Fela Anikulapo Kuti created the musical movement Afrobeat and used it as a political forum to oppose the Nigerian dictatorship and advocate for the rights of oppressed people. This is the story of his life, music, and political importance.
Social & External
The people behind it
Fela Kuti
Self (archive footage)
Carlos Moore
Self
This two-hour special looks back at Dec. 7, 1941 - the date that has indeed lived in infamy, as President Franklin Roosevelt promised - when imperial Japan attacked the U.S. naval forces in Hawaii, ushering America into World War II. The attack killed more than 2,400 people, wounded 1,000 and damaged or destroyed nearly 20 American ships and over 300 airplanes.
DANNY SAYS is a documentary unveiling the amazing journey of Danny Fields. Fields has played a pivotal role in music and culture with seminal acts including: the Doors, the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, MC5, Nico, the Ramones and beyond.
An in-depth analysis on the 40th Anniversary of the life and untimely death of Arthur Lee McDuffie at the hands of Miami Dade police officers.
Dyke Hard is a failed rock group travelling to a battle of the bands competition in the big city. The journey is further filled with bizarre, fierce and passionate encounters with cyborgs, ghosts, a thai boxer, roller derby gals, ninjas, motorcycle gangs and a mysterious billionaire all of whom will do everything to stop the band from making it in time to the battle.
When Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Africa's first ever elected female head of state, filmmakers Siatta Scott-Johnson and Daniel Junge were there to follow her. It was the start of an extraordinary year they spent with the Liberian president as she struggled to take control of a country devastated by years of civil war. Together with her 'iron ladies' (the finance minister and police chief are also formidable females), she takes a firm hold on the government, trying to root out corruption and spend the tiny annual budget carefully. But it is not an easy task, and everything seems to be against her - even her presidential mansion burns down. (Storyville)
America: Live in Chicago presents a unique and intimate performance from the legendary band that defined the early 70's folk sound and ruled the Top-10 charts with their evocative harmonies and acoustic-styled musicianship. The memorable 20-song set includes greatest hits as well as rare live versions of "Head and Heart", "Till the Sun Comes Up Again" and "The Last Unicorn" – plus a special on-stage appearance by Christopher Cross on the song "Lonely People." Song List: Riverside, Ventura Highway, You Can Do Magic, Don’t Cross the River, Daisy Jane, The Last Unicorn, I Need You, Head And Heart, Till The Sun Comes Up Again, Tin Man, Muskrat Candlelight, The Border, Woman Tonight, Only In Your Heart, California Dreamin’, Lonely People (with Christopher Cross), Sandman, Sister Golden Hair, All My Life, A Horse With No Name
Go On the Road with the Jubilee Tour Featuring Legacy Five, Booth Brothers, and Greater Vision. With concert footage from The Mansion in Brandon, Missouri.
Explore the vision behind the iconic American jazz record label. Since 1939, Blue Note artists have been encouraged to push creative boundaries in search of uncompromising expressions. Through current recording sessions, rare archive and conversations with iconic Blue Note artists, the film reveals an intimate perspective of a legacy that continues to be vital in today’s political climate.
Black people, red dwarfs, idols on bronze steeds, shadow of geniuses and heroes. This is not story about Hades from an ancient history textbook. This is Sankt-Petersburg In mystical literary tradition such as he is. A pomposity, an open space and - deathness. There is no gleam in the sky, Neva looked like poured by a lead, a crude air presses and can not pass through lungs, which are already struck by bacillus Kochii, and there are around ominous frights, threatening to punish for an unknown offence. And even white nights are bad. It looks as if you can meet phantom of a Poet which was tortured at thirtieth years of any of the last centuries. Be careful with monuments. They fond of walk along town quays (as told us Poushkin - he brings luck!). And do not trust this Neva prospectus. City - phantom, evolved from a bog which is refuge of evil spirits. Brilliant St.-Petersburg.
A live concert experience and exclusive look into life on the road with The Jonas Brothers during their Happiness Begins concert tour.
