1. Sunshine in Soho
1950s Soho beats with far more energy than its 21st century counterpart in this vivid time capsule.
2. Carna (Carna)
Although it was actually an impersonal commissioned film, the director's style is clearly recognizable. Once again he manages to make something that is normal very strange: the dancing people in costumes are filmed in such a way that they look bizarre and absurd. Jan de Bont's camerawork shows a series of color images of dancing people, edited to the rhythm of the music. Halfway through the film, a lonely clown can be seen among the dancing crowd, accompanied by sad music. This clown is played by Ditvoorst himself.
It has an average vote of 5.8 on TMDB.
3. Carnival: Looking for Paulo 'Miller' (Carnaval: à procura de Paulo Moleiro)
A 2008 short made in accompaniment with Our Beloved Month of August, documenting Gomes's and his crew's hapless search, during 2007's carnival, for one of Arganil's most storied and elusive characters . Paulo "Miller" is known for taking a dangerous jump into the Alva from a bridge each year during carnival, but what this film is about is, in keeping with the free-roving feature, much less the subject himself than Gomes and co.'s inability to pin him down; not only does he not do his famous jump during this year's carnival, but an ostensible technical/audio failure during Gomes's initial on-camera meeting with Paulo "Miller" leads to five minutes of lip-readers attempting to decipher their conversation.
It has an average vote of 6 on TMDB.
4. The Other Side of Carnival
The Other Side of Carnival is a 45-minute award-winning documentary that explores Carnival's social and economic impact on Trinidad & Tobago. With more than 60 interviews from professors, medical staff, police officers, government officials, students, tourists, every day locals and more, The Other Side of Carnival is able to highlight that while Carnival is an exciting occasion, it is a festival that creates turmoil, which is not widely visible...or is it just simply ignored? Known as "The Greatest Show on Earth", this documentary captures the roots of Carnival and how far some go to keep the original idea alive, and how others attempt to integrate change. Consummating over two years of research and interviews and with the coordination of a multi-national crew , The Other Side of Carnival does not pass judgment on Carnival in Trinidad & Tobago, but aims to bring an awareness of the type of influence that Carnival has on the population.
5. Bound by Flesh
Conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton were once the cream of the sideshow crop. Taught to sing and dance at an early age, the winsome duo ascended through the early 20th-century vaudeville circuit as a side attraction before a cascade of unscrupulous management and harsh mistreatment brought their careers tumbling down. This engrossing glimpse into a bygone era is filled with fascinating interviews and rare archival footage.
It has an average vote of 5.9 on TMDB.
6. Panomundo Part 1: The Evolution of the Steelpan
Slavery may have been the catalyst, but culture and passion formed this sound in Trinidad & Tobago. The steelpan can take the claim of being the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century. However, this sound not only moves people today, but it paralleled the island’s history of colonization and the demand for independence. The first section of this two-part film highlights the precursors of the steelpan and the creation of the instrument until it gained international recognition in Britain in 1951. Interviews from steelpan legends, such as Ellie Mannette, Sterling Betancourt, Cliff Alexis and Ray Holman, are included.
7. Alaaf - 200 Jahre Kölner Karneval (Alaaf - 200 Jahre Kölner Karneval)
200 years of Cologne Carnival! The most colourful and loudest festival in Cologne celebrates a big birthday. In February 1823, a few men from Cologne's upper class founded the so-called 'Festordnende Komitee' - the forerunner of today's 'Festkomitee Kölner Karneval'. This 'big bang' was a reaction to the old festival getting out of hand in orgies and violence. Carnival was in danger. A ban by the Prussian rulers was imminent. The new committee wanted to control the wild goings-on, establish rules and organise the celebrations.
8. Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man
Drama in the Desert: The Sights and Sounds of Burning Man is a full-color book based on the captivating images of Holly Kreuter, with contributions from an additional 90 Burning Man participants, offering the reader a taste of the Burning Man experience. The DVD includes an original Score by Sean Abreu, seven slideshows featuring 560 Kreuter photographs and video interviews with 8 artists including Larry Harvey.
It has an average vote of 4.8 on TMDB.
9. Confessions of a Burning Man
The experience shared by four first-timers demonstrates how Burning Man dissolves the barriers between races, nationalities and economic classes. A beautiful piece of film-making which inspires and entertains as it provides some understanding about why people return year after year.
It has an average vote of 4 on TMDB.
10. Grove Carnival
A kaleidoscopic celebration of the 1980 Notting Hill Carnival. Arts Council of Great Britain.
11. Waiting for the Carnival (Estou Me Guardando para Quando o Carnaval Chegar)
A documentary film about the Brazilian town of Toritama, the self-proclaimed capital of jeans. The workers of the city’s self-managed small businesses only get one real break from their self-exploiting lives in the textile business: the annual Carnival.
It has an average vote of 8.3 on TMDB.
12. Carnival in Bissau (À Bissau, le carnaval)
Documentary short that explores the meaning of the locals’ African identity through the Carnival festivities.
13. Carny
CARNY is an intimate, gritty and poetic adventure following the lives of 'carnys' - traveling fairground workers whose experiences are outside the normalcy of most North Americans.
14. AquaBurn
AquaBurn is an award-winning documentary film by director Bill Breithaupt showcasing "The Floating World" theme of the 2002 Burning Man Festival. AquaBurn features many of the incredible Burning Man art installations, the imagination and originality that went into their creation, and the artists who conceived them. Unlike conventional documentaries on the Burning Man Festival, AquaBurn captures the true feeling and excitement of the event itself, transporting the viewer to a hot, dusty wonderland without ever leaving home.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
15. Dust Devils
A beautifully done video of Burning Man 2001, 2002 & 2003. Lots of people interviews, Center Cafe activity and extensive coverage of artist David Best and the Temple construction and burn. This documentary captures the swirling columns of dust that were created during the intense heat of the 2002 Temple burn.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
16. Le cortège de la mi-carême fait sa sortie annuelle (Le cortège de la mi-carême fait sa sortie annuelle)
Short documentary on a carnival procession.
17. Harrow Hospital Carnival (Harrow Hospital Carnival)
Harrow’s extraordinary and opulent pageant, and seaside holidays on the south coast.
18. Pwllheli Carnival (Pwllheli Carnival)
Weird and wonderful characters entertain the crowds in this summer's day procession at Pwllheli, Gwynedd.
19. Richmond Historical Pageant (Richmond Historical Pageant)
Druids, Romans and Norman knights return to Richmond for the 600th anniversary of the Yorkshire town's charter.
20. Dulais Valley (Dulais Valley)
Master baker, owner of Duffryn Bakery, Onllwyn, turns his hand to film-making and captures community events in glorious colour.
