Feature Docs
The heart and mind of Real Madrid
Toni Kroos is a phenomenon.
Even though he is the most successful and expensive German football player of all times, you barely notice him on the field or in public. He’s modest, introverted and reserved. Yet, he is the heart and mind of Real Madrid, the biggest football club in the world, where show and spectacle are as important as victory.
From Greifswald to Madrid, this film provides unseen images of the life of this atypical athlete and goes behind the scenes of professional football.
KROOS, FAMILY AND FOOTBALL [71’]
An intimate portrait of the media shy star athlete
For over a year, a camera followed famed soccer player Toni Kroos and his closest acquaintances, resulting in an intimate portrait second to none with unparalleled insights into the life of the media shy star.
SPILLOVER [90’]
Fighting the future pandemics
Covid-19 has officially claimed at least six million lives so far. Yet, researchers predict that this could be just the beginning, as at least 10,000 other viruses can potentially infect humans.
However, up to now, these pathogens have only reproduced in animal hosts. Species extinction directly triggers epidemics, making the fight for more biodiversity an absolute necessity.
Fearless virus hunters are on the frontline in Malaysia, Cambodia, Congo, and Europe to protect the world from another pandemic.
ALIENS EXPANDED [100’]
James Cameron redefines science-fiction cinema
The film “Alien” is indisputably the pinnacle of science-fiction cinema, and when legendary director James Cameron undertook the sequel to this myth with “Aliens” (1986), it was nothing less than a masterpiece to be expected.
“Aliens Expanded” takes us to the heart of the creative process behind this cinematic gem, up close and personal with James Cameron and his team. It tells us about the incredible fascination with this franchise fueled by merchandising, adaptations, and the unwavering passion of a community of fans.
ANGELA MERKEL, A LEGACY THROUGH TIME [90’]
16 years at the helm of Germany
Angela Merkel embodied Germany for almost two decades carrying an image of stability and rationality. What are the secrets of her longevity?
Born in East Germany, she started as a biologist and, eventually, became the most powerful woman on the planet. In this film, Angela Merkel herself gives a unique insight into her career.
Barack Obama, Theresa May, Christine Lagarde, and many other world leaders who have worked with her shed new light on one extraordinary woman.
ANGELA MERKEL, THE UNEXPECTED [52’ or 90’]
The world's most powerful woman
Angela Merkel is often described as the new Iron Lady and referred to as “mother”. But who is this woman? What are the facts behind her story?
Interviews with childhood friends, long time companions, business executives and global political leaders reveal how the East German daughter of a protestant pastor worked her way up to become the most powerful woman on the planet.
Her modesty combined with strong will and strategic approach left many to underestimate Angela Merkel and thus paving the way for her rise to power.
Also available as a 90'
BLACK CODE [90’]
When states play Big Brother
This is a gripping account of how governments control and manipulate the internet to censor and monitor their citizens.
With stories from exiled Tibetan monks trying to circumvent China’s surveillance apparatus, Syrian citizens tortured for Facebook posts, Brazilian activists using social media to distribute alternative news, and Pakistani showing online violence against women, this film shows firsthand the high-stakes consequences that our unprecedented level of digital communication can produce.
As this battle for control of cyberspace is waged, our ideas of citizenship, privacy, and democracy are being challenged to the very core.
BREATH OF FREEDOM [90’]
A paradoxical chapter in American history
At the end of World War II, African-American GIs were stationed in Germany as part of a policy to help rid the country of racism and oppression.
That was pretty ironic since strict segregation prevailed in their own country, even in the US army.
Seen by the German people as representatives of a victorious power, these African-American GIs found themselves in a foreign country experiencing for the first time what it feels like to be treated as equals.
COVID CENTURY [90’]
Preparing for the next pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every country and will continue to shape global politics and our daily lives for the foreseeable future.
Scientists even speculate that this could be the first in a series of new viral pandemics for which humanity must prepare.
This film looks at how to strengthen international coordination to better cope with the next such scourge.
DIVINE DIVAS [110’]
The first generation of Brazilian transvestite performers
In the 1960s, the Divine Divas were the first generation of Brazilian transvestite performers.
