True Norwegian Black Metal : a travel guide into the “world” of a black metal musician
Ivar Berglin and Peter Beste, “True Norwegian Black Metal” (Vice, 2007) Despite the title, this short documentary is a brief travel guide into the world of…
nausika
Faster, Higher, Stronger (Episode 2): an opportunity to wheel out old archived material in a sketchy way
Alastair Laurence, “Faster, Higher, Stronger (Episode 2)” (2012) Part of a BBC TV series on various Olympic Games sports and the most prominent people and landmark…
French and French-language Films
À propos de Nice: silent film satire on social inequalities and contemporary culture of 1930s France
Jean Vigo, “À propos de Nice” (1930) Posing as “a day in the life” travelogue of the French city of Nice, Vigo’s documentary short is a…
Achieving the Perfect 10 – Parkettes gymnastics documentary: a shallow presentation on gymnastics culture and practice
Achieving the Perfect 10 – Parkettes gymnastics documentary (CNN, 2003) This CNN TV sports documentary focuses on the Parkettes gymnastics club for girls and women and…
French and French-language Films
Taris, Roi du L’Eau: swimming is the gateway to a world of freedom and beauty
Jean Vigo, “Taris, Roi du L’Eau” (1931) Sports documentaries don’t come any more poetic, beautiful and experimental than this early short by Jean Vigo about the…
French and French-language Films
Zéro de Conduite: zero for film convention and conformity, maximum score for lively presentation on social oppression
Jean Vigo, “Zéro de Conduite: Jeunes Diables au College” (1933) One of four films made by French director Jean Vigo before his life was cut short…
German and German-language Films
The Tunnel (dir. Kurt Bernhardt): sacrifice, sabotage and suffering combined with heroism and hope
Kurt Bernhardt, “The Tunnel / Der Tunnel” (1933) Based on the eponymous 1913 novel by Bernard Kellerman and itself a second adaptation of the novel –…
German and German-language Films
Algol, Tragedy of Power: modern Faustian morality tale of individual and social corruption with a conservative message
Hans Werckmeister, “Algol, Tragedy of Power / Algol, Tragödie der Macht” (1920) A wonderful science fiction movie from the era of German Expressionist classics like “The…
The Transatlantic Tunnel (dir. Maurice Elvey): film of ambition and sacrifice let down by plot, acting and narrow vision
Maurice Elvey, “The Transatlantic Tunnel” (1935) A visually handsome if very flawed science fiction film, “The Transatlantic Tunnel” is one of three films made in the…
The Temptation of B: low-key sci-fi relying entirely on dialogue and character
Arkadi Sirenko, “The Temptation of B / Iskushenie B” (1990) A curious film, one of the last made in the Soviet Union before its downfall in…