Curiosity #CKTK

Many older people in Russia remember seeing and hearing strange vinyl type discs when they were young. The discs had partial images of skeletons on them, were called 'Bones' or 'Ribs' and originated in the Cold War years of the Soviet Union. In an era when the recording industry was ruthlessly controlled by the State, music-mad bootleggers had found an incredible alternative means of making illegal copies of forbidden recordings - they repurposed used X Ray plates obtained from local hospitals. The X-Ray Audio Project is telling this amazing story of forbidden music, cold war culture, bootleg technology and human endeavour with an online archive, a book, an award winning documentary, live events and a travelling exhibition. The project is supported by Arts Council England and has received a large amount of PRESS and media coverage.

Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media (1988), by Edward S. Herman and Noam Chomsky, proposes that the mass communication media of the U.S. "are effective and powerful ideological institutions that carry out a system-supportive propaganda function, by reliance on market forces, internalized assumptions, and self-censorship, and without overt coercion", by means of the propaganda model of communication. The title derives from the phrase "the manufacture of consent," employed in the book Public Opinion (1922), by Walter Lippmann (1889–1974). Chomsky credits the origin of the book to the impetus of Alex Carey, the Australian social psychologist, to whom he and co-author E. S. Herman dedicated the book. Four years after publication, Manufacturing Consent: The political Economy of the Mass Media was adapted to the cinema as Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992), a documentary presentation of the propaganda-model of co...

Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things examines the many flavors of minimalism by taking the audience inside the lives of minimalists from all walks of life—families, entrepreneurs, architects, artists, journalists, scientists, and even a former Wall Street broker—all of whom are striving to live a meaningful life with less.

[Ed note – We are aware that there are playback issues with the audio when this is watched on a mobile device. We encourage you to watch this on your desktop computer, laptop or with headphones.] “Three things in Jamaica: Rasta, ganja and reggae music.” Late last year we accompanied Vivien Goldman on a trip to Jamaica to track down the remaining vestiges of the island’s failing record industry. As the documentary reveals, iconic record shops like Randy’s and Rockers International are now ghosts of their former selves, whilst Jamaica’s last pressing plant has been covered in dust for years (though a new deal should finally see the factory kick start operations again.) Through conversations with local legends like Earl “Chinna” Smith, Vivien pieces together a personal story of how a culture so rooted in records has found itself in helpless decline. “Jamaica had so many studios, outstanding studios, pressing plants, small producers and big producers, who were a...

From 1968 to 1975, gangs ruled New York City. Beyond the idealistic hopes of the civil rights movement lay a unfocused rage. Neither law enforcement nor social agency could end the escalating bloodshed. Peace came only through the most unlikely and courageous of events that would change the world for generations to come by giving birth to hip-hop culture. Rubble Kings chronicles life during this era of gang rule, tells the story of how a few extraordinary, forgotten people did the impossible, and how their actions impacted New York City and the world over. Shan Nicholson is an award winning filmmaker, DJ, music producer, and counter/pop culture storyteller. His work is unabashedly inspired by being a product of New York City’s culturally rich period of the 1980’s, which continues to influence the world over. Nicholson’s feature-length documentary, Rubble Kings, the story of New York City gang culture in the 1970’s and its influence on the birth of hip hop, is poised for nation...

This short film provides an exclusive look at the making of the most eagerly anticipated release in world music. This collaboration of the finest musicians from Cuba and Mali features Eliades Ochoa, Bassekou Kouyate, Djelimady Tounkara, and Toumani Diabate, and sees the realisation of the project that inadvertently became the Buena Vista Social Club. Members: Eliades Ochoa - acoustic guitar & vocals Djelimady Tounkara - electric guitar Bassekou Kouyaté - ngoni Toumani Diabaté - kora Kasse Mady Diabaté - vocals Lassana Diabaté - balafon Baba/Yacouba Sissoko - tama Jose A. Martinez - double bass Osnel Odit - acoustic guitar Jorge Maturell - congas and bongos Eglis Ochoa - maracas Lennis Lara - trumpet Alain A. Dragonit - trumpet Home Town: Mali / Cuba ELIADES OCHOA guitar and vocals (born Songo la Maya, Cuba 1946) With his trademark cowboy hat and penchant for wearing black, Eliades Ochoa has been dubbed 'Cuba's Johnny Cash'. There's more than a ...

Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama has helped create some of the most important and resonant songs of all time. Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, Rick Hall brought black and white together to create music for the generations. He is responsible for creating the “Muscle Shoals sound” and The Swampers, the house band at FAME Studios that eventually left to start its own successful studio known as Muscle Shoals Sound. Gregg Allman and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals’ magnetism, mystery and why it remains influential today. A documentary that celebrates Rick Hall, the founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and the signature sound he developed in songs such as "I'll Take You There", "Brown Sugar", and "When a Man Loves a Woman".  

