Reconquest of the Useless(2015)

Celebrating the Rice Media Center(en)

Through the Fondren Fellows program, the Rice Media Center Archive Project has spent the past few months sifting through material stored at the now-defunct Rice Media Center. The team has identified several films as especially notable and will be presenting them in conjunction with documentary footage the team shot of people involved with the films. From lectures featuring Roberto Rossellini and Werner Herzog to films from former Rice students and faculty, the film presentation will tell the narrative of the Rice Media Center through the films and filmmakers that passed through its corridors.

Werner Herzog: Radical Dreamer(de)

With exclusive behind-the-scenes access into Herzog’s everyday life, rare archive material and in-depth interviews with celebrated collaborators – including Christian Bale, Nicole Kidman, and Robert Pattinson, we are given an exciting glimpse into the work and personal life of the iconic artist.

Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor(de)

Klaus Kinski is one of the few German actors who has achieved international fame. He made headlines. And disappeared behind them. Kinski lived his parts 24/7. This film tells the story of a man who no longer could understand the difference or distinguish between fantasy and reality.

Do Rocks Dream of Flying ?(es)

Two young documentarists travel around a forsaken island in the aftermath of a cataclysmic volcanic eruption. Their wanders lead them to the encounter of Professor Pereda, an acoustic geologist, conducting researches on geo-acoustics.

Coppola, un hombre y sus sueños(es)

North Bergen, North Bergen(en)

Footage shot in and around North Bergen, New Jersey presented in a minimalist series of fixed camera angles and long-takes accompanied by the ambient noise of city streets.

The Lappnor Project(en)

In the Finnish forests was an unclimbed route called the Lappnor project. It was considered to be the hardest climbing route in the world and perhaps impossible for a human. Nalle Hukkataival, a strong Finnish climber took up the challenge. It required almost four years of total commitment and his efforts were followed by hundreds of thousands of climbers around the world. When Nalle finally succeeded, it blew away the whole climbing world like nothing before. The first 9A boulder was climbed! The documentary follows Nalle's journey from the very beginning, all the way to the first ascent almost half a decade later. It captures the incredible dedication that was needed to deal with all the variables and to take that last step to open the next level of climbing.

Silver Night(en)

It seemed like a typically quiet night... but the most unexpected encounter leads Chris to a difficult choice.

Herzog: The Wrath Of Klaus(en)

A pre-fame Werner Herzog (Adam Ezagouri) is asked to share a flat with a strange new actor only known as Klaus Kinski. Herzog agrees but soon regrets his generous decision as Kinski proves to be one uncanny flatmate. Despite their disagreements, both decide to try and shoot Herzog's own version of Don Quixote, with disastrous consequences.

Ode To Oblivion(en)

Dream or Reality ! Two lost souls meet in strange ways through various fragments of dreamlike memories. As we delve into their complicated relationship and their story unfolds, their relationship seems to disintegrate, leaving us to wonder if it will survive this reality or dream.

David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts(en)

Widely considered Britain’s most popular artist, David Hockney is a global sensation with exhibitions in London, New York, Paris and beyond, attracting millions of visitors worldwide. Now entering his 9th decade, Hockney shows absolutely no evidence of slowing down or losing his trademark boldness. Featuring intimate and in-depth interviews with Hockney, this revealing film focuses on two blockbuster exhibitions held in 2012 and 2016 at the Royal Academy of Art in London. Director Phil Grabsky secured privileged access to craft this cinematic celebration of a 21st century master of creativity.

Cézanne: Portraits of a Life(en)

Dedicated to the portrait work of Paul Cézanne, the exhibition opens in Paris before traveling to London and Washington. One cannot appreciate 20th century art without understanding the significance and genius of Paul Cézanne. Filmed at the National Portrait Gallery in London, with additional interviews from experts and curators from MoMA in New York, National Gallery of Art in Washington DC, and Musée d’Orsay in Paris, and correspondence from the artist himself, the film takes audiences to the places Cézanne lived and worked and sheds light on an artist who is perhaps one of the least known and yet most important of all the Impressionists.

Dream Big: A Big Gigantic Story(en)

It’s been a long road for saxophonist/producer Dominic Lalli and drummer Jeremy Salken to “ROWDYTOWN IV,” the fourth installment of their massive hometown experience. Their journey is beautifully captured in this documentary short film which chronicles the duo’s history and how they broke saxophone into dance music alongside a compelling behind the scenes look at producing the Rowdytown show.

The Homosexuals(en)

On March 7, 1967, 40 million Americans tuned in to watch CBS Reports: The Homosexuals, network television’s first documentary on homosexuality. Near the top of the program, host and interviewer Mike Wallace calls homosexuals “the most despised minority in the United States.” The hour that follows is filled with salacious location footage, sermonizing therapists, and shadowed interviews with distraught homosexuals.

The Summers of It – Chapter One: You'll Float Too(en)

This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.

The Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends(en)

This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.

The Beatles: In Japan (7/1/1966)(en)

The second of two concerts, where the boys have grey suits, was video taped by Nippon Television. The two shows were edited together and broadcast during The Beatles Recital, From Nippon Budokan, Tokyo, which was screened on NTV Channel 4 on 1 July from 9pm.

Santa Barbara(ru)

Inspired by the 1980s American soap opera, Santa Barbara, Svetlana became a mail-order bride from post-Soviet Russia to America. She took her two children with her to California to meet a stranger, a man who would soon become her husband and father to her children. The film brings together the audition process, behind- the-scenes footage, archival home movies, scripted scenes, and an interview with the director's mother, Svetlana. This project is an immersive form of visual storytelling that employs memory and performance in equal measure to show the journey of immigrating to America.

My Leftover Ladies(zh)

Meet four Taiwanese women, the actual "leftover ladies" fighting to stay breathing in a somewhat stifling society. Since 2012, their friend in common, Chou Tung-yen, has been "stalking" them, capturing on film moments of these women's daily lives.

Electric Callboy: Tekkno - Live in Europe(de)

A compilation of live performances from across Europe by the German electronicore band, Electric Callboy.