Feature Films and Documentaries

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I am Cuba
Mikhail Kalatozov. 1 VHS cassette (141 mins.): B&W. Spanish, Russian with English subtitles, Feature film. Cuba/Russia, 1964.

"Produced by Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese: The most acclaimed discovery of the year! Filmed by great Russian director Mikhail Kaltozov (THE CRANES ARE FLYING), I AM CUBA, is an epic poem to Communist kitch - a whirling feverish dance through the sensuous decadence of Battista's Havana and the grinding poverty and oppression of the Cuban people. In four main stories showing the rise of the revolution. Kalatozov's astonishingly acrobatic camera takes the viewer on a rapturous roller-coaster ride of bathing beauties, landless peasants and student revolutionaries. The first movie ever jointly presented by master directors Francis Ford Coppol and Martin Scorsese, I AM CUBA will change your view of cinema forever!" (from the video jacket)

I was Stalin's Bodyguard
Semeon Aranovitch. 1 VHS cassette (73 mins.): color. Russian with English subtitles, Feature film. USSR, 1990.

"Aranovitch found the last survuving personal bodygurad of Stalin, who began to work for him in the 1930's. I Was Stalin's Bodyguard weaves together unprecidented, first-hand testimony with rare film footage, including Stalin's home movies. What emerges is a single portrait of a violent and complex era during which Stalin consolidated his power through brutal oppression, and yet lead the Soviet Union to victory in World War II." (from the video jacket)

I Worked for Stalin
Semeon Aranovitch. 1 VHS cassette (67 mins.): B&W and color. Russian with English subtitles, Feature film. USSR 1990.

"Focusing on the 'oligarchs' or strong men who 'ran' the Soviet state and the reign of terror for Stalin, Aranovitch charts their diabolical power games with often astonishing revelations about the individuals responsible for the fate of millions."

Ienseits der Stille
1 VHS cassette: color. German.

Im Lauf der Zeit (Kings of the Road or In the Course of Time)
Wim Wenders. 1 VHS cassette (176 min.): B&W. German with English subtitles. West Germany, 1975. Actors: Rudiger Vogler, Hanns Zischler.

"Robert, despondent over the breakup of his marriage, crashes his VW into a river and swims ashore, where he meets Bruno, a projector repairman who makes a living calling on isolated movie houses that dot the German countryside. Together, the two set off on a funny, warm and unforgettable journey across Germany, listening to rock 'n' roll, visiting shuttered movie theatres, encountering strangers with strange tales and discovering what it means to be living in Germany today." (from the video jacket)

Image of modern Spain, The
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (52 mins.): color. English, Documentary. USA, 1991.

"This program is set in Madrid and looks at the changes in Spain to determine whether they are deep- rooted or merely cosmetic and superficial. The focus is on the young editor of an adventurous, incisive magazine called 'El Europeo,' which strongly reflects a deep desire to integrate in all things European and erase the memory of 40 years of isolation under Franco. The program follows the writing and production of an issue of the magazine as well as the life of its editor, and in the process neatly reflects the difficulties Spain is currently facing and will continue to face in the years to come." (from the video jacket)

Indochine
Regis Wargnier. 1 VHS cassette (156 mins.): color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1993.

"Catherine Deneuve, in an Oscar nominated performance, stars in this Academy Award-winning story of pasion and revolution in colonial Vietnam. Deneuve stars as Eliane Devries, the seemingly repressed owner of a rubber plantation in French Indochina. Her steely exterior, however, is only a mask intended to hide her torrid love affairs from upper-class society. But when her adopted daughter innocently falls in love with Eliane's secret lover, the scandalous lovers' triangle threatens to destry their entire family. A sensual story of unbridled passion set against the violence of the bloody Communist uprising, Indochine is a historically accurate, emotionally wrenching epic of love and war." (from the video jacket)

Inner Circle, The
Andrei Konchalovsky. 1 VHS cassette (139 mins.): color. English. 1992. Actors: Tom Hulce, Lolita Davidovich, Bob Hoskins.

"He was neither a soldier nor a spy, but the KGB made Ivan Sanshin a witness to history. For fifty years he has waited to tell his true story... A wrenching love story with the power and epic sweep of Dr. Zhivago, The Inner Circle is an indelibale account of two ordinary Russians trapped inside the most brutal regime in history." (from the video jacket)

Inside Castro's Cuba
Marc de Beaufort. 1 VHS cassette (51 mins.): color.

