
The fascinating story of Luca Prodan, Italo-Scottish Idol of Argentina's mythical Sumo Rock Band, and innovator of Latin American rock. His past as a pupil in Gordonstoun, Scotland's elitist college. His rebellious adolescence and fatal flirtation with heroin. His London years in the heart of the Punk explosion, and miraculous 're-birth' in dictatorship-ridden Argentina. South America's Ian Curtis... with a twist.
2008-04-13
6
luca, prodan,
8.3We follow the epic lives of sumo legends who made it from humble beginnings in Hawaii, to becoming the first foreigners to rise to the highest ranks in sumo. Starting with Takamiyama who paved the path for Konishiki, Akebono, and Musashimaru who soon followed and ignited sumo fandom around the world. As diplomats for the sport and Japanese culture, these 600 pound outsiders share their hero’s journey from a small Hawaiian village, to having God-like adulation from fans across the world.
0.0We meet the highest ranked sumo wrestler, Mongolian Asashoryu. and delve into the hidden culture of this ancient sport. Sumo. More than a sport in Japan, it's a religion. Its history goes back 2000 years, with time-honored Shinto rituals and ceremonies originating from the ancient martial art called "Tegoi". Crashing into this tradition-bound world is Mongolian "outsider" Asashoryu. He's a rule-breaker. A rebel. And much to the chagrin of the sumo-crazy Japanese, he's their reigning champion. To add insult to injury, the Americans are even beefing up to join the sport. And now, for the first time in nearly 15 years, Japanese Grand Sumo is coming to ground zero of the outsider invasion. Hawaii - birthplace to Sumo's first foreign-born grand champion, Akebono. Asashoryu is not any Sumo wrestler. He's the "yokozuna" - or highest ranked. The Muhammad Ali of Sumo. With permission from...
10.0A documentary chronicling the life and career of the legendary Yokozuna, Chiyonofuji.
0.0Sumo wrestling is the national sport of Japan dating back over 1500 years. The huge but graceful wrestlers proceed with precision and great formality through the elaborate ceremonies and ornamentation. That doesn't stop crowds from going wild as the two huge wrestlers dressed only in loincloths battle each other. There is nothing crude about the fight; it proceeds in a series of infinitesimal moves made with as much power as the individual wrestler can summon. When one wrestler's foot is out of the ring, or any part of his body touches the ground, the other has won. A bout rarely lasts even a minute. Japanese schoolboys learn Sumo as their North American peers learn hockey and baseball.
Combining insightful interviews, fast cuts, and exciting competitive action, The Mongolian Eagle offers a privileged glimpse into the ancient and secretive world of sumo. Meet Kyokushuzan, a Mongolian wrestler who guides us through the hierarchy and rituals of this complex society as he pursues his goal to overcome all odds and become a Yokuzuna, or Grand Champion. Stunning visuals of Japanese and Mongolian landscapes intercut with behind-the-scenes revelations show us at first hand the difficult transitions these two ancient cultures deal with in their struggle to survive in the modern world. Length: 1 hour
0.0The diary of Takuya Ogushi, a 18 years old Japanese, who begins his new life as a sumo wrestler.
0.0The film centres around a group of schoolchildren navigating the complexities of friendship, trust, and honesty. At its heart is a thoughtful and suppressed boy with a learning disability whose interactions with his classmates oscillate between evoking tenderness and triggering aggression.
7.8A small, lone Kappa miraculously survives over 200 years into modern day Japan, when he is found by young Koichi. Coo, who is secretly adopted by Koichi's family, searches with his new human friend for unpopulated places in hopes of finding any remaining of his kind.
It’s sumo time! Plenty of animals come together for a rousing set of battles in the ring, but only one will prove victorious. Will it be the duck, the monkey, or maybe even the elephant that will win the day? Only time and skill will tell!
6.7A college senior, Shuhei, is blackmailed by a professor into joining the school's sumo team. He is aided by a group of misfits who must team together to defeat their rivals or face disgrace and the disbandment of the sumo club.
6.1Four overweight friends from the Israeli city of Ramle are fed up of dieting and the dieting club they belong to. When Herzl (155 kilos), the main protagonist, loses his job as a cook and starts working as a dishwasher in a Japanese restaurant in Ramle he discovers the world of Sumo where large people such as himself are honored and appreciated. Through Kitano (60 kilos), the restaurant owner, a former Sumo coach in Japan (who is supposedly hiding from the Yakuza in Israel), he falls in love with a sport involving "two fatsos in diapers and girly hairdos". Herzl wants Kitano to be their coach but Kitano is reluctant - they first have to earn their spurs. "A MATTER OF SIZE" is a comedy about a ‘coming out’ of a different kind - overweight people learning to accept themselves.
7.6In the years before World War II, a penniless Japanese child is torn from her family to work as a maid in a geisha house.
0.0When Shiva finds an unconscious stranger on the beach, he unknowingly begins a journey that leads to Japan's sumo rings. With truth and loyalty, he helps his friend reclaim his identity and honor, showing that bonds of the heart can rise above borders and power.
6.6A hard-on-his-luck hound finds himself in a town full of cats in need of a hero to defend them from a ruthless villain's wicked plot to wipe their village off the map. With help from a reluctant mentor, our underdog must assume the role of town samurai and team up with the villagers to save the day.
0.0A film about sumo wrestler Wakanohana Kanji I. He was nicknamed "Devil of the dohyo" due to his excellent fighting spirit and endurance.
