History Movies

The Story of Dr. Sun Yat Sen

As befits the telling of the story of perhaps the most universally beloved hero of modern-day Chinese history Dr. Sun Yat-Sen (1866-1925), this lavishly produced biographical film uses techniques culled from Chinese Opera to dramatize the great man's political history. Concentrating on the period following his rise to political prominence in 1894 until his death in 1925, the movie is couched in terms of heroes who look heroic and villains who look villainous. Huge numbers of extras and vast battle scenes dot this production, and well-known Hong Kong and Taiwan-based movie stars appear in many cameos.

Time, Forward!

The film is set in the 1930s in the USSR. The film tells about one day of the construction of the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works. The heroes of the film are simple construction workers who are burning at work. Upon learning that their colleagues in Kharkov have set a record, they mobilize to break it. The entire construction site was engulfed in immense socialist competition. The teams are ready to complete the work on time at any cost. A Moscow journalist who has come to cover the scale of the great construction project is looking for the hero of his report...

Canada Vignettes: Spence's Republic

An animated vignette about the role of Thomas Spence in the formation and demise of the Republic of Manitoba at Portage la Prairie in 1867-68.

The Avenger of Ganjabasar

The film is about the rebellion in Ganja in 1919-1920 at the head of Gatir Mammad.

Mulan Joins the Army

This epic version of the Mulan tale was an early epic, shot on location in Northern China using hundreds of extras. It is the story of Hua Mulan, a young woman who takes her fathers place in the army as he is unwell. She gains glory but must eventually deal with her deception.

Herb Alpert Is...

From the success of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, through the founding of A&M Records, to giving away more than $150 million to arts and education programs across the country, we’ll witness the humanity and the humility inherent in everything he does, as well as come to understand the power of creativity to entertain, inspire, heal and transform.

Gettysburg

An examination of the Battle of Gettysberg on both the personal and strategic level.

The Day After Trinity

Through interviews with Manhattan Project scientists and newly declassified archival footage, this documentary examines the life of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his leadership of the Manhattan Project. The film traces the development and testing of the first atomic bomb and follows Oppenheimer’s later opposition to nuclear proliferation during the early years of the Cold War.

Babe Ruth

A film based on the home-run legend's life.

La Dama

The Word in the Woods

During the early 1970s, hundreds of peasants in a remote region of El Salvador began to emulate the early Christians, working the land together and building communities based on solidarity. By the late 1970s, thousands of peasants in northern Morazan organized to resist National Guard repression which often involved torture and executions. In 1980s, the military engaged in scorched earth operations against their villages, inaugurating a 12-year civil war. The Word in the Woods tells their stories. The film's protagonists must reflect upon their struggles in the light of current reality.

Tales of the Uncanny

A detailed look at the history of horror anthology films.

Juan Vicente Gómez y su época

Documentary on Venezuela's dictator Juan Vicente Gómez.

Kukai

The life and times of Kûkai, a Japanese monk who studies Esoteric Buddhism in the far reaches of India, China and Tibet, then uses their combined influence to establish the Shingon school during the Heian period in early 9th Century AD.

Know Your Enemy: Japan

Frank Capra-directed propaganda film produced during World War II depicting the United States' new enemy: Japan.

I Saw Ben Barka Get Killed

January 1966. In a Paris apartment, police discovers the corpse of Georges Figon, the man who broke the scandal of the Ben Barka affair and undermined Gaullist power.

Africa Rising

How African artists have spread African culture all over the world, especially music, since the harsh years of decolonization, trying to offer a nicer portrait of this amazing continent, historically known for tragic subjects, such as slavery, famine, war and political chaos.

The Battle of France

A montage of newscasts tracing the events of the "damned war" and the German invasion of 1940.

Once Upon a Time in a Battlefield

When the king of Silla joins forces with the Tang Emperor to take over Korea, the king of Baekje calls on a legendary warrior to protect his country.

Dolmabahce and Atatürk

The research phase of the documentary "Dolmabahçe and Atatürk," made in 1981 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Atatürk's birth, took a year, and filming was completed in three months. The documentary examines the world-famous palace in detail, both in terms of location and structure, and compares its changing functions from the Ottoman period to the Republican era, influenced by Atatürk's presence.