"The eyes of the world have been on Cuba as thousands of Cubans have risked their lives trying to reach the U.S. 'Inside Castro's Cuba' looks at what drove many to leave and what the reality is for the vast majority of Cubans who stayed behind. With the collapse of the Soviet bloc, Cuba has been presented with its toughest test of strength since the revolution thirty-five years ago. Filming in Cuba for an entire year, the filmmaker gained rare access to Castro himself and to his personal archives. The result is an insghtful view of the man and his people. People wonder how long Castro will maintain his leadership. The film discovers huge support for him because he brought Cubans a higher standard of living than that of any other country in the third world. Still vigorous and tenacious about his power, he is not likely to give up the revolution." (from the video jacket)

Ivan the Terrible Parts 1 & 2 Sergei Eisenstein. 2 VHS cassettes (85 mins. / ?): B&W and color. Russian with English subtitles. 1990.

• Part 1
  No info!
• Part 2
  Eisenstein's grand vision of Tsar Ivan's struggle to wrest power from the Boyars, and the treachery he encounters when they conspire against him brings the elements of the first film to a more complex level. Part 2 is drama of the highest order--Ivan, like Hamlet, seems weak and indecisive in dealing with the conspiracy; then, as his suspicions mount to an almost paranoid intensity, he surrounds himself with an elite guard (the 'oprichniki') and launches a reign of terror against his enemies.

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Jacques Derrida
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (39 mins.): color. Documentary, English.1996.

"Jacques Derrida, the French philosopher credite with launching the Deconstructionist movement, argues his theories in this program. Derrida begins with a frank discussion on the ethical problems of Deconstruction, especially in relation to human rights. He argues that Deconstruction is not a disillusion of the subject, it is first and foremost a historical or genealogical analysis of that subject and an attempt to focus on a universal translation of it. Derrida points out that Deconstruction is mainly an affirmation -- it goes further and changes the nature of the subject -- and is neither 'reconstruction' nor 'destruction'." (from the video jacket)

Jacques le fataliste
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 2 VHS cassettes (120 mins.): color. French, amatization, 1991.

"Like the author (Diderot), Jacques is a discursive talker and a fatalist. Recounting the story of his amorous adventures to his master as they travel from inn to inn, Jacques is continually interrupted by the interference of events, chance encounters, conversational digressions -- which together with the thread of the main story, serve to expound Diderot's central thesis of fatalism." (from the video jacket)

Jamón, Jamón
Andres Vicente Gomez. 1 VHS cassette (95 mins.): color. Spanish with English subtitles, Feature film. Spain, 1994.

". . . a hilarious and sexy journey into Spanish culture in the tradition of Almódovar, tells the complex story of two young lovers, the pregnant Sylvia and her lover José Luis. As the couple plans to announce their plans to wed, Jose Luis' overprotective and welthy mother -- who disapproves of the marriage due to the small fact that Sylvia's mother is the town whore -- hires the town's sexiest young man to break up the marriage. Naturally, nothing goes as planned as the film becomes a hilarious orgy of sexual overindulgence and uncontrolled desire." (from the video jacket)

Jean Cocteau: autobiography of an unknown
Edgardo Cozarinsky. 1 VHS cassette (58 mins.): color. English no subtitles, Documentary. France, 1983.

Jean de Florette
Claude Berri. 1 VHS cassette (122 mins.): color. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1987. Actors: Yves Montand, Gérard Dépardieu, Daniel Auteuil.

Jenseits der Stille
Caroline Link. 1 PAL VHS cassette (108 mins.): color. German, Feature film, 1997. Actors: Sylvie Testud, Howie Seago, Emmanuelle Laborit, Sibylle Canonica, Matthias Habich, Hansa Czypionka, Tatjana Trieb.

"'Jenseits der Stille' schenkt Ihnen eine große Liebe, hinreißende Hauptdarsteller, ein Bad in einem Waldsee und eine wunderschöne Filmmusik. Lachen Sie mit, weinen Sie mit, and schwärmen Sie mit der gesamten Presse von dem gefühlvollsten Film des Jahres. Das Mädchen Lara hat als Kind gehörloser Eltern eine schwierige, aber dennoch glückliche Kindheit -- bis sie ihre Liebe zur Musik entdeckt, einer Welt, in die ihr ihre Eltern nicht folgen können. 'Jenseits der Stille' spricht von Gehörlosen, von den Schwierigkeiten des Erwachsenwerdens, von erster Liebe und großem Kummer mit einer Leichtigkeit, die enfach Spaß macht. 'Jenseits der Stille' is einer der schönsten Filme des Jahres, eine Liebeserklärung an das Leben an sich." (from the video jacket)

Jeder Fûr sich und Gott Gegen Alle (The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser)
Werner Herzog. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.) : color. German with English subtitles, Feature film. Germany, 1975. Actors: Bruno S., Walter Ladengast, Brigette Mira.

