Immanuel Kant is one of the most famous philosophers of modern times. Born in 1724 in Königsberg (now Kaliningrad), then the capital of East Prussia, he spent most of his life in his native region, bringing many books to him from France and England. The originator of the categorical imperative, this key figure of the German Enlightenment revolutionized Western thought by shedding new light on the notions of reason, tolerance and freedom. To mark the tercentenary of his birth, Wilfried Hauke presents a unique portrait of this emblematic thinker.
Category: Documentary
Documentary
-
Film Beyond Cinema: The Dumpster Kid Experiment and Other Utopias
For over half a century, the filmmaker Edgar Reitz, one of the signatories of the Oberhausen Manifesto and a pioneer of epic film narration, has explored, as a practitioner and theoretician, the rules and limits of cinema, which he always seeks to break and extend in new ways. One example of his tireless search and research are the Geschichten vom Kübelkind, which he co-directed with Ula Stöckl in 1969/70, 22 absurdly funny, subversive and anarchistic short films of different lengths, which consciously oppose all conventions, with incredible success. The films remain unrivalled in their Dadaistic inventiveness.
-
Das Experiment – So verschwindet ein Mensch spurlos
Private investigator Tamer Bakiner dares to try an unusual experiment: he tries to go underground himself. Is this even possible without leaving any traces behind? “On the trail of the truth” – that is the motto of experienced private investigator Tamer Bakiner. During his elaborate undercover missions, he regularly delves into the most diverse milieus, tracks down witnesses and perpetrators – and documents their perfidious methods. His investigative research is often decisive in ensuring that the perpetrators are caught in cooperation with the authorities and the truth comes to light.
-
The Goebbels Experiment
The Nazi propaganda mastermind behind Hitler speaks in first person as actor Kenneth Branagh reads pages of the diary kept by the chief of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, revealing the man’s most inner thoughts.
-
Children of the Decree
Procreation is the social duty of all fertile women, was the political thinking during the 1960s and 1970s in Romania. In 1966, Ceaucescu issued Decree 770, in which he forbade abortion for all women unless they were over forty or were already taking care of four children. All forms of contraception were totally banned. The New Romanian Man was born. By 1969, the country had a million babies more than the previous average. Romanian society was rapidly changing. By using very interesting archival footage and excerpts from old fiction films and by interviewing famous personalities from that time – gynecologists or mothers who were part of the new society – the director revives this period of tremendous oppression of personal freedom. Many deaths were caused by the mere fact that women, including wives of secret Romanian agents, famous TV presenters, and actresses, had to undergo illegal abortions. Many women were jailed for having them.
-
Captive Audience: A Real American Horror Story
1972: 7-year-old Steven Stayner vanishes from Merced, California. For years, his family searches for him, only to find they’ve been looking for the wrong boy. 50 years on, Steven’s children unearth clues to their father’s mysterious past.
-
The Black Crowes – Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever was an innovative recording session where Before The Frost… Until The Freeze was recorded over a series of five nights at Levon Helm Studios. The sessions were filmed in front of an intimate live audience and allows the viewer into the recording studio with the band. Songwriting sessions are revealed and lots of never before seen banter and behind the scenes footage is shown.
-
In One Breath: Alexander Sokurov’s Russian Ark
Making of Russian Ark, with on camera personal views by members of the cast and crew of the major film.
-
Ex-Amen
A struggling actress, a teacher, a former seaman, a policeman and a veterinarian all have a common line of work – conducting funerals. For one it’s a passion, for one a duty, but for another it’s a chance to earn a little extra…