Documentary Movies

In the ‘land without evil’ humans will find peace, according to the Guaraní. Not far from Rio de Janeiro, they have built a village where they can live according to their customs and their children can grow up equally influenced by ancient traditions and the modern world. The uncommented observation of their everyday lives full of games, laughter and music enables the audience to pose questions – and to search for their own right answers.

In this special broadcast, we look back on Robert Jensen's groundbreaking television career through memorable clips from his iconic RTL5 talk show JENSEN.

In the 1970s, a rebellious commune was founded in the still wild Munich district of Schwabing in a spirit of optimism. For 45 years, different people found their place in the apartment again and again, shaping different ways of living and living together in each generation. Today, two young filmmakers live in the flat share and set off in search of clues: DIE WG tells stories about the goals and hopes, worries and ideals of different generations and the changing zeitgeist of an apartment. The film reflects on the places and people from our past and the significance of living in a shared flat as a stage of life.

Discovered in 1990, the clandestine grave at the Dom Bosco cemetery in Perus is a symbol of the violence and repression of the 1964 military dictatorship, whose echoes still resonate today in the state's police approach. In this documentary, we present how the work of analyzing the more than 1,049 bones found in the mass grave was carried out, and the difficulties encountered throughout this process.

VIOLET2023

Mayami Nuestro goes beyond the slogan "tá barato, dame dos" (“it’s cheap, give me two”) to force a rethinking of Venezuela’s relationship with oil and national identity. Produced at the height of the oil boom, this 34-minute documentary examines Venezuelan lifestyles in the 1970s and early 1980s, questioning the consumerist fantasies fueled by petro-wealth. Through interviews with merchants, bankers, U.S. academics, and the testimonies of Venezuelans themselves, the film maps the era’s version of the “American Dream” as lived—and projected—abroad. Winner of national and international awards and directed by Carlos Oteyza, Mayami nuestro offers a sharp, historically grounded critique and an open invitation for new generations to reflect on the legacy of oil and its cultural consequences.

The Bridge is a controversial documentary that shows people jumping to their death from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco - the world's most popular suicide destination. Interviews with the victims' loved ones describe their lives and mental health.

The Gauchos del Mar brothers explore the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), aiming to unite and construct bridges through surfing and the ocean.

Once he wanted to be a soldier and today he is a rural doctor and a hard-working farmer. He is also a lonely guardian of the memory of this land’s Jewish inhabitants whose only reminder is an overgrown cemetery. A bucolic landscape over the Neman River preserves the traces of the deceased.

Kyabakura is a type of hostess club in Japan, inspired by French cabaret. There exists an ambiguous relationship between the clients, the men, and the hostesses, that should never materialize into a sexual relationship...There are strict rules, which of course, are designed to be broken.

Between rhymes, beats, and archival footage, three “MCs” talk about their experiences in the rap battles that take place in downtown São Paulo (Brazil) and reflect on the role of these artistic encounters as a form of expression, entertainment and representation.

I’tikaaf (Arabic: اعتكاف) – “a practice of isolating oneself for a certain number of days, in order to reflect and stay away from worldly affairs” For six months Ahmad and Bilal have been living with Pastor Klaus Wening, unable to leave the house. The film accompanies their time in church asylum, waiting for news about their asylum process in Germany. I’tikaaf tells a story of exile and community, by documenting one station on the long journey of refugees, leaving their home.

Spring 2015

An almanac that brought together 10 independent Russian musicians, whose songs written before February 2022 suddenly began to sound in a new piercing way and have gained importance in today's context.

A theatrical documentary about Hrytsko Chubai, a genius of Ukrainian poetry, a connoisseur of literature, art and music and the brightest representative of Lviv underground culture of late 60s early 70s.

Mother, wife and daughter talk about the reality of living with the absence of a relative imprisoned.

A film about those who don’t see the way we do. And about us, who see nothing at all. Between the flicker of an eyelid and the silence of a people lies the same image: the one we refuse to face.

Mercado portrays the daily routine of the workers at the Santa Fe Fruit and Vegetable Market, a twenty-two thousand square meter property with great employment impact in the area. A visual journey from hard work in the field to sale in the market.