You Need To Hear This is proud to present 'Fantastic Man' a documentary investigating Nigerian musician William Onyeabor, a man shrouded in mystery and myth. Directed by Jake Sumner (Alldayeveryday) the film tells the story of a label's attempt to track William down, speaking to fans such as Damon Albarn, Caribou and Femi Kuti and travelling to Nigeria to meet those who've worked with him in a bid to uncover the truth about his story. http://williamonyeabor.com/ http://www.alldayeveryday.com/ http://youneedtohearthis.com Follow 'You Need To Hear This' on Twitter: https://twitter.com/YNTHT_UK #YouNeedToHearThis Click here to buy the album: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/wor... http://luakabop.com/onyeabor/ **

Cultural theorist superstar Slavoj Zizek re-teams with director Sophie Fiennes (The Pervert's Guide to Cinema) for another wildly entertaining romp through the crossroads of cinema and philosophy. With infectious zeal and a voracious appetite for popular culture, Zizek literally goes inside some truly epochal movies to explore and expose how they reinforce prevailing ideologies. As the ideology that undergirds our cinematic fantasies is revealed, striking associations emerge: What hidden Catholic teachings lurk at the heart of The Sound of Music? What are the fascist political dimensions of Jaws? Taxi Driver, Zabriskie Point, The Searchers, The Dark Knight, John Carpenter's They Live (one of the forgotten masterpieces of the Hollywood Left), Titanic, Kinder Eggs, verité news footage, Beethoven's Ode to Joy and propaganda epics from Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia all inform Zizek's stimulating, provocative and often hilarious psychoanalytic-cinematic rant. ...

CINEMA IS THE ULTIMATE PERVERT ART. IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU WHAT TO DESIRE - IT TELLS YOU HOW TO DESIRE - SLAVOJ ZIZEK THE PERVERT'S GUIDE TO CINEMA  takes the viewer on an exhilarating ride through some of the greatest movies ever made. Serving as presenter and guide is the charismatic Slavoj Zizek, the Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst. With his engaging and passionate approach to thinking, Zizek delves into the hidden language of cinema, uncovering what movies can tell us about ourselves.  THE PERVERT'S GUIDE TO CINEMA offers an introduction into some of Zizek's most exciting ideas on fantasy, reality, sexuality, subjectivity, desire, materiality and cinematic form. Whether he is untangling the famously baffling films of David Lynch, or overturning everything you thought you knew about Hitchcock, Zizek illuminates the screen with his passion, intellect, and unfailing sense of humour. THE PERVERT'S GUIDE TO CINEMA applies Zizek's ideas to the c...

With aerial footage from fifty-four countries, 'Home' is a depiction of how Earth's problems are all interlinked. The film HOME by Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a beautifully shot panorama of the Earth and the damage done to it by modern humanity. It includes a moving narration about the evolution of the Earth, nature, agriculture, humans, and the crises of habitat destruction, energy depletion, climate disruption, degradation...of the environment, health, economic disparity, and more. They are well integrated in the film, but many assumptions in the script make this film hard to recommend unless accompanied by a reality check on energy and the value of traditional ways. Statements such as "education is a privilege" treat upbringing and learning as if they are only modern phenomena. The same thinking produce the statement "The memories of thousands of years' scrabbling for food [as hunter gatherers] faded [with the agricultural revolution]." So...

Samsara is a Sanskrit word that means "the ever turning wheel of life" and is the point of departure for the filmmakers as they search for the elusive current of interconnection that runs through our lives. By dispensing with dialogue and descriptive text, Samsara subverts our expectations of a traditional documentary, instead encouraging our own inner interpretations inspired by images and music that infuses the ancient with the modern. From sweeping landscapes to time-lapse sequences of the night sky and from exclusive looks into the processing of food to the consumption and effects it has on the human body, Samsara is nothing short of astounding. Modern technology, production lines, and human robotics are juxtaposed against a backdrop of deserts, garbage mounds as far as the eye can see, and traffic congestion in modern centres. The time-lapse footage is simply transcendent. Simply astonishing. The richness, depth and clarity of colour and image achieved wit...

A dazzling display of the musical world of the Roma, juxtaposed to the real world they live in. This rich feature documentary celebrates the luscious music of top international Gypsy performers and interweaves stirring real life tales of their home life and social background. Shot by documentary icon Albert Maysles, the film takes place on location in Spain, Macedonia, Romania and India, as well as in Europe and in the USA during the Gypsy Caravan concert tour created by World Music Institute. Starring musicians from FANFARE CIOCARLIA, TARAF DE HAIDOUKS, MAHARAJA, ANTONIO EL PIPA & ESMA REDZEPOVA. Film directed and produced by Jasmine Dellal whose recent feature, AMERICAN GYPSY, won international acclaim for its portrait of an American Romani family battling a decade of drama.

