Loin du Vietnam (1967) Directors: Joris Ivens, William Klein, Claude Lelouch, Agnès Varda, Jean-Luc Godard, Chris Marker, Alain Resnais Runtime: 115 min At the time when this issue was predominant, seven French film directors have jointly made a documentary that grappled with the issue of the Vietnam War. At the beginning of the film we …
Nazi Concentration Camps (1945) Director: George Stevens Runtime: 59 min The official documentary, made from footage that was recorded by U.S. troops during the liberation of Nazi concentration camps. It was used as evidence at the Nuremberg trials. The camps are shown one after the other, and include footage from Dachau, Buchenwald, Mauthausen and many others. …
Hors la loi (2010) Director: Rachid Bouchareb Actors: Jamel Debbouze, Roschdy Zem, Sami Bouajila Runtime: 138 min This tale of three Algerian brothers who are living in France in the late 1950s and early 1960s presents an exceptional insight into the Algerian anti-colonial struggle. Critics place this movie somewhere between film noir and western, comparing …
What I’ve Learned About U.S. Foreign Policy: The War Against the Third World Director: Frank Dorrel Runtime: 122 min You won’t see this documentary on TV or learn these things in school. If you are interested in the truth about the world we live in, this film is the right choice because it will help …
The Constant Gardener (2005) Director: Fernando Meirelles Actors: Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz Runtime: 129 min A British diplomat tries to discover what is behind the murder of his beloved wife, an activist found dead in a remote area of Northern Kenya. As the yarn slowly unravels, it turns out that she was killed in an …
La battaglia di Algeri (1966) Director: Gillo Pontecorvo Actors: Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi Runtime: 121 min The Algerian revolution was an anti-colonial conflict between France and the Algerian liberation movements from 1954 to 1962, when Algeria gained its independence. The movie covers a period of intense urban-guerrilla activity in the capital Algiers from …
Nuit et brouillard (1955) Director: Alain Resnais Runtime: 30 min Short and analytical documentary about Nazi concentration camps, primarily Auschwitz. It covers many aspects: the construction and setting up of the camps, hierarchy and the role of Kapos (inmates who become supervisors of other inmates), the exploitation of slave labor and prostitution, starvation, torture and …
Die bleierne Zeit (1981) Director: Margarethe von Trotta Actors: Jutta Lampe, Barbara Sukowa Runtime: 106 min The film’s title “The Leaden Times” (Die bleierne Zeit) refers to the feelings of disappointment and defeat within the German Left in the 1970s, which followed the failures of 1960s social movements. A deep hatred of the political system …
Racism: A History (TV mini-series 2007) Director: Paul Tickell Runtime: 3 x 59 min An excellent overview of the history of racism from its origins to the present day, through the development of colonialism, the abolition of slavery, imperialism, various racial theories, eugenics, monstrous exploitation and genocide around the world. Solid and informative.
The Devils (1971) Director: Ken Russell Actors: Oliver Reed, Vanessa Redgrave Runtime: 117 min Historical drama about the Urbain Grandier, a controversial Catholic priest from the 17th century who was tried for witchcraft, and sentenced for political reasons. Believe it or not, this movie is based on actual events. You can download this film or …
