Documentaries

DOCVILLE presents 9 of the best Flemish documentaries of the past year in one box. The DOCVILLE-box is an amazing best of from the recent Flemish documentary and an illustration of the boom of the sector. A lot of the films also made a name for themselves abroad.

Content dvd-box

• Junior
The story of boxer Junior Bauwens.

• 9999
The most sensational Flemish documentary of the past year and appeared on all newschannels and in every newsmagazine.

• What About Eric?
Winner of the Best Belgian documentary DOCVILLE 2014 and the Ensor for Best Documentary at the Ostend Film Festival. 

• Feel My Love
Griet Teck delivered a serene documentary about people suffering from dementia..

• Desert Haze
For years now, documentary maker Sofie Benoot is fascinated by the American dessert. In the film she shares her search for tracks people left in the sand.

• Rêve Kakudji
Serge Kakudji is a young Congolese autodidactic opera singer that is determined to further build his carreer. Film maker Ibbe Daniels and journalist Koen Vidal bring a remarkable portrait.

• OdysSea
A documentary by Jimmy Kets, that follows the journey of Magnum photographer Carl De Keyzer along the European coast line in this road movie.

• Behind the Redwood Curtain
Forests speek to the imagination of Western Europeans that live in chopped down fields or fully covered cities. This fascination is very tangible in this documentary by Liesbeth De Ceulaer. Winner of the Best Belgian Documentary on DOCVILLE 2013.

• Thank God it's Friday
A compelling documentary about the Palestine-Israëlian conflict, told by personal portraits of Palestinians and Israëli's.

 

All of these DVD's are sold seperately as well!

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The King of Mont Ventoux is a virtual race between 5 former winners of the legendary Mont Ventoux stages of the Tour de France. Learn More

Star chef Sergio Herman strives for perfection day by day. But the beauty and the succes of his culinary art has a dark side. Every day, working for sixteen to eightteen hours, giving his all - there is hardly any time left for his children, his wife, his family, his friends. At the peak of his carreer he takes a radical decision: he closes the doors of his three start restaurant Oud Sluis. He can't sit still, however, so it's time for a new challenge.

The documentary by Willemiek Kluijfhout ('L'amour des Moules') is an honest and intimate portrait of the battle of a man who is on the verge of a big change. The existential questions and doubts he faces are something we can all relate to. Sergio Herman: FUCKING PERFECT is a revealing story about perfectionism, ambition and sacrifices.

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A female post office clerk in a dilapidated central post office, colleagues at a deserted train station and a group of firemen in the only fire station of the city. The stories of three state-owned institutions and their employees in DR Congo offer an authentic insight into their daily lives and survival in Kinshasa. A surprisingly poetic and empathetic look at a changing state in decline, as well as a mirror for the Western world. Learn More

The documentary “Gardenia” tells the story of great love, bitter disappointments and self-doubts – but most of all of courage. The courage to take risks, try something new and be yourself – no matter what age. The film dives deeply into the exceptional and heart-warming stories of a group of transsexuals and drag queens in their sixties and seventies, who summon up their bravery to take to the stage one last time. For two years they have been touring in five continents, basking in the success of a spectacular show called “Gardenia”, directed by Alain Platel and Frank Van Laecke. Now, as the show comes to a close, the glamorous aging performers must leave the limelight and go home to the quiet lives they left behind.

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In the film "Leuven Autovol en Autovrij" we can see how the car (or the lack thereof) has influenced the face and decor of the city and the size if public space in Leuven throughout the past 120 years. Leuven gradually evolved from a quiet town where the public lfe occurs on the street to a place that, by the end of the 80's, was completly suffocated by cars. The entire public space was taken and buildings are scalded black. A countermovement emerged, which helped the center get carfree since the begnning of the 90's. This evolution, this slingshot sequence, is the common thread in "Leuven Autovol en Autovrij". There are a lot of historical images of Leuven that are being used. These images are related to public transportation, cars, car production, parking issues, bikes, creation of parking spots, gas stations, garages, public works, shopfree streets, reconstruction of roads, and others. Presentation & voice: Jonas Van Thielen. Direction & scripy: Johan Van Schaeren. Length: 41 min.

