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From Russia with Lev

   2024    Culture
Lev Parnas' rise from a small-time hustler to a key figure in one of the biggest political scandals of recent years is nothing short of astonishing. This documentary unravels how a non-political businessman became entangled in Donald Trump’s inner circle, working alongside Rudy Giuliani to dig up dirt on Joe Biden and his son, Hunter. Through Lev's own words, and insights from his wife Svetlana, we witness his journey from being a pawn in Trump’s orbit to the courtroom where he faced his 2021 conviction.
The film delves into Lev's realization of being manipulated for political gain, as well as the personal and legal consequences that followed. With a unique insider perspective, the documentary paints a gripping portrait of Lev's involvement in the Trump-Ukraine scandal, shedding light on the complexities of power, loyalty, and the destructive reach of political ambition.

God Forbid

   2022    History
In this revealing documentary, Giancarlo Granda, former pool attendant at the Fontainebleau Hotel, shares the intimate details of his 7-year relationship with a charming older woman, Becki Falwell, and her husband, the Evangelical Trump stalwart Jerry Falwell Jr. Directed by Billy Corben, the film outlines Granda's entanglement with the Falwell's seemingly perfect lives and the overarching influence this affair had on a presidential election.
The life of Jerry Falwell — the late Moral Majority televangelist who for decades helped catalyze the rightward shift of American evangelicals before his death in 2007 — is a quintessentially American story. But it’s in the next generation that the Falwell narrative becomes at once soap opera and morality tale. The film covers the graceless fall of Jerry Falwell Jr., who after the death of his father was placed in the presidency of the family’s conservative organ Liberty University. There, he seemed to remain painfully in thrall to his appetites. We hear testimony about his alleged tendency to drink on the job and discomfiting, slurry interviews between him and sympathetic media — but most crucially, we receive the testimony of Giancarlo Granda.
Granda was a pool attendant at a Miami hotel when he met Falwell and his wife, Becki, in 2012. Today, he alleges that he was persuaded to have sex with Becki while Falwell watched, and that the pair engaged in an ongoing campaign of communication with him that could be described as coercive. His energies were consumed with managing their tempers and occasionally threatening behavior, and he blames the swirl of scandal around them for derailing his professional future. Plainspoken and only occasionally visibly emotional, Granda is his own best advocate as he describes a couple who, he says, craved his body and were willing to discard the rest of him.

Revolution of Sound: Tangerine Dream

   2017    Art
Edgar Froese, band leader of Tangerine Dream and pioneer of electronic music, is on a lifelong mission to find the ultimate sound. His constant quest takes him and his fellow band members to worldwide success, all the way to the Hollywood studios in Los Angeles. At his death in January 2015, Edgar Froese leaves a legacy of 48 years of music history.
The film shows previously unreleased footage shot by the band leader himself: For the first time, we see the band backstage, on tour in Europe and the US, at photoshoots with Jim Rakete or on holiday at the seaside. Records and interviews with his wife Bianca Froese-Acquaye, with band members, close associates and fellow artists map the unique history of Tangerine Dream: a tribute to the musician Edgar Froese and the era of electronic music.

Kennedy Sinatra and the Mafia

   2023    History
This featured documentary delves into the tangled web of politics, show business, and organized crime in post-World War II America. It traces the unlikely connections between President John F. Kennedy, iconic singer Frank Sinatra, and notorious mobsters, revealing a saga of mutual assistance amidst corruption and betrayal. The film highlights the complex interplay of fame, money, and power, illustrating how these forces helped these figures rise to prominence in a chaotic and corrupt American landscape, ultimately leading to personal and political tragedies.
The documentary paints a vivid picture of Kennedy and Sinatra's ascent, influenced by their ties with the mafia. Kennedy, groomed for power from birth, and Sinatra, rising from humble beginnings, both relied on mafia connections for their successes. As Kennedy's political career and Sinatra's entertainment stature grew, so did their dependence on the underworld. The film culminates in the portrayal of Sinatra's deep involvement in Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign and the subsequent betrayal of the mafia by the Kennedy administration, suggesting that this complex network of relationships may have played a role in Kennedy's assassination. This provocative tale is a stark reminder of the dark intersection of fame, power, and crime.

III South America

   2019    Nature
The third episode of the series takes viewers on an enthralling journey through the diverse ecosystems of the most species-rich continent on earth. It highlights the resilience and challenges faced by the unique wildlife, from the Atacama Desert to the Amazon Rainforest. The documentary showcases the remarkable interactions between creatures like black spider monkeys, parrots, and Capuchin monkeys, emphasizing the delicate balance between human needs and the preservation of South America's biodiversity. The film also captures the rare and thrilling moments of puma hunting, providing an intimate look at the struggles of a mother puma named Sarmiento.
South America's extraordinary landscapes, wildlife, and their coexistence with humans are beautifully depicted in this documentary.
Series: Seven Worlds One Planet

Solar System Special

   2023    Science
New discoveries have rewritten the history of our solar system, revealing a complex and violent story that begins with the birth of our Sun from the debris of a massive galactic collision, to its eventual fate as a lone zombie star.
It is a dramatic history of elegant beauty and extreme violence. The inner solar system was like a congested highway. Planets crossing lanes, frequent collisions. There were a lot of planets that could have made it but didn't, and we just happen to be one of the lucky ones that did. The players in our solar system's story are more tangled up than we ever imagined. Without all of these things interplaying, the Earth wouldn't have the stable environment that we have today, and life wouldn't be able to exist.
Series: How the Universe Works Season 11