At night, the streets of Harlem are haunted by lost souls. Bodies that drift around in the darkness and bear the weight of the past on their shoulders. The Haitian man Frenchie is one of them, and his accentuated stutter bears witness to exile and years of abuse. But he is more than just that in Khalik Allah's new, hypnotic film opus, which turns the American tradition of social realist street photography into its own art form.
This Ivete Sangalo concert at Rio de Janeiro's legendary Maracanã Stadium, and the subsequent DVD/CD releases, constituted the year's main event in Brazilian pop music. Sangalo rose to fame with the axé band Banda Eva, and since 1999 has embarked on an unstoppable solo career, making her the undisputed queen of pop in Brazil in terms of sales and popularity, as well as gathering countless industry and society awards. Accordingly, Sangalo put on a show at the Maracanã that should leave no one envious of the megaconcerts offered in Rio by Madonna, Michael Jackson, and the Rolling Stones. Alternating some of her many hits with new songs or new versions of old material, Sangalo burns through the set with her characteristic enthusiasm and infectious star magnetism, incessantly cheered on by an adoring audience of 55,000. The album has sold over 800,000 copies in Brazil (being certified Diamond), and features the single "Deixo". Recorded on December 16, 2006.
Cult filmmaker Tom DeSimone (Reform School Girls; Erotikus: A History of the Gay Movie) revisits the production of a lost gay film and resurrects youthful adventures on the California coast. From the creators of Raw! Uncut! Video!.
A mock trial during the rehearsal of a play quickly turns into a gripping drama about desire, gender issues, power and control, this is an adaptation of playwright Vijay Tendulkar's Shantata. Court Chalu Aahe (1963).
Four men decided to enter in the oldest Fight Club of the History, The Florentine Football tournament. A father and son, a black guy, an old champion and outsider clerk will enter in an arena of the time to win their fears, to go over their limits, to be heroes for a day.
A documentary detailing an indiscriminate terrorist attack that left 71 dead in Kenya.
Witness a remarkable coming-of-age story as we track a young leopard's journey from rookie to royalty in South Africa's lethal Big Five landscape. When we first meet Jack, he's clumsy, fearful, and weak, but he's a fast learner - and he'll need to be. He's destined for a showdown with the area's current leopard monarch, an alpha male with a real mean streak. We follow Jack as he hones his skills and builds up muscle for the ultimate catfight. It's a battle where only the winner will walk out alive.
A promotional short documentary on the making of the film American Beauty, directed by Sam Mendes and written by Alan Ball.
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.
Thom Andersen's remarkable and sadly neglected hour-long documentary adroitly combines biography, history, film theory, and philosophical reflection. Muybridge's photographic studies of animal locomotion in the 1870s were a major forerunner of movies; even more interesting are his subsequent studies of diverse people, photographed against neutral backgrounds.
Andy really wants to sleep, but he's scared the world is at odds with him. A contained, introspective and emotionally fragile short.
When teacher Simon arrives in a small, secluded village to take over the local school, he is surprised to discover that his predecessor has disappeared without a trace - and that nobody seems too concerned about it. As Simon probes deeper into the disappearance, the inhabitants of a forbidding estate called "Summerfield" take on more and more significance.
Two teenagers are playing by night in a dirty parking lot. After they are driving on an empty road, they start to tease each other on the way to the sea, but they seem to be too young to drive and the road is a bit strange.
This film finds Angélique in a North African Muslim kingdom where she is now part of the Sultan's harem. The first part of the film consist of her angrily refusing to be bedded as well as their trying to literally beat some sense into her. It all seems to go on too long and I was surprised that the Sultan simply didn't have her killed. Late in the film, she finally decides to escape with the help of two Christian prisoners.
Jerry mixes and drinks a high-acceleration potion which renders him so fast that he eats all of Tom's food before the bewildered cat can even see him.
A meditation on eating people and quiet waitresses.
In very bad weather and a stormy sea, a small boat manned by two men is trying to leave the harbor of La Ciotat, while several people are watching them from the nearby pier.