"One day, out of nowhere a young man named Kaspar Hauser appears in the town square of Nuremberg. He cannot speak or stand upright. Held prisoner in a dungeon for the first 18 years of his life, he seems barely human. Fascinated by Kaspar, the town at first seeks to make him civilized. But as time passes, he becomes less a man to them than a spectacular wild beast, passed around for amusement and displaye in county fairs. Based on a true story, Werner Herzog's unforgettable THE MYSTERY OF KASPAR HAUSER is a classic of the New German Cinema and features an astounding performance by Bruno S. as Kaspar." (from the video jacket)

Jetée, La and La rivière du hibou
Chris Marker. 1 VHS cassette: BW. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1964. Actors: Jean Negroni.

Jeux Interdits (Forbidden Games)
Rene Clement. 1 VHS cassette (85 mins.): B&W. French with English subtitles, Feature film. France, 1952. Actors: Brigitte Fossey, George Poujouly, Lucien Hubert, Suzanne Courtal, Jacques Marin, Laurance Badie.

"The Academy Award winning Best Foreign Film of 1952, Forbidden Games is René Clément's poignant out cry against the terrible waste of war. The film finds a young French girl, orphaned by a German air raid during World War II, taken in by a peasant family. Becoming fast friends with the young son, the two children begin playing games which imitate the tragedies of war around them. Heart wrenching and haunting, Forbidden Games is director Clement's masterful film about a child's naiveté toward war. It's a film experience that is timeless in its devestating impact." (from the video jacket)

Johnny 100 Pesos
Gustavo Graef. 1 VHS cassette (95 mins.): color. Spanish with English subtitles, Feature film. Argentina, 1993.

"Based on a true story that enthralled an entire country, Johnny 100 Pesos is an explosive thriller that tells the story of a misguided teenager (Johnny Garcia) who commits his first armed robbery with four small-time criminals. Their surefire plan immediately goes wrong and escalates into a hostage situation. In true tabloid style, the standoff with the police turns into a media circus when the local press gets wind if the situation forcing the whole cpountry to become involved and turning Johnny into a reluctant celebrity." (from the video jacket)

Johnny Stecchino (Johnny Toothpick)
Roberto Benigni. 1 VHS cassette (100 mins.): color. Italian with English subtitles, Feature film. Italy, 1992.

"The Marx Brothers meet the Godfather in this hilarious tale of mistaken identity that proves there's nothing organized about organized crime. Part Charlie Chaplin, part Peter Sellers, Roberto Benigni is Italy's number one box office sensation. Benigni (Night on Earth, Son of the Pink Panther) stars as Dante, a naive bus driver who's a dead ringer for Johnny Toothpick, a notorious mafioso on the lam and under the gun. When the beautiful Maria, Johnny' s drop-dead gorgeous wife accidentally discovers her husband's twin, she schemes to switch the two men. Outrageous and hysterical, Johnny Stecchino is 'one of the best comedies in years!' -ABC Radio Network." (from the video jacket)

Jonas, qui aura 25 ans en l'an 2000 (Jonah, Who Will be 25 in the Year 2000)
Alain Tanner. 1 VHS cassette (110 mins.): color. French with English subtitles, Feature Film. Switzerland, 1976. Actors: Jean-Luc Bideau, Myriam Mezeiere, Miou-Miou, Jacques Denis, and others.

"Before there was The Big Chill or thirtysomething there was Alain Tanner's bestknown film, 'Jonah Who Will be 25 in the Year 2000'.A high-spirited, freewheeling comedy, Jonah tells the story of eight veterans of 1968, stranded between revolution and accomodation, each with their own eccentric answers to the problems of society. The performances are magical, especially Myriam Mezeire as a sexy secretary with mystical beliefs, Jean-Luc Bideau as a disillusioned journalist turned gambler, Miou-Miou as a supermarket cashier who gives away food to the elderly, and Jacques Denis as a highly unorthodox teacher who uses sausage to illustrate time. Watching this movie is like spending time with a group of your liveliest, most charming friends." (from the video jacket)

Jorge: um brasileiro
Paulo Thiago. 1 VHS cassette : color. Portuguese no subtitles, Feature film. Brazil, 1988. Actors: Carlos Alberto Ricelli, Gloria Pires, Dean Stockwell, Denise Dumont.

Jose Guadalupe Posada
1 VHS cassette. Spanish.

"Posada, a witness to the Porfiriate and the Revoloution, was one of the great explorers of the spirit of Mexico. The satire and tragedy of Mexican life and death were his subjects; his insights and artistic vision rank this precursor of Mexican muralism among the foremost of Mexican artists." (from the video jacket)

Joseph Brodsky: a maddening space
The New York Center for Visual History. 1 VHS cassette (60 mins.): color. English, Documentary. USA , 1991.

