Engrossing and eye-opening, KING CORN is a fun and crusading journey into the digestive tract of our fast food nation where one ultra-industrial, pesticide-laden, heavily-subsidized commodity dominates the food pyramid from top to bottom - corn. Fueled by curiosity and a dash of naivet‚, college buddies Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis return to their ancestral home of Greene, Iowa to figure out how a modest kernel conquered America. With the help of some real farmers, oodles of fertilizer and government aid, and some genetically modified seeds, the friends manage to grow one acre of corn. Along the way, they unlock the hilarious absurdities and scary but hidden truths about America's modern food system.
The most thoroughly handcrafted instruments in the world, Steinway pianos are as unique and full of personality as the world-class musicians who play them. However, in this age of mass production, their makers are a dying breed: skilled cabinet-makers, gifted tuners, thorough hand-crafters.
Note by Note follows the creation of a Steinway concert grand, #L1037, from forest floor to concert hall. Each piano s journey is complex, spanning 12 months, 12,000 parts, 450 craftsmen, and countless hours of fine-tuned labor. Filmed in key Steinway locations the factory, Steinway s reserved Bank, and the rooms of private auditions Note by Note is a loving celebration not just of craftsmanship, but of a dying breed of person who is deeply connected to working by hand. In the end, this is an ode to the most unexpected of unsung heroes. It reminds us how extraordinary the dialogue can be between an artist and an instrument crafted out of human hands but borne of the materials of nature.
Featuring famed pianists such as Harry Connick, Jr., and Lang Lang, NOTE BY NOTE follows the year-long, hand-crafted creation of a Steinway concert grand piano from forest floor to concert hall.
In the early 1960s, Herb & Dorothy Vogel a postal worker and librarian began purchasing the works of unknown Minimalist and Conceptual artists, guided by two rules: the piece had to be affordable, and it had to be small enough to fit in their one-bedroom Manhattan apartment. They proved themselves curatorial visionaries; most of those they supported and befriended went on to become world-renowned artists. HERB & DOROTHY provides a unique chronicle of the world of contemporary art from two unlikely collectors, whose shared passion and discipline defies stereotypes and redefines what it means to be a patron of the arts.
Wildly praised by the nation's top critics, the smash theatrical hit RIVERS AND TIDES is a mesmerizing, poetic and curiously contemplative portrait of revered Scottish sculptor Andy Goldsworthy, whose long-winding rock walls, icicle assemblages and other intricate, druidic masterpieces are made entirely of materials found in the wild. Gorgeously shot and edited by director Thomas Riedelsheimer, RIVERS AND TIDES is an intoxicating study of the fragile relationship between man, art and nature.
Get ready for the road trip of a lifetime <br />From the seaside cliffs of Mallorca to the bustling tapas bars and majestic museums of Barcelona, this is the ultimate road trip across Spain. Academy Award®-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow, celebrity chef Mario Batali, celebrated author Mark Bittman (How to Cook Everything), and Spanish actress Claudia Bassols embark on a ten-week tour of a country at the forefront of the culinary and cultural worlds. Each episode finds the four in a new locale, from learning how Cava is made in Catalunya to meeting the famed pigs of Salamanca, as they steadily reveal the undiscovered delights of a country brimming with gastronomic and aesthetic treasures. <br />DVD Features: Deleted Scenes; Filmmaker Audio Commentary; Behind the Scenes <br />Stills from Spain…on the Road Again (Click for larger image)
<br /><p><span class="h1"><strong>Q&A with Mario Batali
• How did the show come about?<strong><br /> Charlie and I have been talking about doing something together for a while and we both love spain intensely. Gwyneth came in as we were closing in on production skeds and it just worked out perfectly. <br />• How is this more than a cooking show? <br /> It is more about travel and the fun we had along the way than any traditional dump and stir. Some shows we do not even cook, although we always eat.
• What did you enjoy most about this project?
Hanging in Spain with the cooks and winemakers as well as Gwyneth, who is a great eater and lover of culture. The day to day making of tv was simple and relaxed and every night we had a nice dinner and stayed in nice places. It was kind of like a little vacation that happened to be made into a tv show. <br />• How does Spanish cooking differ from Italian?
Your heritage is Italian but you have spent time in Spain. Do you try to incorporate both styles for certain recipes? Both styles of food love olive oil and seasonal produce. Spain has its rice dishes and Italy has pasta. We use all of the Spanish influence at Casa Mono and the rest of my joints are Italian. <br />• What were some of the differences between each region?
It is all based on the intensity of the sun, as it is in the rest of the world. In the south there are sweeter fruits and more intensely flavored dishes, often fried.... in the north things are cooked longer and slower and the flavors are often more complex but also muted.
• For Americans who consider themselves familiar with Spanish cuisine, what would surprise them about food in Spain? <br /> The incredible regional variation is always a surprise for Americans travelling anywhere who had previously considered a national cuisine to exist.
