Revealing the flaws of Japanese society, the 1995 sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway prompted Murakami to return to his homeland, whose conformism he rejected, to examine it closely. This led to the creation of two works: Underground and 1Q84.
Social & External
The people behind it
Haruki Murakami
Himself
Fukushima used to be a wonderful place. Unfortunately, since March 11, 2011, "Fukushima" has been superseded by another name: Nuclear Disaster Zone. Six years have passed, but over 80,000 Fukushima residents still cannot return home, still cannot return to their former lives. How did they get through it? Reconstruction work is slow. Several years on, surrounding the site of the Fukushima nuclear incident, there remain many refuge-seeking residents whose homes are still in lockdown. In the streets, people are taking it to their own hands to save their communities. Psychologically and practically, how does one rebuild? Does the civil society's self-rescue mission conclude in recovering what was lost, or in reviving an even better community? In their eyes, what is "revival"? What is the meaning of "rebirth"? Our crew went all over the coastal areas of Fukushima, recording stories of residents each finding their own ways to save themselves.
A report on the secretive Capital Region business NXIVM (Nexium), including the recent revelations that women connected to the group were branded with a symbol that incorporates the initials of Keith Raniere, NXIVM's founder. NXIVM has been described as very expensive brainwashing, labeled as a pyramid scheme, an alleged sex-trafficking operation, and an alleged sex cult.
Seeking revenge after a brutal attack that left him disfigured, a former assassin gets drawn into a high-stakes conflict over a valuable treasure.
Michael and Rachel are devastated when their six-year-old son dies in a tragic accident. When a stranger offers to bring the boy back to life, they take the offer. However, the child who returns is not the child they once knew.
A documentary about the conflict in 1993 between the Branch Davidians, a religious apocalyptic group, and the FBI based on further research by the roll behind Waco: The Rules of Engagement. Interviews with new people are conducted and more evidence is presented.
In the early 20th century, one of the biggest stars of the Parisian stage was a Black artist who has since been forgotten: the clown Chocolat. This film by Samia Chala and Thierry Leclère tells the extraordinary story of this former Cuban slave who captivated the Lumière brothers, inspired the painter Toulouse-Lautrec, and later influenced writers such as Jean Cocteau. The meteoric rise of Chocolat—who was physically struck and mocked on stage by the "white clown" Footit—reflects the French public's discovery of the "Black man" during the era of colonial exhibitions and the Third Republic. It is a story that still resonates today. Drawing on exceptional archival footage, Chocolat’s epic life story is recounted by historian Gérard Noiriel and actor Marcel Bozonnet, both of whom brought the clown back to life on stage.
From Victor Hugo`s classic French novel of the nineteenth century to Tom Hooper`s award winning blockbuster, Les Misérables has undergone one of the most successful transitions from book to stage to screen. In this new documentary, the scintillating journey of Hugo`s universal story is traced from book to stage to screen with contributions from those who have starred in and helped to create the entertainment phenomenon which has captured a place in everyone`s hearts. Helmed by entertainment and celebrity journalist Neil Sean, this insightful documentary traces the events of the Paris insurrection in 1832 and features excerpts from the restored 1978 Les Misérables lm starring Anthony Perkins alongside interviews with Frances Ruffelle, Hugh Jackman, Nick Jonas, Tom Hooper, Alfie Boe, Amanda Seyfried, Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Anne Hathaway.
A ride on the Zephyr at Pontchartrain Beach, a ride on the Canal Street streetcar, a journey along the New Basin Canal, exploring Lincoln Beach, watching the New Orleans Pelicans play ball, seeing the Mardi Gras Indians on tree-lined North Claiborne Avenue or just going to the neighborhood movie theatres. Visit some of the special places from New Orleans’ recent past.
A year of zen practice at Antaiji Temple in Japan. Many non-Japanese gather at this Soto school zen temple to do zazen 1,800 hours per year and live the zen ideal of self-sufficiency.
Director Koreyoshi Kurahara chronicles a year in the lives of Flep and Leila, two foxes living in Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, where the freezing winters are long and the mild summers short. After Flep defeats another male fox to become Leila's lifelong partner, they mate and raise a litter of five kits. With their family complete, the group must contend with human interference in their habitat, such as chicken farms and snowmobiles, and struggle against the debilitating cold of winter. The animals experience both triumph and tragedy, as the law of this harsh land proves – only the strong survive.
How the novel that is widely considered the greatest work of modern fiction was created and the toll it took on James Joyce's family.
Documentary about the arduous early years of the Sahrawi cause (1977)
Looking at the situation of the Sahrawi people in 1999, the documentary examines different aspects of institutions and organisation methods from the military to education, healthcare, camp administration and the search for solutions to the conflict in Western Sahara.