One of the first venues that gave shelter to men dressed as women was the Rival Theatre, directed by Américo Leal.
In this film, his granddaughter recounts the stories of a generation that revolutionized sexual behavior and challenged the country’s staid morality.
NOWITZKI : THE PERFECT SHOT [105’]
The path to NBA glory
This film follows the career of Dirk Nowitzki, his relationship with his coach and mentor, Holger Geschwinder, and their path to NBA glory.
OUT [64’]
The moment their world teetered
Through a montage of compelling videos posted on the Internet by young gays, bis, lesbians, or transsexuals, this film makes us experience from within the groundbreaking moment of their coming out – after which their intimate and social life shall be forever changed.
THE BLACK EAGLES [90’]
The colors of the German national football team
The German national football team now includes black players.
How far have they come before stepping onto the pitch, what obstacles have they overcome, what prejudices and hostility have they faced? What was it like in the past and what is it like today?
These players also shed light on how spectators, the media and society in general deal with the issue of racism. Slowly, insidiously, something has changed over the past decades.
THE COLOR OF JUSTICE [52’ or 70’]
A deadly choke hold
In July 2014, Eric Garner, a black American, died in the street after being violently arrested by an NYC Police officer who is seen pulling him to the ground and choke holding him. His death was recorded in an amateur video that shows him telling repeatedly “I can’t breathe”.
Five months later, a grand jury declined to indict the policeman because of insufficient proof and the case was dismissed.
A few years later, a legal team conducted a mock trial to rectify this denial of justice.
Also available as a 70'
THE LAST TABOO [90’]
Football and homosexuality
In the world of football, gay men face a real struggle, and for the few who have dared to come out, passion for the sport meets hostility and exclusion.
This poignant film encounters these courageous individuals, revealing the universal ambivalence between concealing one's identity and the liberation of telling one's truth.
More than a narrative about combating homophobia in football, this film confronts our prejudices and urges us to embrace a future where love and identity are celebrated in all areas.
THE WALL OF DEATH [75’]
Defying the laws of gravity
The motordrome, nicknamed the Wall of Death, is a large circular merry-go-round. Vintage motorbikes ride on its vertical walls, defying the laws of gravity with lightness.
German stuntman Donald Ganlsmeier has been revamping this funfair attraction from the last century.
This film tells the story of how Donald and his team revive this practice and how they embark on a new challenge of mechanical acrobatics with the creation of a special number with 4 bikes.
WAYNE [95’]
An improbable and triumphant story
This is the incredible but true story of Wayne Gardner, a kid from Wollongong, a little town of less than 300,000 inhabitants, that no one believed in and who grew up to be the hero who would define an era for Australians. He practiced one of the most dangerous and visually arresting sport on the planet: Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing.
This classic hero’s journey reminds us what it feels like to be the underdog, and yet climb a mountain, win a race or achieve our own individual dreams.
WHO OWNS NATURE? [96’]
A dramatic alpine play
Who owns nature? Are we, as humans, its protectors or destructors?
Mountain goats, bellowing stags, a pack of wolves, forest rangers, farmers, wildlife biologists, hunting opponents, and hunters are all protagonists in a dramatic alpine play.
How should humans deal with nature and wild animals today?
YAB YUM [75’]
The rise and fall of the world's most legendary brothel
Yab Yum, Amsterdam's most legendary brothel, was forced to close its doors more than 10 years ago after the exclusive and vibrant club turned into a dodgy criminal hub.
Director Anna Maria van't Hek found those who once worked there; they share with her their turbulent past. They tell their extravagant and painful stories about Yab Yum's glory days and how it all went tragically wrong.
YAB YUM [52’]
The rise and fall of the world's most legendary brothel
Yab Yum, Amsterdam's most legendary brothel, was forced to close its doors more than 10 years ago after the exclusive and vibrant club turned into a dodgy criminal hub.
Director Anna Maria van't Hek found those who once worked there; they share with her their turbulent past. They tell their extravagant and painful stories about Yab Yum's glory days and how it all went tragically wrong.