"A lifelong outsider, Joseph Brodsky (1940- ) was a disciple of Anna Akhmatova. The most apolitical poet of the period, he was perceived by the Communist government as subversive, and imprisoned, confined to mental hospitals, and sentenced to forced labor. In 1972 he was allowed to emigrate to the U.S. on the condition that he never return. Over drinks with Derek Walcott, the Nobel laureates share memories and observations. Brodsky talks about exile and how he coped with his ordeals. Interwoven are inteviews with scholars and those who knew him in Russia, as well as readings of his powerful poetry." (from the video jacket)

Journal d'un curé de campagne, Le (Diary of a Country Priest)
Robert Bresson. 1 VHS cassette (115 mins.): BW. French with English subtitles. Feature film. France, 1950. Actors: Claude Laydu, Jean Riveyre, Armand Guibert, Marie Monique Arkell, Nicole Maurey.

"Closely following the Georges Bernanos novel of the same name, the film recounts the story of a devout and withdrawn young priest's assignment to his first rural parish. His gullibility frequently makes him the target of the cruel manipulations and betrayals of his own parishioners, a situation which Bresson skillfully develops into one of his most potent studies of human nature. The heart of the film concerns the relationship of the priest (Claude Laydu) with the family of the local Count who, he hopes, will contribute to the church's work in the village. Also important is his ambiguous relationship with one of the schoolgirls who comes to his catechism class at church. His ascetic way of life causes him to be reviled by most of the villagers, who consider him a drunkard. Hopelessly unworldly, self-tormented, and in ill- health, Laydu nonetheless maintains a determined connection to his spiritual foundation. His only support comes from the Vicar of the larger neighboring parish, whose paternal criticisms are tempered by his awareness of Laydu's near-sainthood. This film achieves a depth of human understanding rare in the cinema today." (from the video jacket)

Journal du séducteur, Le
Danièle Dubroux. 1 VHS cassette (95 mins.): color. French with English subtitles. Feature film. France, 1995. Actors: Chiara Mastroianni, Melvil Poupaud, Jean-Pierre Léaud.

"The alluring Chiara Mastroianni (daughter of film lengends Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve) makes her film debut as Claire, a young psychology student bored with her studies. Things quickly change when she finds a copy of Kierkegaard's book "Diary of a Seducer," not realizing the strange and magical powers the book exerts over its readers. She falls head over heels in love with its owner, the handsome and mysterious Gregoire (Melvil Poupaud). Claire's analyst is also affected when he gets hold of the book. An eccentric group of supporting characters rounds out the cast in a darkly comic tale about the lengths people are willing to go to for love...including murder." (from the video jacket)

Jud Süss
1 VHS cassette (90 mins.): B&W. German with English subtitles. Actors: Ferdinand Marian, Kristina Soderbaum, Heinrich George, Werner Krauss, Eugen Klopfer, Albert Florath, Malte, Jaeger, Theodor Loos, Hilde Von Stolz, ELse Elster, Wlater Werner, Jacob, Tiedtke.

Judeu, O (The Jew)
Jom Tob Azulay. 1 VHS cassette (85 mins.): color. Portuguese with English subtitles, Feature film. Portugal/ Brazil, 1996. Actors: Filipe Pinheiro, Dina Sfat, Mario Viegas and Jose Lewgoy.

"In 18th century Portugal, Antonio da Silva, a talented and popular writer with a reputation comparable to Molière, is accused of heresy -- of stil, secretly, being a Jew. Da Silva is a 'converso,' a hidden Jew who had converted to Catholicism. But when the forces of the Inquisition imprison him and give him a choice -- admit to being a Jew or death by slow torture -- da Silva must stand up to an [sic] ferocious church hierarchy at odds with a decadent monarchy."

Julia Kristeva
Films for the Humanities and Sciences. 1 VHS cassette (39 mins.): color. English with French responses and subtitles. Documentary, 1998.

"In this program, French femenist theorist Kristeva explains her theory of difference and its importance to literature, institutions of higher education, and politics. Beginning with the idea of the 'outsider' in contemporary politics, she explores the role of the 'foreigner' in western culture and its earliest representation as a woman in the works of Aeschylus. She explores the role of psychoanalysis and the linguistic theories of Chomsky, Bakhtin, Levi-Strauss, Rebelais, and Dostoyevsky in relation to her own ground-breaking work, Revolution in Poetic Language, in order to analyze contemporary politics and culture." (from the video jacket)

Julio y su Angel
Jorge Cervera, Jr. 1 VHS cassette (98 mins.): color. Spanish, Feature film. Mexico, 1996. Actors: Jorge Cervera, Jr., Eduardo Saul Martinez, Carmen del Valle, Cristobal Clark Cervera, Anilu Pardo.

"Julio y su angel es la tierna historia de un niño huérfano que va en busca de su Angel de la Guard y lo encuentra." (from the video jacket)

NOTE: ** indicates does not circulate.