Filmed in the camps of Sahrawi refugees living in West-Algeria and Tifaritti (the liberated territory). The narrator, in his multiple interviews, examines the reality of these people who have been condemned to silence in exile. This is a direct and concise documentary that gives the refugees the opportunity to express themselves, as well as hearing from other people implicated in the conflict.
Pai Hsien-yung has lent Chinese-language literature some of its most colorful and most memorable characters, and served as the inspiration of multiple generations of artists working in mediums as different as television, film, and theatre. From the youthful air of the Modern Literature magazine, which he helped launch at the age of 22, to the humanistic sincerity in his recent works My Father and the Republic and Healing the Pain, Pai looks back on his 29 years teaching at Santa Barbara, a four-decade relishing of Guilin rice noodles, and a return visit to the gardens of Suzhou after 10 years. Through the darkened realm of the stage, to the countless lectures and courses he taught, Pai has been at the forefront of literature for multiple generations, with his unique blend of resilience and tenderness reverberating through the film, and bringing audiences closer to his warmth as a novelist.
A documentary about writer and novelist Liu Yichang.
From a vast record of 750 days, 5000 hours, Official Film of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 SIDE A and SIDE B are the official documentaries by Naomi Kawase capturing not only the athletes gathered from all over the world, but also their families, people involved in the Games, volunteers, medical personnel, and protesters shouting for the cancellation of the Olympics.
Examines the life and career of singer Whitney Houston. Features never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive recordings, rare performances and interviews with the people who knew her best.
A woman narrates the thoughts of a world traveler, meditations on time and memory expressed in words and images from places as far-flung as Japan, Guinea-Bissau, Iceland, and San Francisco.
A documentary special that explores the power of identity behind the iconic superheroes we know and love today. These legendary Marvel creations and stories have not only reflected the world outside our window – they have become a reflection of our own identities and who we truly are.
A look at the story behind Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from all of the Marvel films, the Marvel One-Shots and "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."!
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
Explore the evolution of Buzz Lightyear from toy to human in the making of Pixar’s Lightyear. Dive into the origin and cultural impact of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, the art of designing a new “human Buzz,” and the challenges faced by the Lightyear crew along the way.
Lupita Nyong'o narrates a documentary about Peanuts and its creator, Charles M. Schulz. Famous fans—including Drew Barrymore, Kevin Smith, and Al Roker—share its influence on them, and a new animated story finds Charlie Brown on a quest.
Take a virtual vacation to some of the Star Wars films' most iconic and beloved locations like Hoth, Tatooine, and Sorgan, as this charming series whisks you off for fly-through tours of the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Programming prodigy and information activist Aaron Swartz achieved groundbreaking work in social justice and political organizing. His passion for open access ensnared him in a legal nightmare that ended with the taking of his own life at the age of 26.
Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.
Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.
Interviews with leading authors, philosophers and scientists, with an in-depth discussion of the Law of Attraction. The audience is shown how they can learn and use 'The Secret' in their everyday lives.
Behind-the-scenes documentary revealing what goes on inside the colourful, privileged, and sometimes stressful Christian Dior fashion house.
The life of Bambi, a male roe deer, from his birth through childhood, the loss of his mother, the finding of a mate, the lessons he learns from his father, and the experience he gains about the dangers posed by human hunters in the forest.
Daft Punk Unchained is the first film about the pop culture phenomenon that is Daft Punk, the duo with 12 million albums sold worldwide and seven Grammy Awards. Throughout their career Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have always resisted compromise and the established codes of show business. They have remained determined to maintain control of every link in the chain of their creative process. In the era of globalisation and social networks, they rarely speak in public and neither do they show their faces on TV. This documentary explores this unprecedented cultural revolution revealing a duo of artists on a permanent quest for creativity, independence and freedom.
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer. The movie offers a unique insight into Cameron's world as he makes that dream reality – and makes history – by becoming the first person to travel solo to the deepest point on the planet.
A documentary on kids who attend a summer camp hoping to become the next Billy Graham.
Mickey Mouse is one of the most enduring symbols in our history. Those three simple circles take on meaning for virtually everyone on the planet. So ubiquitous in our lives that he can seem invisible, Mickey is something we all share, with unique memories and feelings. Over the course of his nearly century-long history, Mickey functions like a mirror, reflecting our personal and cultural values back at us. "Mickey: The Story of a Mouse" explores Mickey's significance, getting to the core of what Mickey's cultural impact says about each of us and about our world.
The incomparable Bruce Springsteen performs his critically acclaimed latest album and muses on life, rock, and the American dream, in this intimate and personal concert film co-directed by Thom Zimny and Springsteen himself.
Journalist Shiori Ito embarks on a courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country's outdated judicial and societal systems.