www.daltondistribution.be | info@daltondistribution.be 

http://www.leuvenautovolenautovrij.be/

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A Film About Coffee is a love letter to, and meditation on, specialty coffee. It examines what it takes, and what it means, for coffee to be defined as “specialty.” The film whisks audiences on a trip around the world, from farms in Honduras and Rwanda to coffee shops in Tokyo, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and New York. Through the eyes and experiences of farmers and baristas, the film offers a unique overview of all the elements—the processes, preferences and preparations; traditions old and new—that come together to create the best cups. This is a film that bridges gaps both intellectual and geographical, evoking flavor and pleasure, and providing both as well.

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"Few people know of Stanislav Petrov… yet hundreds of millions of people are alive because of him."

The Man Who Saved the World (Starring: Walter Cronkite, Robert De Niro, Matt Damon and Kevin Costner) tells the gripping true story of Stanislav Petrov - a man who single-handedly averted a fullscale nuclear world war, but now struggles to get his life back on track… before it is too late.

An epic and grand Cold War thriller that sends shivers down your spine and shows us just how close we came to Apocalypse … and it’s not over yet! With a new Cold War rising and thousands of nuclear weapons on hair-trigger alert, we still live under the same catastrophic danger that Stanislav faced back then.

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This astonishing documentary chronicles the adventures of an eclectic group of young pioneers - Canadian hippie journalists, photographers, musicians, scientists, and American draft dodgers - who set out to stop Richard Nixon's atomic bomb tests in Amchitka, Alaska, and end up creating the worldwide green movement.

Greenpeace was founded on tight knit, passionate friendships forged in Vancouver in the early 1970s. Together they pioneered a template for environmental activism which mixed daring iconic feats and worldwide media. The group had a prescient understanding of the power of media, knowing that the advent of global mass communications meant that the image had become a more effective tool for change than the strike or the demonstration.

Winner of the Editing Award and nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. Nominated for Best Documentary at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival.

"A fascinating, skillfully assembled chronicle of the rise and inevitable fallout surrounding the granddaddy of the environmental activism movement." - Michael Rechtshaffen, The Los Angeles Times

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Omar is a 21-year-old refugee from Tunisia. Like many other refugees, he left Tunisia in a wobbly boat during the Arab Spring in 2011, and he stranded on the coast of Lampedusa.

Despite the ongoing burden of the refugee crisis, both economical and psychological, the Lampedusiani do as much as they can to help the refugees. Omar was lucky to be received by the local medic who gives first care to the stranded refugees. Dr. Bartolo offers Omar a family, a home and a job as an interpreter in the local detention centre. At his turn, Omar now tries to make a difference for the refugees who, after a long and exhausting journey, finally manage to reach the promised land.
In the same period, 16-year-old Adam from Ghana also reaches the island. He is received by a hotel operator and works as a valet in the hotel. He gets the chance to learn how to write and calculate.

But the dreams of both boys reach further than the basic needs of shelter and food. On this island full of contradictions, the difficulty of integration becomes visible in the most painful way. Lampedusa was first the promised land, but turns out to be more and more of a prison in the Mediterranean Sea.
In “No Man is an Island”, the attempts at support and integration are crystallized in two unique adoption stories. The search for happiness of both the Lampedusiani and its newcomers nuances the current discussion on the reception of refugees in a profound way.


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On the occasion of DOCVILLE, Dalton releases an offer that can't be missed: a package of 12 recent Flemish documentary films, all released in stylish digipacks. A beautiful overview of the best of the field in full bloom. The package contains: No Man is an Island (Tim De Keersmaecker) Elephant's Dream (Kristof Bilsen) What About Eric? (Lennart Stuyck en Ruben Vermeersch) De Koning van de Mont Ventoux (Fons Feyaerts) Feel My Love (Griet teck) Junior (Sien Versteyhe) 9999 (Ellen Vermeulen) Desert Haze (Sofie Benoot) Thank God It's Friday (Jan Beddegenoodts en Niel Iwens) OdysSea (Jimmy Kets) Rêve Kakudji (Ibbe Daniëls) Behind the Redwood Curtain (Liesbeth De Ceulaer).

