The Road Forward

Oscar-winning filmmaker Julia Reichert reflects on the social, economic and personal forces that led to her career as a pioneering documentarian.

Ruth Butler, a clerk in an emporium, marries Jimmy Rutledge and thereby greatly displeases his mother, the owner of the emporium, because of Ruth's lowly origins. Renaud Graham, one of Mrs. Rutledge's friends, becomes interested in Ruth, forces his way into her apartment, and attempts to make violent love to her. Jimmy walks in on their embrace and, suspecting the worst, leaves Ruth. In the family way, Ruth finds refuge in a boardinghouse where she meets Al Bryant, an aspiring writer. Ruth tells Al her life story, and he makes it into a bestselling novel and then into a play. Jimmy sees the play and comes to his senses, winning Ruth's forgiveness.

A Long Way Home takes us on a fascinating journey into both the grim days of recent Chinese history and the dazzling cultural scene in present-day China. The film centers around five of the most significant representatives of contemporary Chinese counterculture: the visual artists the Gao Brothers, the choreographer and dancer Wen Hui, the animation artist Pi San and the poet Ye Fu. With bravery and subversive wit, they each shed light on the social problems in their country. In doing so, the film poses universal questions that ultimately concern us all: which values determine our cultural identity and in what kind of world do we want to live.

"a colorful poem of the first copy-motion film... the system registers images directly from a color (xerox) duplicator model 6500... an original, versatil, unique system developed by Darino" –Back Stage

Eight years ago, Mads Brügger and Mikael Bertelsen tried to solve the murder of an EU official in 1993. A project that concluded in a dead end. Hoping to make good for their old defeat, the two journalists decide to investigate a complex case about the former EU Health Commissioner, John Dalli, who was fired under suspicion of being in the pocket of the tobacco industry. Brügger and Bertelsen travel to Malta to meet Dalli, who comes across as quite likeable. And it does not take long before they uncover an extensive conspiracy against him, when Dalli is suddenly contacted by a secret source who claims to be in possession of documents and recordings that contain plans to kill him.

In the wake of last week’s Backwoods Bloodbath (review here) release, MVM offer up another similarly abysmal slice of no-budget drudgery in the form of Razor’s Ring. Here the story follows protagonist Scott (Casey), a businessman out for his morning run when he comes across ruthless ex-con couple Razor and Julie (Schilens and Wharton). After witnessing them callously run over a dog on the road, Scott has a gun pulled in his face and is forced to join them on their Death Race 20000-inspired joy ride as the pair attempt to gain a better “score” than their partner.

In 1880 South Africa, young Betsy has an adventure involving Zulu Tribesmen, Dutch Settlers, The Vortrekkers, and her older brother's romance of Katie Snee.

A documentary that deeply focuses and visits the trauma of Korea's modern history for 70 years through the life of a father whose family was indifferent.

One time bickering neighbors are forced to share the same apartment. The cultural clash between traditional-orthodox-India and modern-urban-India. The collision of two cultures creates havoc in the beginning but finds a peaceful co-existence, at the end. An orthodox boy from the holy city of Banaras, is forced to stay with a chorus dancer in Bombay... The film does the journey of these two opposite personalities and how, after the initial phase of rejection, they find each others place in their respective lives.