A revealing look into the lives of students who put it all on the line to be selected, proving that a free education is never without a cost. ‘Selected’ is a documentary about the challenges of public urban education. Through unprecedented access in a Chicago public school, ‘Selected’ explores leadership, triumphs and losses in one of the most culturally and economically diverse schools in the country. ‘Selected’ investigates the impact of being educated in a true melting pot environment and the effect it has on education, acceptance, tolerance and a worldview. It illustrates what is possible when great leadership, diverse cultures and extraordinary minds come together. These interwoven stories highlight the benefits, and unintended consequences, of select schools and society’s constant struggle with urban education.
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Imagine this: you go dancing at a parade, there you will be filmed and suddenly this movie appears on the net. An artist makes art out of these images. From that moment on, your face buzzes out into the digital world. This case actually exists. The dancer is called Technoviking. He has become a famous figure on the Internet. However, it also raises a lot of questions: What are the boundaries between personality rights and the freedom of art? Can such a phenomenon be curbed at all by legal means? A feature length documentary on the popular Technoviking-Meme, one of the early big video memes on YouTube that ended up in court.
Whether they’re performing at an animal rescue center benefit, a church fundraiser, or a shrimp parade, the Calendar Girls give it all they’ve got. And they have a lot to give — impressive makeup; handmade costumes; elaborate dance routines; and, most notably, their unparalleled enthusiasm and sparkling personalities. They are a group of hardworking senior volunteer dancers in Florida, determined to prove that age is just a number.
In intimate conversations with those involved, including 28-year-old death row inmate Michael Perry (who was scheduled to die eight days after his interview with Herzog), legendary filmmaker Werner Herzog achieves what he describes as “a gaze into the abyss of the human soul.” As he’s so often done before, Herzog’s investigation unveils layers of humanity, making an enlightening trip out of ominous territory.
In 1984, American heavy metal band Twisted Sister became a global sensation. For 30 years, they been synonymous with hairspray, women’s clothing and tasteless album covers. Until now. Ten years ago, director Andrew Horn was granted access to the archives of Twisted Sister founder Jay French and in We are Twisted fucking Sister he explores the decade that preceded their breakthrough.
Declassified FBI and CIA documents help director Paul Davids unravel the puzzle of Marilyn Monroe’s demise, which was officially ruled a “probable suicide,” while providing detailed evidence supporting the conclusion that Marilyn was murdered.
The U.S. has long offered a promise of opportunity to immigrants, but currently immigration has become a divisive issue. This documentary illustrates how an understanding of our history and democracy is essential to constructive debate, informed civic participation and shaping a new class of citizens.
In a tiny Alabama town with the curious name of Muscle Shoals, something miraculous sprang from the mud of the Tennessee River. A group of unassuming, yet incredibly talented, locals came together and spawned some of the greatest music of all time: “Mustang Sally,” “I Never Loved a Man,” “Wild Horses,” and many more. During the most incendiary periods of racial hostility, white folks and black folks came together to create music that would last for generations and gave birth to the incomparable “Muscle Shoals sound.”
On November 17, 2003, Maja Bradaric was strangled by three of her friends. She was just 16. Maja’s intimates ask themselves why none of them saw it coming.
Four women find purpose carrying babies for strangers in Boise, Idaho — the unofficial surrogacy capital of the United States — and encounter complexities along the way.
