Second half of the 20th century (1945-1990)

Obedience (1963) Director: Stanley Milgram Runtime: 45 min This documentary film consists of footage of the famous experiments by Stanley Milgram on obedience to the authority and readiness of the individual to go against his own conscience and reason if it is imposed on him by a person he perceives as a figure of authority. …

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975) Director: Milos Forman Actors: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Michael Berryman Runtime: 133 min Murphy, a resourceful convict, pleads insanity in order to avoid heavy physical work and spend the rest of his sentence in a „friendly environment.“ However, when he is committed to the a mental institution he …

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Silkwood (1983) Director: Mike Nichols Actors: Meryl Streep, Kurt Russell, Cher Runtime: 131 min Karen Silkwood was an ordinary girl – had a working-class background, with a couple of children and a failed marriage behind her, without prospects for significant advancement in life. But, in history she will be remembered as a hero. Karen Silkwood …

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Lost Command (1966) Director: Mark Robson Actors: Anthony Quinn, Alain Delon, George Segal Runtime: 129 min Hollywood movie on the Algerian War that was banned in France for ten years (1966–1976). Main protagonist of the “Lost Command” is a French peasant determined to become a newcomer to the military aristocracy. He was decisive on becoming …

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Harlan County U.S.A. (1976) Director: Barbara Kopple Runtime: 103 min A very intense documentary about the famous “Brookside Strike” in 1972/3, when the miners in Harlan County, (Kentucky, USA) went on a strike. The miners have decided to join the United Miners of America (UMWA) trade union, and then they insisted that the company which …

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Punishment Park (1971) Director: Peter Watkins Actors: Patrick Boland, Kent Foreman, Carmen Argenziano Runtime: 88 min Punishment Park is a dystopia (reverse utopia) in which US President Richard Nixon declares a state of emergency, suspends all civil rights, the police arrests thousands of people and deliverers them to military tribunals which are adjudicating with no …

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Z (1969) Director: Costa-Gavras Actors: Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant Runtime: 127 min This is a movie about Greece in the years preceding the coup d’état of 1967 when pro-fascist military junta, known as “The dictatorship of the colonels”, took over the government. The year is 1963 and senior police officers, with the help …

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One, Two, Three (1961) Director: Billy Wilder Actors: James Cagney, Horst Buchholz, Pamela Tiffin Runtime: 115 min Hilarious Cold War comedy made in 1961, the same year when began the construction of the Berlin Wall, probably the best known and most memorable symbol of the Cold War. The plot is simple: CEO of the West …

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Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) Director: Stanley Kubrick Actors: Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden Runtime: 95 min Hilarious and very intelligent (also terrifying at the time it was made) Cold War black comedy that completely reveals insanity and absurdity of the Cold War paradigms. …

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All the President’s Men (1976) Director: Alan J. Pakula Actors: Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford Runtime: 138 min During the U.S. presidential campaign of 1972, Washington Post reporters Karl Bernstin and Bob Woodward investigated the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C. An anonymous source from the FBI, …

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