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In early 2014, an Ebola epidemic broke out in Guinea. The highly contagious and extremely deadly virus quickly spread along the West Coast of Africa. "Affliction" takes us into Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea and shows us how the virus rapidly spread throughout the area starting from 'patient zero'. Patients, village leaders, local and international aid workers testify about the fear and exclusion, about superstition and stigma, about life in quarantine, the toll it takes on the nursing staff and the lack of interest of the international community. Those who overcome the disease often face a difficult return to everyday reality.

"Affliction" is a gripping story about fear and frustration, stigma and disbelief, about sadness but also relief, courage and strength.

Peter Casaer | 2015 | 1h10

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Completely turning your life around, because you have to. People from the same region about a new start in their lives, about how they handle it and what it does to them.

Meet Raymond Raymond, Mina, Fatima, Etienne, Amarijt, Vilma en Haidar... people who ended up in difficult situations for very different reasons. And had to start over again out of necessity. Etienne has been a self-employed roofworker and even had some employees in service. Until his company went under and he had to knock at the OCMW's door. As a man in his early sixties he found a way out. Fatimah was born orphaned in Morocco and married a Morrocan Belgian as a young girl, but she was abandoned by her husband who barely let her out of the house. She quickly learned Dutch and found a job at the thrift store.

Not only is every story a testimony of courage and persistance of people who made a new start, but it also is an anlightening look at how the so-called social economy works: a diverse range of organisations who give people an education and work experience. This push in the right direction makes a world of difference. It is the beginning of a new start.

De Nieuwe Start is a compilationfilm based on the television series made by ROB-tv in collaboration with production house Nieveranst and supported by the city of Leuvan and the Leuven partners from the social economy.

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‘I find that the most inexplicable behavior is motivated by very relatable human impulses,’ comments Louis Theroux as he heads to Los Angeles for his feature documentary, in collaboration with director John Dower and double Academy Award winning producer Simon Chinn, exploring the Church of Scientology. Following a long fascination with the religion and with much experience in dealing with eccentric, unpalatable and unexpected human behavior, the beguilingly unassuming Theroux won’t take no for an answer when his request to enter the Church’s headquarters is turned down. Inspired by the Church’s use of filming techniques, and aided by ex-members of the organization, Theroux uses actors to replay some incidents people claim they experienced as members in an attempt to better understand the way it operates. In a bizarre twist, it becomes clear that the Church is also making a film about Louis Theroux. Suffused with a good dose of humor and moments worthy of a Hollywood script, My Scientology Movie is stranger than fiction.

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How do you build a home in a place called nowhere?

Kakuma refugee camp, built in the middle of the Turkana desert (Kenya), is the fastest growing city in the region. Many of its new arrivals are children sent out of conflict zones by their parents. Against all odds, these children grab all opportunities in the camp to rebuild their life. While waiting for her mother to return from South Sudan, Nyakong (8) starts to go to school. Slowly she creates a new home in the camp. At the age of 17, teenagers like Claude and Khadijo consequently compete for international scholarships, get a job, even build their own house.

Filmmaker Lieven Corthouts decided to stay in one of the toughest places on earth and make this camp his home. While filming his friends for more than 4 years, he unveils the accomplishments of these strong, smart children and the true dynamics of a refugee camp. Can Kakuma really offer a future? Or is it just a waiting room, where the only option is to plan your journey to Europe?

