ON A TIGHTROPE is a heartwarming and beautiful documentary film with a grave backdrop. The documentary follows four children at a government orphanage in Xinjiang, China. The four are learning the ancient Uyghur tradition of Dawaz, tightrope walking. The children’s struggle to master the tightrope becomes a metaphor for their lives, as they walk the line between being true to their cultural and religious heritage and the communist party’s harsh demands for obedience.
Category: Documentary
“There are in life faces which, at first sight, appear unremarkable, but when seen through the camera or when projected on screen they become extraordinary. Behind every expression lies an entire life, a destiny,” Ferenc Grunwalsky once declared. While making a sociological documentary, the director-cinematographer came across a young mother who so caught his attention that he decided to devote an entire portrait film to her. In the absence of dialogue, the most minute expressions become the film’s ‘protagonists’, and instead of explanatory narration and captions the power of imagery prevails.
A series of interviews are conducted concerning people’s beliefs towards the possibility of an afterlife. The interviews are filmed against a set of strange backdrops, and are intercut with clips from classic films and a variety of stock footage.
Originally a black religious song, then a union organizing song, “We Shall Overcome” gradually became the protest anthem that set America marching towards racial equality. By tracing the sources of one song, the film uncovers the diverse strands of social history which flowed together to form the Civil Rights movement. Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Julian Bond, Andrew Young and others reminisce about what this song meant during the sit-ins, voter registration drives and protest marches of the sixties.
Documentary portrait of writer and performer Spalding Gray, tracing his journey from his Rhode Island childhood to his rise as a celebrated monologist. Through interviews, performance excerpts, and reflections, it explores how he transformed personal experience into art. The film highlights his distinctive storytelling style—wry, confessional, and deeply human—revealing the creative process behind his acclaimed stage works.
This film explores the life of harpsichordist Wanda Landowska and her role in reviving the harpsichord as a concert instrument. It features her only filmed appearance, a 1953 television interview, showcasing both her virtuosity and her distinctive persona. Through interviews and vintage recordings, Landowska reflects on her love of music and delivers dazzling performances that transformed how audiences heard the harpsichord.
French Beauty is a 70-minute documentary exploring the idea of femininity in French cinema. Through interviews with iconic actresses such as Brigitte Bardot, Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve and others, interwoven with film clips, fashion imagery, and archival footage, the film investigates how beauty is constructed, perceived, and performed. It considers what it means to be a “French beauty” — the tension between private identity and public image, the implications of being nude on screen, loss of privacy, and how the star system and couture contribute to, and exploit, these ideals.
A film of Eric Serra’s audio recording session of Doudou N’Diaye Rose and his drumming ensemble outdoors on the island of Gorée, off the coast of Dakar, Senegal. The film concentrates on two performances — one shot in daytime, and one at night. Two performances are filmed, punctuated by images of the island.