Against the Grain

For just forty days, filmmaker and writer Mark Cousins embarks on a peculiar journey in order to explore topics as the passion for cinema and certain aspects related to making films as style, ideas, emotions and practicalities; an ambitious exploration of the universal language of cinema by analyzing pieces of work that cross every artistic and cultural boundaries.

A collection of restored prints from the Lumière Brothers.

Apostles of Cinema follows Frank, DJ Black, and Rehema — three devoted film workers in Tanzania — as they reintroduce a classic piece of the country’s film history to their audiences of working class cinephiles. We join them, alongside Maangamizi: The Ancient One (2001), on a journey through the labyrinth of informal libraries, studios, and cinemas that exist to keep film and film culture alive. A testament to the profound cultural value of film when made truly accessible.

A portrait of the American actress Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of the legendary actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, mythical scream queen and brilliant comedy actress.

In the sixties, Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman (1918-2007) built a house on the remote island of Fårö, located in the Baltic Sea, and left Stockholm to live there. When he died, the house was preserved. A group of very special film buffs, came from all over the world, travel to Fårö in search of the genius and his legacy. (An abridged version of Bergman's Video, 2012.)

In 1993, Jesús Parrado interviewed actor and director Jacinto Molina, world-wide known as Paul Naschy, and director Amando de Ossorio, two key figures of the Spanish fantasy cinema. In 2019, part of this footage is rescued. The rest has lost forever.

A detailed look at the history of horror anthology films.

A memoir celebrating yesteryears of cinema and how silver screen has evolved over the years, this documentary is ode to cinema by the audience, for the audience.

The fantastic story of how an ancient martial art, Chinese kung fu, conquered the world through the hundreds of films that were produced in Hong Kong over the decades, transformed Western action cinema and inspired the birth of cultural movements such as blaxploitation, hip hop music, parkour and Wakaliwood cinema.

A documentary on the creation of the popular Charlie Chan detective character as well as the history of Chan films of the 1930s.