http://theinvisiblecitykakuma.com/

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The documentary De Leuvense Scene sketches a portrait of the musicscene in Leuven from the early 70's until the early 80's. Through interviews with musicians, producers, bar owners, managers and organisers these memorable years are reconstructed. Years that will prove to be of great significance for the patriotic pop and rock. Leuven, early 70's. The dust of the studentrevolt has settled, but the civic engagement of the students remains very large. Not only politically, but culturally as well: they make music, organize concerts and open cafés. in the mean time a new wave of Anglosaxon music reached the continent: the new folkies, protest singers and rockers inspire the minds. A new type of bar appears; the brown bar, music café's were the old jukeboxes have to make room for recordplayers where new LP's from London are played on and listened to. Under a carpet of blue smoke, people discuss and philosophize, drank and made music. In Leuven, not nearly as clean as it is today, there is a cheerful anarchism. The Leuven night- and barlife gets a reputation that it will carry for decades. The unique atmosphere makes the city to a popular attraction for musicians, adventurers and creative entreprenuers from the entire country. Presentation & voice: Jan Delvaux. Direction & script: Johan Van Schaeren. Length: 103 min. 

a production by Fonk vzw 
deleuvensescene.be | facebook.com/deleuvensescene | fonkproducties.be

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Shadow World reveals the shocking realities of the global arms trade - the only business that counts its profits in billions and its losses in human lives.

Directed by Johan Grimonprez (“dial H-I-S-T-O-R-Y”) and in part based on Corruption Watch UK founder Andrew Feinstein’s globally acclaimed book The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade, the film reveals how the international trade in weapons – with the complicity of governments and intelligence agencies, investigative and prosecutorial bodies, weapons manufacturers, dealers and agents – fosters corruption, determines economic and foreign policies, undermines democracy and creates widespread suffering.

The film unravels a number of the world’s largest and most corrupt arms deals through those involved in perpetrating and investigating them. It illustrates why this trade accounts for almost 40% of all corruption in global trade, and how it operates in a parallel legal universe, in which the national security elite who drive it are seldom prosecuted for their often illegal actions. Shadow World posits alternatives through the experience of a peace activist and war correspondent, as well as through the voice of Eduardo Galeano who contributed selections from his stories for the film.

Ultimately Shadow World reveals the real costs of war, the way the arms trade drives it, how weapons of war are turned against citizens of liberal democracies and how the trade decreases rather than enhances security for us all. In shedding light on how our realities are being constructed, the film offers a way for audiences to see through this horror, in the hopes of creating a better future.

https://shadowworldfilm.com/

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“…reminiscent of seeing 1982’s Koyaanisqatsi for the first time… Shen’s In Pursuit of Silence incessantly inspires and sometimes takes the breath away and can even accomplish both at once.” -Austin Chronicle

In Pursuit of Silence is a meditative exploration of our relationship with silence, sound and the impact of noise on our lives. Beginning with an ode to John Cage’s ground-breaking composition 4’33”, In Pursuit of Silence takes us on an immersive cinematic journey around the globe– from a traditional tea ceremony in Kyoto, to the streets of the loudest city on the planet, Mumbai during the wild festival season – and inspires us to experience silence and celebrate the wonders of our world.

“Replete with imagery that shimmers with the kind of almost otherworldly wonder one might associate with a Terrence Malick movie… This film does more than just tell a story, it testifies to the sheer loveliness of anything — everything — when drenched in silence.” -The Huffington Post

Director Patrick Shen | 2015 | 1h21

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We all use it every day and are completely dependent of it, but we no longer realise how exceptional the internet actuelly is. What started 25 years ago a a fascinating experiment for a small group of scientists and nerds, in no time became a massmedium of which we can no longer grasp the scope and impact of. We hardly ever take a step back to take a look at our endless connection and the somewhat frightening omnipotence of the internet. With his usual curiousness and imagination documentarymaker Werner Herzog ('Grizzly Man', 'Cave of Forgotten Dreams') explores both the appealing and the horrible future of the internet. He talks to pioneers of the technological world such as Elon Musk, Bob Kahn and Sebastian Thrun but also lets victims of radiation  of wireless networks and cyberbullying speak. In chapter 10, Herzog portrays a very complex and contrasting portrait of our modern, connected society. 'Lo and Behold' shows how important and necessary tehnological progress is, but it also shows the price we have to pay.

 

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