Frantz Fanon alone embodies all the issues of French colonial history. Martinican resistance fighter, he enlisted, like millions of colonial soldiers, in the Free Army out of loyalty to France and the idea of freedom that it embodies for him. A writer, he participated in the bubbling life of Saint-Germain with Césaire, Senghor and Sartre, debating tirelessly on the destiny of colonized peoples. As a doctor, he revolutionized the practice of psychiatry, seeking in the relations of domination of colonial societies the foundations of the pathologies of his patients in Blida. Activist, he brings together through his action and his history of him, the anger of peoples crushed by centuries of colonial oppression. But beyond this exceptional journey which makes sensitive the permanence of French colonialism in the Lesser Antilles at the gates of the Algerian desert, he leaves an incomparable body of work which has made him today one of the most studied French authors across the Atlantic.
"Mitzi and Spanko run amok in a colorful world where reason is overrated, featuring the thumping, riotously fun music of the Asylum Street Spankers." A beautiful hand-animated short inspired by and done to the song "Monkey Rag" by Asylum Street Spankers.
A visual compilation of songs from Malcolm McLaren's 1983 album "Duck Rock", including the songs "Buffalo Gals" and "Double Dutch", mixed with interview and documentary footage.
Kenya, a bold five-year old girl, is reluctantly dragged to a symphony by her mother. Through the power of the orchestra, the young girl's passion for music blossoms before her own eyes.
From the inner workings of the RAF. Former RAF-member Peter-Jürgen Boock reveal the many secrets and myths about the Baader-Meinhof gang a.k.a. RAF - Rote Armee Fraktion.
Story about about a young man who was raised in an orphanage. Kauko goes to Helsinki to work as a store help. The living the big city is not so easy as Kauko expects and not so grand.
A portrait of Swedish troubadour Cornelis Vreeswijk.
An analysis of the causes, social, political, and economic that caused the rise of Hugo Chávez as president of Venezuela; his abuse of power and the response of civil society, including the student movement; his political fall as well as the secrecy that surrounded his illness and the succession of Nicolás Maduro.
After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.
Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, this film captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year.
A celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come.
Global superstar Jennifer Lopez reflects on her multifaceted career and the pressure of life in the spotlight in this intimate documentary.
As the front man of the Clash from 1977 onwards, Joe Strummer changed people's lives forever. Four years after his death, his influence reaches out around the world, more strongly now than ever before. In "The Future Is Unwritten", from British film director Julien Temple, Joe Strummer is revealed not just as a legend or musician, but as a true communicator of our times. Drawing on both a shared punk history and the close personal friendship which developed over the last years of Joe's life, Julien Temple's film is a celebration of Joe Strummer - before, during and after the Clash.
A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time.
Ariana Grande takes the stage in London for her Sweetener World Tour and shares a behind-the-scenes look at her life in rehearsal and on the road.
Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.
In 1987, to capitalize on his growing success in Europe, Prince toured extensively to promote the album of the same name and sales increased accordingly. However, the United States remained resistant to his latest album, and sales began to drop; it was at this point that Prince decided to film a live concert promoting the new material, for eventual distribution to theaters in America. Featuring the band that accompanied Prince on his 1987 Sign o' the Times Tour, including dancer Cat Glover, keyboardist Boni Boyer, bassist Levi Seacer, Jr., guitarist Miko Weaver, drummer Sheila E. and former member of The Revolution keyboardist Dr. Fink, the film sees the group perform live on stage (although "U Got the Look" is represented by its promotional music video).
A chronological account of the influential late 1970s English rock band.
Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock 'n' roller, Rodriguez.
A portrait of singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes' life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey.
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
Here's a little story they're about to tell... Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend, collaborator, and their former grandfather, Spike Jonze.
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of Hip-Hop’s icons, renowned for his distinctive flow and autobiographical lyrics. This documentary celebrates his life via rare behind-the-scenes footage and the testimonies of his closest friends and family.
This raucous journey into the heart of democracy captures an unusual rite of passage: 1,100 teenage boys from across Texas coming together to build a representative government from the ground up.
Take a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers Ron & Russell Mael, celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your favorite band’s favorite band.
While The Rolling Stones rehearse "Sympathy for the Devil" in the studio, an alternating narrative reflects on 1968 society, politics and culture through five different vignettes.