for 14 years, bringing us along on Yula's journey to achieve this dream.

The Russian Woodpecker(en)

As his country is gripped by revolution and war, a Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life and play his part in the revolution by revealing it.

Kadyrov, The Dictator of Chechnya(fr)

The lifestyle, self-styling and political opinions of Chechen dictator Ramsan Kadyrov are examined in this documentary.

Life of a Mutt(sr)

Through seven scenes, the film follows the life and destinies of stray dogs from the margins of our society, leading us to reconsider our attitude towards them. Through the seven “wandering” characters that we follow at different ages, from birth to old age, we witness their dignified struggle for survival. At the cemetery, in an abandoned factory, in an asylum, in a landfill, in places full of sorrow, our heroes search for love and togetherness. By combining documentary material, animation and acting interpretation of the thoughts of our heroes, we get to know lives between disappointment and hope, quite similar to ours.

Holiday in the Sun(en)

Sisters Alex and Madison are whisked away to the Bahamas for winter break but soon find themselves crossing paths with a man smuggling stolen artifacts.

Scooby-Doo's Spookiest Tales(en)

Zoinks! Get ready to shake and shiver with Scooby-Doo and the Mystery, Inc. gang as they collect clues and capture crooks as only they can! Those teenage super-sleuths have the villains on the run in four mysterious adventures. So grab your Scooby snacks, gather your courage and make like a detective because - jinkies - there's a mystery to solve. Compilation of four episodes from the Scooby-Doo franchise: Vampires, Bats, and Scaredy Cats; A Gaggle of Galloping Ghosts; That's Snow Ghost; and Which Witch is Which.

Hanna-Barbera's 50th(en)

The special is hosted by Tony Danza and Annie Potts celebrating 50 years of William Hanna and Joseph Barbera's partnership in animation. This is the first animated project to be broadcast in Dolby Surround sound system.

Mantovani, the King of Strings(it)

Known for his unmistakable cascading strings and recordings such as Charmaine, Mantovani enthralled the world with his sublime arrangements. This is the story of the man and his music.

Good(en)

Payton becomes the caretaker of Gregory Devereaux, a wealthy man facing his final months. As they become close, Gregory's past sins force Payton to decide between his dreams and a pregnancy that could squander them all.

Cold Hard Cash(en)

Watch what happens when two beautiful bad girls with no option are put in a desperate situation.

Tihar(en)

Tihar is a heartwarming short film celebrating the cherished Hindu festival of brothers and sisters. Bipana and Kalpana, two sisters living in the United Kingdom, invite their brothers, Suraj, Naresh, Dhiraj, to join them for a special Tihar celebration. The siblings, originally from Nepal, come together on this meaningful day, sharing laughter, love, and traditions far from their homeland. The brothers present thoughtful gifts to their sisters as a token of love, and together they light diyas, exchange blessings, and enjoy a festive meal. The film highlights the essence of Tihar as a time to strengthen family bonds. It reminds viewers that amidst life's challenges, festivals provide a perfect opportunity to pause, reconnect, and cherish time with loved ones. The message is simple yet profound: family gatherings and celebrations are the true essence of life.

La pulquería 3: Entre ficheras anda el diablo(es)

After regaining his manliness, he escapes from hell Satan for embezzling Secretary of infernal hacienda, being chased by a couple of poor devils good for nothing, and took refuge in the cabaret ends up working as a transvestite.

Hermanas(es)

Carmen, an independent and modern woman, goes to dinner at her sister Ana's house, a married woman subject to all gender structures. Mateo, Ana's husband, intervenes at dinner and continually clashes with Carmen's way of life.

John(en)

A day in the life of John Lennon, alive and well in modern-day New York City. The former Beatle squabbles with a security guard, commiserates with his best friend over lunch, and upsets a bully.

Six Days of Sistine(en)

Two souls lost in a world of modernisation find each other in a moment's need for clarity and appreciation.

25 Kille(pa)

Four brothers receive news of an inheritance and must contend with an unscrupulous landowner to receive their birthright.

Python 2(en)

A man, his business partner, and his wife are enlisted to transport an unknown object from a Russian military base, only to discover that the object is a giant, genetically-altered python.

Just Try Me(en)

Yu Yu Hakusho: Eizou Hakusho(ja)

Two recap specials that focus on Team Urameshi's matches in the Dark Tournament and four separate volumes focusing around one of the main characters; Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, or Kuwabara.

Joy in Moscow(fr)

Pretty Joy and her friend come to Moscow to shoot a commercial. A taxi driver, who recruits girls for an underground organization run by a distant descendant of Rasputin, suggests they visit the Rasputin Museum. During the tour, the girls are hypnotized by the evil character, who hypnotizes his victims before using their charms to seduce the rich tourists.

Enemy of England(en)

Amidst nation-wide fears of the growing control of the European Union, a terrorist attack destroys a London school, killing children and anti-EU politician Dillon Tudor. With blame falling on an underground resistance movement, the English government calls a state-of-emergency and Europeans become outlaws overnight. In the aftermath, Sophia Tudor hunts those responsible for the death of her brother, as the head of the government's new enforcement agency. But when she is kidnapped and interrogated by the terrorists Sophia discovers that it can be difficult to separate your enemies from your allies.