In 2012, Kochi, Kerala launched Asia’s biggest contemporary art show. Filmmaker Hattie Bowering follows artists battling no power, dengue, heat, and labor issues to open the historic Kochi-Muziris Biennale. A rare, refreshing look inside the artistic process. 

Naoki, 56, lived a life of luxury in Japan's bubble economy days. But when Japan's economy crashed in the early 1990s he lost everything, ending up divorced and penniless. He was saved from homelessness by his new girlfriend, 29-year-old Yoshie, who took him in despite living in a tiny one-room a...

Exploring Myanmar's recently opened Myeik Archipelago, this documentary showcases 800 pristine islands. Now a top-ten destination for travelers and divers, the film is a beautiful homage to this natural environment and its native inhabitants, the Moken people.

A Northwestern Argentinian teacher leads a mobile cinema on a 20-hour trek to Jujuy’s most isolated school. “The Andean Screen” is a poetic analogy between cinema and travel, portraying high-altitude educational values. It’s a choral history spun by principal Silvina Velázquez, whose tenacity int...

Post-apartheid, townships remain: under-resourced, largely-black communities. Residents describe cramped conditions, scarce amenities, and safety concerns, revealing a legacy of enduring inequality.

China’s top drama academy stages “Fame” as a Broadway collaboration and senior showcase. Over eight months, five single-child generation students grapple with parental pressure, corruption, and personal anxiety. Through the musical, they confront social realities and forge their own paths to succ...

In Rignano, Ghetto residents implored me: “Do not display our lives in these precarious houses. This despair is not yours to show.” Yet, their profound misery was the first thing I saw and my initial, conflicting urge to document.

A journey across Italy, from Milan's hubs to Erice's alleys, reveals the soul of its people: the intimate focus of family workshops, luxury artisans, and recovered factories. In the encounter between hands and material, a magical, ancestral moment gives birth to something new. This portrait inter...

In Marc Isaacs’ film, diverse London arrivals seek better lives: an aspiring Irish singer, a lonely ex-builder, a Kashmiri hotel worker, a Jewish WWII refugee, and a retired German stewardess. Blending humour and heartbreak, it’s a deeply affecting, non-polemical study of immigration.

“Slow Fashion” contrasts global fashion’s exploitation, like a Paris designer appropriating Indigenous designs from Oaxaca, with sustainable, ethical collaborations. In Mexico, officials challenge this privatization of collective property. Meanwhile, in Laos, activists like Nanci Takayama empower...

My Blood Is Red follows Werá, an indigenous rapper using his music to confront the state-condoned violence against his people in Brazil. Fueled by anger and sadness, his journey is guided by two icons: Criolo, the godfather of Brazilian hip-hop, and Sonia Guajajara, a renowned indigenous leader. ...

Despite increasing smoking bans, New Zealand's Māori community is disproportionately affected. 46% of Māori are regular smokers (vs. 21% non-Māori), causing 31% of Māori deaths. "Dying For A Smoke" investigates this crisis, featuring personal stories like Natasha's, who started young. The anti-sm...

Sampat Pal Devi had had enough of the violence and lack of freedom in Indian women's lives and decided to take matters into her own hands. She gathered like-minded women together and, wearing pink, they started storming the offices of corrupt officials, hectoring and beating abusive husbands and ...

A cowboy's quest for the perfect hat explores the iconic Stetson's origins, its evolution from practical gear to cultural symbol, and the styles that define the American West. This journey solidifies the hat as the ultimate expression of cowboy identity.

By 2036, one in three Japanese will be over 65. Confronting a shrinking workforce, Japan launched the Robot Revolution Initiative. "Circuits of Care" follows anthropologist David Prendergast meeting researchers creating assistive tech for older adults. From cybernetic walkers to companion robots,...

American filmmaker Miguel Cano, moved by a Tibetan exile's story, journeys deep into Sichuan's remote, ethnically Tibetan region. He immerses himself in the ancient, spiritually rich culture, documenting its warmth and traditions. Yet, he finds it threatened by political tension, consumerism, and...

“Man Up!” examines men’s power to foster gender equity. It follows Sikhangele Mabulu and Monwabisi Mbetane as they confront childhood socialization that normalized violence as male expression, championing a more fulfilling life for all.

Aboard a Tanzanian sleeper train, three lives intersect. Rukia, an entrepreneur, seeks a new beginning. Isaya, an old Masai, returns to the bush with his grandson. Peter, a charismatic preacher, monetizes his followers' faith. This microcosm reveals their journeys toward uncertain futures in a pr...

An intimate portrait of four distinct Al Nusra suicide bombers in Syria. From a Saudi who loves singing to a worried British convert, this film embeds with ‘martyrdom seekers.’ As they await their "Dugma" mission, it reveals the faith and doubt driving them. Winner, Best Documentary - Festival du...

In Brazil, the Spiritist movement is growing at a phenomenal rate. Followers believe that direct contact can be made with dead loved ones. In this film, we see the work of one of Spiritsm's proponents, Fernando Ben, as he claims to receive messages from a deceased man. Grief stricken relatives cl...

In North East England, Tom and Kay Hutchinson undertake a near-impossible mission: breeding the perfect Swaledale sheep. Through sun, hail, and snow, they toil on the fells. Their life is both idyllic and brutally tough, a battle against harsh weather, financial strain, and the baffling tendency ...

In Bolivia, “Sorojchi” is altitude sickness, felt acutely in El Alto and La Paz. This is the setting for the story of four urban artists. Through their powerful work, they share their perspectives on Bolivia and its people, all while navigating a profound social and political crisis.

Peipei, a young aspiring artist in Henan, is counting down to the final exams. As a scapegoat for peers and teachers, this abandoned “wild flower” never adapted to school’s rigid rules. Now, she struggles to find her place as the year ends.

While the British perceive Calais as the gateway to Europe or a place to buy cheap alcohol, others see it as the last frontier in the quest for a better life in England. This character-driven film follows the lives of refugees and migrants who have come from afar only to be stranded so close to t...