1. Swimming to Ferguson
Beneath the fury of Ferguson unrest, an affable professor dedicates his life to actionable, peaceful change while attempting the grueling triple crown of ultra-marathon swimming.
2. Ama-San (Ama-San)
A dive, the midday sunlight filtering down through the water. The air in her lungs has to last until she can dislodge the abalone. Dives like these have been carried out in Japan for over 2000 years by the Ama-San.
It has an average vote of 7.1 on TMDB.
3. The Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari
A close examination of the Whakaari / White Island volcanic eruption of 2019 in which 22 lives were lost, the film viscerally recounts a day when ordinary people were called upon to do extraordinary things, placing this tragic event within the larger context of nature, resilience, and the power of our shared humanity.
It has an average vote of 7.3 on TMDB.
4. Wildcat: The Struggle for Democracy in the New Zealand Timberworkers' Union
Delegates and workers discuss the issues that effect the Timberworkers’ Union, the reasons for the formation of the Combined Council of Timber Workers Delegates and their industrial action.
5. Garudas
After accidentally becoming the caretaker of a robin’s egg, I reach out to my grandmother for guidance. As we await the fate of the fragile, pale blue egg, we call from across the world to birdwatch together—a meditation on nature, nurture, and letting go.
6. Beyond Conversion
BEYOND CONVERSION is a deep-dive into conversion therapy in Aotearoa through the eyes of Kiwi conversion therapy survivors.
It has an average vote of 1 on TMDB.
7. New Zealand - Home of Middle Earth - Part 1
Discover the stunning locations of New Zealand with the cast and crew of The Hobbit Trilogy.
It has an average vote of 9 on TMDB.
8. Into Great Silence (Die große Stille)
An intimate portrayal of the everyday lives of Carthusian monks of the Grande Chartreuse, high in the French Alps . The idea for the film was proposed to the monks in 1984, but the Carthusians said they wanted time to think about it. The Carthusians finally contacted Gröning 16 years later to say they were now willing to permit Gröning to shoot the movie, if he was still interested.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
9. Swimming, Dancing
Swimming, Dancing examines audiovisual representations of the Yangtze , from silent film to video art to the contemporary vlog. Inspired by the city symphonies of the 1920s, Swimming, Dancing pieces together a “river symphony”, evoking the images, sounds and contradictions that make up the river’s turbulent history.
10. Migrant Fish
A documentary short that uses fish to explore identity and belonging in a metropolis.
11. Gallipoli - The Dardenelles Campaign
An overview of one of the greatest disasters of the first World War WWI - the Dardanelles Campaign at Gallipoli, Turkey.
12. Deep Blue
Deep Blue is a major documentary feature film shot by the BBC Natural History Unit. An epic cinematic rollercoaster ride for all ages, Deep Blue uses amazing footage to tell us the story of our oceans and the life they support.
It has an average vote of 6.793 on TMDB.
13. Growing Girls
After several farmyard analogies featuring chicks and calves, the well-spoken narrator and director of the film, Winifred Holmes, considers the subject of girls and how they reach adulthood and readiness for the 'important job of motherhood.
It has an average vote of 6 on TMDB.
14. Goodbye to All Cats
A documentary exploring the human-cat love story amidst a movement to eradicate cats in New Zealand.
15. People Among Sharks (Menschen unter Haien)
In this 1947 film by diving pioneer Hans Hass, marine biology work is shown with the help of early diving equipment. During the expedition Hass was able to observe and film shark behaviour and collect plant samles from underwater caves.
16. Descent
Dutch ice freediver Kiki Bosch swims in the world's coldest waters without a wetsuit as therapy for a trauma she experienced, and to inspire others.
It has an average vote of 4 on TMDB.
17. Taking Back Our Beach
This is a film about the response by a community to New Zealand’s largest environmental disaster, seen through the eyes of that community. The film captures the shock, anger and grief driven into the heart of the local community, but also the humour, purpose and overwhelming positivity when people join together with a common goal.
18. Origins of consciousness
Experimental meditation on land, complexity and evolution, consciousness, interconnection, and artificial intelligence. Shot in the Okanagan and West Kootenays of British Columbia, Canada. Original music by Jack Brintnell.
19. New Zealand 3D: The Forgotten Paradise
New Zealand is one of the most remote countries in the world. Owing to the great distance from continents and, as a result of intense volcanic activity, unique flora and fauna as well as extraordinary landscapes have developed in this island country. The settlement of humans over the centuries has naturally also had an influence on the landscape. This film is an invitation to travel across the diverse landscapes of New Zealand.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
20. The Flood
The decision to move to Holland doesn't sound like a wise idea. Why move to a country that could be flooded at any moment? For the last 25 years, the political climate has shifted. The public debate on migration has become harsher, more heated, and polarized. What would have been considered right-wing xenophobia back then, is now considered mainstream. Populists simplify complex realities into good and evil, victims and perpetrators: ‘us’ versus ‘them’. Their rhetoric often consists of dehumanizing words and metaphors. One of these is ‘water’. In reality, water is not an immediate threat to the average Dutch person; but it is a huge threat to the thousands trying to reach the Netherlands. People trying to survive the Mediterranean Sea in rubber boats. Trying to survive winter on the Aegean coast in primitive tents. To them, water really is deadly.