
The 1905 law proclaiming the separation of church and state is 120 years old. This law affirms freedom of conscience and religious freedom. It is considered the founding text of secularism. Secularism is the subject of endless controversy and debate.
2025

2024

Embark on a captivating journey that delves into the essence of Yucatecan Maya life in the 21st century. This feature-length documentary unfolds against the backdrop of Coba, the second largest Maya ceremonial center in the ancient world. From this archaeological marvel, the film ventures deep into the lush jungles and intimate villages, offering a poignant exploration of two indigenous families committed to preserving their rich heritage. At its core, Beyond the Ruins weaves a tapestry that illuminates the profound interconnectedness of existence, as mirrored in the ancient Maya philosophy of "in lak' ech, a lak' en" - where "I am you; you are me." The film not only resurrects a vibrant but often overlooked culture; it also invites viewers to contemplate the universal lessons embedded in Maya wisdom. Through this evocative lens, audiences discover not only a living legacy but also a source of inspiration to enhance their own quality of life.
2024

The Dawn is Too Far: Stories of Iranian-American Life poetically narrates the story of a community of Iranian Americans who have made the San Francisco Bay Area their home over the past five decades. The film explores Iranian immigration through turbulent histories of dissent, revolution, war, and separation, and the reinvention of identity in a new land and culture. The Dawn is Too Far highlights how Iranian students, activists, and artists have navigated displacement while drawing on and influencing Bay Area culture. This community offers a more nuanced story of the Iranian diaspora—the ways that this community enriches the region where they live, work, and build families. The Dawn is Too Far undermines the tired and overplayed news headlines that are dominated by narratives of enmity and mistrust between the government of Iran and the U.S., to offer a more humane understanding of the how people's lives and the sacrifices they make are part of the larger story of immigration.
2024

2023

Kekaiulu Hula Studio follows the Proclaimed Hula Halau of the same name, showcasing their twist on what the real reason for hula is and what life as a dancer in the halau is really like. Something previously unseen in the public eye.
2022

Josh-awan Bulman details some highlights of the Zhuang Alliance Group's Style Guide.
2020

Follow all the behind the scenes of Cruzeiro Esporte Clube's conquest and celebration of the Sixth Brazilian Cup. Unpublished images and testimonies of the club's tenth national title.
2018

The French controversial author Gabriel Matzneff talks about film/cinema and his taste and flavors, without editing or interruptions. Among a lot of favorable experiences Matzneff mention "The Boy with Green Hair" (1948) by Joseph Losey, "Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom" (1975) by Pier Paolo Pasolini, and directors/auteurs like Marcel Carné and Orson Welles.
2017

Hours and historical meetings, Pierre Assouline has composed an anthology of the best extracts presented in the form of a primer, which he had commented on by a surprised Bernard Pivot.
2015

2014

Follows the waves of literary, political, and cultural history as charted by the The New York Review of Books, America’s leading journal of ideas for over 50 years. Provocative, idiosyncratic and incendiary, the film weaves rarely seen archival material, contributor interviews, excerpts from writings by such icons as James Baldwin, Gore Vidal, and Joan Didion along with original verité footage filmed in the Review’s West Village offices.
2014

How well we know our cup of coffee?
2014

Zombies are part of pop culture, but what are they? Where do they come from? To find real zombies we visit Haiti where Zombies are an integral part of the island's cultural and religious roots.
2008

2004

2003
Venerable storytellers recount for the camera and their listeners the founding myths of Malagasy culture.
1989

This documentary on the "youth movement" of the late 1960s focuses on the hippie pot smoking/free love culture in the San Francisco Bay area.
1968

Documentary by Stig Wesslén, commenced in 1942 and ended seven years later. Here he shows human and animal, and follows the nomadic life in an old culture.
1949

Seas the Day: The Sailing Movie is a genre-defying documentary that blends real-world adventure with deeply human storytelling. It transcends typical sailing documentaries by blending docu-fiction with a narrative inspired by Joseph Campbell’s classic The Hero's Journey. Directed by Ryan Luskin, an anthropologist and teacher, the film follows his family's quest across sixteen countries, learning life skills from diverse cultures.