3.3Daisy is the love of Ken's life - she is also large... and very pretty... and on the dole. But Ken is a dreamer, all his dreams to make a fast buck ending up where they started - as dreams. With the rent unpaid, the bailiffs at the door and Ken's dreams in tatters, Daisy sets out to bring home the bacon and gets a job in the local factory. There she meets Marlene and half a dozen other large women who are all united in a secret passion - Sumo wrestling! Ken doesn't know what's hit him.
6.2In the wake of the social unrest caused by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, two female sumo athletes, Kiku and Tokachi, and an anarchist group called the Guillotine Society, spark an unlikely connection.
2.0Manila city. Fernando Suzuki noticed the popularity of sumo in Japan and decided to make a profit by holding sumo classes locally. They are recruiting young people who want to succeed as sumo wrestlers in Japan. Philnando can't stop smiling at the unexpected number of applicants. They immediately start a training camp, but it is difficult to teach sumo to young people who have never tightened a mawashi, let alone how to step on a shiko. As Fernando watched the sweaty young men take a shower, he noticed one of them, Enrico. He immediately called her to his room...
3.4Ushi Hirosaki has to marry according to Japanese tradition before her 30th birthday. Because time is running out, her family decides she has to marry a huge sumo wrestler. A rather unfortunate combination, so Ushi wants to look for a nicer candidate herself. She travels halfway around the world to find her dream husband. Along the way she does valiant efforts, for example to learn table manners and to lose her Japanese accent.
6.9A musical study of Los Angeles in the late 90s, where homeless teens roam the streets and profess to live a punk lifestyle of music, drugs, and flouting authority.
7.6A chronological account of the influential late 1970s English rock band.
8.5After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.
5.9In this concert film, 'Hannah Montana' star Miley Cyrus performs a slew of hit songs, including 'Just Like You' and 'Life's What You Make It.'
7.0Film telling the untold story of John Lennon's 1971 album Imagine, exploring the creative collaboration between Lennon and Yoko Ono and featuring interviews and never-seen-before footage.
7.6A years-in-the-making documentary on the legendary punk band the Ramones. Through a mixture of archival footage, archival and new interviews with all members of the band's various lineups, and new interviews with a number of their contemporaries, the film traces the peaks and valleys the band experienced over the course of its 20-plus year career before disbanding in 1995.
7.0A backstage and on-stage look at Justin Bieber during his rise to super stardom.
6.8Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.
6.9Global superstar Jennifer Lopez reflects on her multifaceted career and the pressure of life in the spotlight in this intimate documentary.
7.1This film is released as part of the ongoing 50th anniversary celebration of the Rolling Stones. It tells the story of the Stones' unparalleled journey from blues obsessed teens in the early 60s to their undisputed status as rock royalty. All of the Stones have been newly interviewed and their words form the narrative arc that links together archive footage of performances, news coverage, and interviews, much of it previously unseen. Taking its title from a lyric in "Jumpin' Jack Flash," this film gives the viewer an intimate insight into exactly what it's like to be part of the Rolling Stones as they overcome denunciation, drugs, dissensions, and death to become the definitive survivors. Over a year in the making and produced with the full cooperation and involvement of the Stones, this film is and will remain the definitive story of the world's greatest rock 'n' roll band
8.0From humble roots as pastor's sons in New Jersey, through their meteoric rise to fame, the Jonas Brothers' bond was unshakeable-until a surprising and painful breakup led Joe, Kevin and Nick down very different paths. With deeply personal interviews, previously unreleased footage and exclusive music, this is the Jonas Brothers as never seen before.
6.7SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a feature length performance documentary about the runaway juggernaut that is Rap music. At the wheel of this unstoppable beast is the film's director and interviewer Ice-T. Taking us on a deeply personal journey Ice-T uncovers how this music of the street has grown to dominate the world. Along the way Ice-T meets a whole spectrum of Hip-Hop talent, from founders, to new faces, to the global superstars like Eminem, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. He exposes the roots and history of Rap and then, through meeting many of its most famous protagonists, studies the living mechanism of the music to reveal 'The Art Of Rap'. This extraordinary film features unique performances from the entire cast, without resorting to archive material, to build a fresh and surprising take on the phenomenon that is Rap.
7.5In a warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain more than 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four unforgettable characters whose broken-and-repaired lives have been dedicated to bringing so much more than music to the schoolchildren of this city.
7.2Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.
8.2"One Direction: This Is Us" is a captivating and intimate all-access look at life on the road for the global music phenomenon. Weaved with stunning live concert footage, this inspiring feature film tells the remarkable story of Niall, Zayn, Liam, Harry and Louis' meteoric rise to fame, from their humble hometown beginnings and competing on the X-Factor, to conquering the world and performing at London’s famed O2 Arena. Hear it from the boys themselves and see through their own eyes what it's really like to be One Direction.
7.7Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, and other rock legends.
7.2Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of Hip-Hop’s icons, renowned for his distinctive flow and autobiographical lyrics. This documentary celebrates his life via rare behind-the-scenes footage and the testimonies of his closest friends and family.
7.3Spike Lee pays tribute to Michael Jackson's Bad on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the epochal album, offering behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson recording the album and interviews with confidants, musicians, choreographers, and such music-world superstars as Kanye West, Sheryl Crow, Cee Lo Green and Mariah Carey.
7.9See Michael Jackson, one of the most recognizable and popular entertainers of all time, like never before in the feature-length tribute Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon. Known to millions of fans worldwide for his record-breaking albums, groundbreaking music videos, mesmerizing dance moves and humanitarian efforts, his true story has never really been told...until now. This unprecedented look into the King of Pop's fascinating life includes all-new interviews with his mother Katherine Jackson as well as siblings Tito and Rebbie Jackson, family, friends and music legends such as Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick and many more.
7.0Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, this film captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year.