• What surprised you about food in Spain? <br /> I think the shellfish and killer wine of Galicia was the most surprising. I simply had not experienced that corner as much as the rest of the Iberian Peninsula. <strong><strong><br />• If someone goes to Spain, is there one “must try” food? <br /> JAMON, CROQUETAS AND FIDEOS
• Do you have any future shows planned for different countries?
We are working on an Italian show idea and a South American one, too. <br />• In the show, Gwyneth Paltrow mentioned the possibilities of writing a cookbook. Do you have any plans of future projects with her? <br /> She is in the middle of her first cookbook right now and we are always planning something together - probably the Italy show is our next collaboration that the public will hear about.
• What are you doing now?
I am working on the Mario Batali Foundation which is intended to raise awareness of and money for children’s hunger relief, literacy and children’s disease research to help guarantee that each child is well fed, well read and well cared for. Children are the future and need the opportunity to thrive so that they are prepared for the challenges we are developing for them thru our mistakes now.
<span class="h1">Map of Spain…on the Road Again<br />(courtesy of Quentin Bacon)
<strong><strong><br /><br /><span class="h1">Exclusive Recipe from Spain…on the Road Again (courtesy of www.spainontheroadagain.com)<br />Gypsy Potage (Serves 6) <br /><ul><strong><strong><li><strong><strong> Two 14-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley <strong><strong><li><strong><strong>1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds <strong><strong><li><strong><strong> 1 1/2 pounds skin-on, boneless bacalao (salt cod), soaked in water for 3 days (change the water twice a day)
5 cups water
Put the chickpeas into a large heavy pot, add 2 cups cold water, and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and cook until they are just beginning to color. Add 1 garlic clove to the chickpeas, and reserve the other. Add the onions to the skillet and cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato puree and pimentón and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomato puree is slightly reduced. Add the onion mixture to the chickpeas (add a bit of the chickpea liquid to the skillet to help get all the onion and tomato mixture—don't waste a bit!), then add the saffron. Add the spinach, stirring until it wilts. Using a mortar and pestle, mash the reserved garlic clove, the parsley, and cumin to a paste. Add the paste to the soup, along with the bacalao, breaking it into large pieces. Add the remaining 3 cups water, bring to a rolling boil and cook for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and add it if necessary, then turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for about 10 minutes before serving.
Filmmaker Kate Churchill is determined to prove that yoga can transform anyone. Nick Rosen is skeptical but agrees to be her guinea pig. Kate immerses Nick in the practice and follows him around the world as he examines the good, the bad and the ugly of yoga. The two encounter celebrity yogis, true believers, kooks and world-renowned gurus. Tensions run high as Nick s transformational progress lags and Kate s plan crumbles. Ultimately, what they find is not what they are looking for.<br />FEATURING: B.K.S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, Norman Allen, Sharon Gannon, David Life, Gurmukh, Dharma Mitra, Cyndi Lee, Alan Finger, Rodney Yee, Beryl Bender Birch, Shyamdas, Diamond Dallas Page and many more!
DVD Features: Audio Commentary with Director Kate Churchill; Deleted Scenes; Extended Interviews with Yoga Luminaries; Photo Gallery <br /><span class="h1"><strong>Q&A with Enlighten Up! director Kate Churchill and New York journalist Nick Rosen<br /> How did the two of you come in contact with one another? Kate, where did you locate subjects for the film?<br /><br /><strong>Kate Churchill: Nick and I met each other at a think tank conference. We were seated on the same panel and afterwards starting chatting about the work we were each doing. Nick was working as a journalist at the time and interested in documentary films so he sent me some of his articles to read for a possible future project. About 4 months later when the producers and I were debating how to tell this story, he became a potential subject for the film. I liked that he was a journalist, had a good sense of humor and that he was skeptical.
Nick Rosen: Yeah, it was funny because it was a conference panel I was totally unprepared for and I didn't even know I was on, and I totally faked and joked my way through it, trying to make people laugh to mask my total and utter cluelessness. And then Kate fell for it! I often wonder if I had prepared for that panel, and nobody much noticed me, whether Kate would have ever introduced herself, and later pick me for the movie. Lesson for the kids: always be unprepared. <br /> Did the making of this documentary help you to come to terms with some of the "contradictions of yoga" that you wished to explore?
<strong>Kate Churchill: When I started making Enlighten Up! I was determined to find one teacher, or one practice that would have all of the "right answers" and help me overcome what I saw as the contradictions of yoga. Through the course of making the film, and especially during the three years editing Enlighten Up! I learned that there isn’t one teacher or a single practice that will have all the answers, and therefore everyone is going to have their own take on yoga based on what makes sense to them. <strong><br />Were there any moments that were not captured on camera that you wished had been? Conversely, were there any moments that you did not want to relive when you saw the finished product? <br />Nick Rosen: I think Kate did a really good job of covering all the big important moments. But there were stretches of time that I was practicing yoga without the camera. There was one time when the whole yoga class was sitting cross legged in a circle listening to the teacher give some weighty lecture on Hinduism, and—oops—I farted. The whole class heard it and the teacher thought it was someone speaking up and said, "What was that, does anyone have a question?" That would have been a pretty funny scene in the movie.