Presented by Jamie Foxx, Thunder Soul follows the extraordinary alumni from Houston's storied Kashmere High School Stage Band, who return home after 35 years to play a tribute concert for the 92-year-old "Prof," their beloved band leader who broke the color barrier and transformed the school's struggling jazz band into a world-class funk powerhouse in the early 1970s. -- (C) Official Site  

From Mambo to Hip Hop: A South Bronx Tale is an hour-long documentary that tells the story about the creative life of the South Bronx. Beginning with the Puerto Rican migration and the adoption of Cuban rhythms to create the New York Salsa sound and continuing with the fires that destroyed the neighborhood but not the creative spirit of its people; the film chronicles the rise of Hip-Hop from the ashes. A charismatic reflection on the power of a neighborhood’s music, the film effortlessly chronicles the evolution from Mambo to Hip-Hop; which has taken the world’s pop culture by storm.  The documentary, directed by Henry Chalfant features interviews with numerous famed musicians and dancers that showcases the history and diversity of Hip-Hop’s reach.

New York City, 1977 - It was a time when the city had fallen into decay, with too few jobs, money, police, schools, and social services. There was a city wide blackout with major looting, a serial killer on the loose, and the Bronx was burning. And yet out of the chaos emerged one of the most creative times any city has ever encountered. Executive Produced by Academy Award Nominee Nanette Burstein ("The Kid Stays in the Picture"), "NY77: The Coolest Year In Hell" is a two-hour documentary that tells the story of one astonishing year in New York City history. Premiering Saturday, August 11 at 9PM*, the documentary is told chronologically and weaves together the stories of the emergence of hip hop, punk and disco, graffiti art, and sexual liberation. In the background are the major political events and social issues of the day -- crime, urban decay, financial woes, the infamous blackout, drugs, Son of Sam, the bitter mayoral election and the overa...

At its heart, BETWEEN THE FOLDS is a film about potential. The potential of an uncut paper square. The potential of a wild scientific idea. The potential to see things differently. For as long as I can remember, the driving impulses behind art, science, sculpture and math have seemed deeply connected to me—they are all means of interpreting our experiences in a universal language. When I first learned about the curious phenomenon of fine artists, scientists and mathematicians from all over the world working in the very same medium of origami, I knew there had to be something special about it: that in the simplicity of a square some untold potential for creativity and new ideas must be hiding. As a documentary project, this film has been less about telling a story and rather about finding an idea—layers of ideas. Everyone involved in this project has been incredibly energized by the challenge of making a documentary film about ideas. All along, we knew its central...

It’s a documentary about Social Control, examining the history, the philosophy and ultimately the pathology of elite power. Overall, Human Resources is rough around the edges but still overloaded with gems. Set aside some time to digest this – and take notes. Scott Noble does an admirable job of fitting ten hours of material into two. He gives the space to all the people he interviews… there’s a metric ton of ideas here and he lets almost all of them unfold and breathe at their own pace. The footage itself is very low-fi and some of the interviews feel like they drag on for too long, or wander in circles. Impressively, those moments are few and far between. Noble can’t cover everything, but the scope of this movie alone makes it the most ambitious entry in this strange genre so far.

Sound City is a 2013 documentary film by Dave Grohl, at his directorial debut, about the history of Los Angeles recording studio Sound City Studios. Sound City Studios was located in the San Fernando Valley, amidst rows of dilapidated warehouses. The little-known recording studio housed a unique recording console and a reputation for recording drums. Artists such as Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Rick Springfield, Tom Petty, Kyuss, Slipknot and Nirvana recorded groundbreaking music at the studio. The film tells the story of the studio from its early days until its closing in 2011. It then follows Dave Grohl's purchase of the studio's custom analog console, which he moved to his personal studio, Studio 606. Famous musicians who recorded at Sound City reunite at Studio 606 to make an album of "all-new all-original songs, each one composed and recorded exclusively for the film within its own 24-hour session on that console.

“It’s possible to rehabilitate large-scale damaged ecosystems.” Environmental film maker John D. Liu documents large-scale ecosystem restoration projects in China, Africa, South America and the Middle East, highlighting the enormous benefits to people and planet of undertaking these efforts globally. In only 10 years, the Chinese converted an area almost the size of Belgium from fallow land to a lush, productive ecosystem that produces food.  In a changing climate and with 1 billion added to the world population every 12 years, humans will have to undertake more projects like this to avoid a widespread Malthusian crisis. Green Gold explores ecosystem restoration projects in parts of Africa, South America, the Middle East and China; and how it benefits everyone globally. Guided by environmentalist and documentary filmmaker John D. Liu, Green Gold takes a look at what we can do to save the Earth’s environment. By informing the general public on how we can conserve energy, h...