(click CC for subtitles) 'a-ha' is Norway's only international pop band and their hit 'Take On Me' is still one of the most-played songs of the last millennium. The film follows the band over a period of four years, telling the full story of how three young men followed their impossible dream of becoming Norwegian pop stars. When 'Take On Me' reached number 1 on Billboard in the US in 1985, the dream came true. Or did it? Almost 35 years after their breakthrough, a-ha still creates magic on stage with their melancholic and timeless music. They tour the world but drive in separate cars and stay in separate hotel rooms. They only meet on stage, doing the one thing they love. The film closely portrays the challenging creative and personal dynamics of a group of three strong individuals who have grown up together, but in different directions. What does success do to friendship? Why are they not capable of creating new music together anymore? This is a story of great music, big ambitions, broken friendship--and maybe forgiveness.
Whitney Houston broke more music industry records than any other female singer in history. With over 200 million album sales worldwide, she was the only artist to chart seven consecutive U.S. No. 1 singles. She also starred in several blockbuster movies before her brilliant career gave way to erratic behavior, scandals and death at age 48. The documentary is an intimate, unflinching portrait of Houston and her family that probes beyond familiar tabloid headlines and sheds new light on the spellbinding trajectory of Houston's life. Using never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, rare performances, audio archives and original interviews with the people who knew her best, filmmaker Kevin Macdonald unravels the mystery behind 'The Voice,' who thrilled millions even as she struggled to make peace with her own troubled past.
The documentary reveals the hidden power of sound in film and in our lives through interviews, film clips and a look at its actual process of creation and discovery. It captures the history, impact and creative process of this art form with insightful, poignant and entertaining stories told by legendary sound designers and visionary directors, and the sound artists they collaborate with who create the magic in all the films we love.
George Michael is honored in a fine documentary released in October 2017, a film he wrote and directed and supervised about his life in show business before his death on Christmas Day 2016. The film was completed under David Austin's direction. The movie is a frank and honest account of George Michael's professional life and career. Though the film, various artists add to the narrative – Tony Bennett, Mary J. Blige, Emmanuelle Alt, Naomi Campbell, Ricky Gervais, Elton John, Liam Gallagher, Cindy Crawford, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Kate Moss Nile Rodgers, James Corden, Stevie Wonder, and many others. The film highlights conversations with Michael, his crisis with Sony, his 'coming out' as a gay man, his driving force to be the best performer and songwriter ever known, his many successful videos and clips from live performances and much, much more. This is a very beautifully made film, steaming with love from Michael and from his many fans, and filled with information about the positive impact he made on the world. Completely entertaining and a fine tribute to an enormously gifted artist.
The film depicts the life and work of opera singer Maria Callas in her own words by using performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs nearly all of which have never been shown to the public. Maria by Callas reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time. Her letters and unpublished memoirs are read by opera singer Joyce DiDonato. (Click CC for subtitles)
This is the story of Gerald Cotten and the many people who ended up with empty bank accounts after investing in his Bitcoin cryptocurrency exchange, QuadrigaCX. What does a crypto exchange do? The movie explains it concisely and it almost makes sense: A guy like Cotten takes an investment, converts it to Bitcoin and trades it in hopes of turning a profit, kind of like a stock day trader does. Cotten ’s described as a nerdy guy who felt like an outcast, but found a community of like-minded types in the cryptocurrency world. Cotten was in India when he got sick and unexpectedly died; he was 30. At the time, QuadrigaCX was Canada’s biggest crypto exchange, holding north of $200 million. But nobody could access the keys and passwords to the company’s accounts and, against conventional wisdom, the company had no safeguards to stop such a thing from happening. Everyone who invested their money was left grasping at empty air. Internet forums foster ideas such as Cotten faked his death and took the money. The journalists and forensic accountants who lend the voice of reason, explores the oddities in the Cotten narrative, ruling out some of the crazier stuff in a quest for the truth.
Almost 35 years after their breakthrough, a-ha still creates magic on stage with their melancholic and timeless music. They tour the world but drive in separate cars and stay in separate hotel rooms. They only meet on stage, doing the one thing they love. The film closely portrays the challenging creative and personal dynamics of a group of three strong individuals who have grown up together, but in different directions. What does success do to friendship? Why are they not capable of creating new music together anymore? This is a story of great music, big ambitions, broken friendship--and maybe forgiveness.