This documentary examines the social and cultural underpinnings of the trilogy of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, in an attempt to understand the work's phenomenal success and influence. The program looks for answers in the author's sources of inspiration, from the folk legends of Norway to the field of linguistics of which Tolkien was a lifelong student. It finds that the deep chord the story strikes owes its resonance to the author's use of archetypal imagery and language. Many examples of these recurrent themes and images are given, with readings from the work and other literature. Interviews with the book's illustrators, the brothers Hildebrandt, speak to the power of the imagery in the classic story. Scholars, Tolkien's children, and the author himself provide insight into the mythic themes and the spell they have cast over the vast readership of The Lord of the Rings.
A 2001 Japanese language film directed by Shinji Aoyama, starring Hidetoshi Nishijima. The film screened at Locarno International Film Festival in 2009.
This documentary begins with the story of the prelude to World War II, and goes on to analyze such events as the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations, rise of the dictators, the spread of fascism in Italy, the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, the Spanish Civil War, the Munich Agreement, Hitler's March into Czechoslovakia, the Blitzkrieg and invasion of Poland, the fall of Norway, and more.
Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
A documentary about the making of 1976's "Obsession" featuring interviews with director Brian De Palma, stars Cliff Robertson and Genevieve Bujold and more.
It ain't easy bein' green -- especially if you're a likable (albeit smelly) ogre named Shrek. On a mission to retrieve a gorgeous princess from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon, Shrek teams up with an unlikely compatriot -- a wisecracking donkey.
This film takes viewers through the rich, white majesty of the Inuit Great North. Along with doing justice to the breathtaking and awesome landscape of the freezing, snow-covered environment, Great North also looks into the long-standing traditions, such as fishing and hunting, of the Inuit tribes.