Balanced gracefully on a ladder, deftly carving with his electric hedge trimmer, Pearl Fryar has the elegance and strength of a dancer. He is, by contrast, a topiary sculptor, an artist whose medium is discarded or junk plant life and whose canvas is his magical and fantastical garden. A MAN NAMED PEARL chronicles the story of Pearl's dazzling garden as well as his extraordinary life, both of which serve as inspirations to his family, his community, and the thousands of visitors who come to experience Pearl's world each year. The film traces Pearl's journey from a small town sharecropper's son to an internationally-acclaimed artist, focusing in particular on his position as the celebrated cultural and spiritual icon of his impoverished town. Now 68, the soft-spoken Pearl has just one wish for all those who wander through his living art; they must leave feeling differently than when they arrived.<br /><br />Stirring and profoundly uplifting, A MAN NAMED PEARL offers a captivating window into the life a man who turned obstacles into breathtakingly beautiful possibilities. <br />DVD Features: Bonus CD with the Original Film Score by Composer Fred Story; Pearl Fryar & Co-director Scott Galloway Update; Composer Interview; Filmmaker Bios
Q&A with Pearl Fryar
What was your first thought when you were approached about making the film? <br />I didn't really want to do it - I wasn't sure my story was long enough or interesting enough to make a whole movie about me, that they couldn't get enough material to make it - they had to come ask me twice to do this and then I wasn't sure they could raise the money to film it - but it all worked out and I am happy they did it. I'm happy that other people wanted to hear my story and see my garden. <p><strong>How has the film changed your life and your garden?
I've had more visitors to the garden than I ever expected - some days I don't even make it into the house for meals because so many people are stopping by - the film has given the garden national attention - I've had visitors from all 50 states and many from Europe. The exposure from the film has been unbelievable - you know I've never advertised the garden, never put up signs, but people keep coming. The movie came along at the right time - the attention and publicity has changed my community - it has brought people together and my neighbors are proud of what we've done here in Bishopville. It just goes to show you that when things are done in a positive way, they can have a positive effect on others. <br />The other thing the film has done for the garden is the idea of trying to save it - I'm going to be 70 years old and I was beginning to think I couldn't keep it all up - it's not an easy garden to maintain - my Friends group and the Garden Conservancy have helped me to get help in the garden - and a cherry picker too - so now I can spend more time talking to visitors about the reasons I created the garden in the first place - to inspire others to find their creativity and to work hard at it - to make a difference.
What do you spend most of your time doing in the garden this time of year? Is it a busy time for visitors?
Like I said, I'm doing more tours and talking these days than I am trimming and pruning! I bet there's been a 90% increase in visitors as a result of the film being in the theatres those 5 months and now on DVD and television. The Waffle House has been busier than ever too - and so have other businesses in the area. The film has been good for Bishopville.<p><strong>Do a lot of people come to you with gardening advice?
People ask me how I did certain things - like my exposed trunks and the fishbone technique. I can't really give advice because I broke all the rules - I didn't know what the rules were when I first got started, but I've always been creative and I can work with my hands - I'm pretty good at figuring things out - like my fountains and my junk art - I just have an idea and I work at it - it takes a lot of patience too - I guess that would be my advice to people who see the film and visit the garden - be patient and work at something until you figure it out - you don't have to do things by the book - but you do have to believe in your own abilities - and you need help from your friends.
What's your advice to someone with no experience in gardening who wants to give it a try?
Do it for yourself, not for your neighbors - garden for yourself. A garden should represent you - your personality and should be different from others. Even if you can afford to have someone create and take care of your garden, save a corner just for you - for what you want to do, to express yourself and your feelings - even if it is junk art. My advice is to create a garden with a feeling - with a purpose - that when someone visits your garden they walk away with a feeling - they may admire what you've done, but they can't walk away and copy it - no one can do exactly what you can do.
<em>Autism: The Musical follows the extraordinary and innovative acting coach Elaine Hall, five autistic children, and their parents as they improbably, heroically mount a full-length original stage production. Through trial and error, tears and laughter, these incredible families learn to communicate their feelings in song and performance, finding solace and joy in the act of creating.
A veritable feast of astounding breakthroughs and heartbreaking hardship, this spellbinding film offers a full-throated celebration of kids living with this increasingly prevalent disorder. Director Tricia Regan vividly captures the individual personalities and problems of each child, from precocious Henry who talks a mile-a-minute about dinosaurs to Neal, a sensitive and articulate boy who nonetheless struggles to speak at all. The parents, too, are fascinating studies in unconditional love, especially Elaine, the mastermind behind the musical and mother of Neal.<br /> A consciousness-raising and empathetic portrait of children and their families living with autism, <em>Autism: The Musical celebrates the spark of humanity in each of us. Called 'Moving, dramatic, therapeutic and unburdened by reliance on talking heads'; (Variety), this film will change the way you look at autism. <br /> <span class="h1">Stills from Autism: The Musical (Click for larger image)
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<br /><p><span class="h1"><strong>Q&A with Mario Batali
