Akeji, the Breath of the Mountain

A tiny hermitage nestled deep in the forest is home to renowned painter Akeji and his wife, Asako. Between tea ceremonies, encounters with wild animals, and spiritual practice, the elderly couple seems to be one with the awe-inspiring nature that surrounds them. Packed with stunning cinematography, this sensitive film opens a window unto a new state of consciousness.

Birds of America

A collection of illustrations by birdwatcher John-James Audubon, is an invaluable asset of American culture. This ecological, historical, mystical ride along the Mississippi River takes us back to those birds, exposing the drastic changes in the vast American wilderness.

Blue Box

The Jewish National Fund's Blue Boxes were part of a successful fundraising campaign to support the purchase of land in Palestine. Joseph Weits, the filmmaker's grandfather, was the man who orchestrated the acquisition and expropriation of Palestinian lands. Weits's private diaries reveal an uncomfortable truth.

Gunda

Gunda and her little ones have a complex and heartwarming emotional life. Director Victor Kossakovsky (Aquarela) follows Gunda the sow and her newborn piglets as they explore the world. Filmed without commentary in stunning black and white, the piglets display the qualities of real stars.

Her Name Was Europa

The last wild aurochs died in the 17th century, yet these near-mythical beasts continue to entice zoologists, geneticists, cattle farmers, and artists, some of whom try to bring them back to life. A film packed with humor and social criticism, neither of which diminishes its scientific or historical depth.

Life of Ivanna

Ivanna was born in the Arctic tundra. She dreamed of becoming a dancer but got pregnant at 15 and now raises five children in a trailer on an ice flat. The film follows her through four years of impressive personal growth as she finds independence.

Not Just Roads

New highways being constructed in India are dramatically changing the locals’ lives: poor villagers and nomadic populations give way to an emerging middle class, while agriculture is replaced with dreams of profiting from real estate. The camera moves between them all, showing the events from unexpected angles.

Silence of the Tides

The powerful landscape of northern Europe's Wadden Sea is ever-changing: darkness and light, high tide and low, storms and stillness—and amid all that: tens of thousands of birds, fish, and mammals, including humans, all come and go, repeating fragile cycles. This breathtaking nature is the backdrop for everyday dramas.

Storkman

27 years ago, when Stjepan rescued a wounded stork who could not fly south with her flock, he had not imagined that he would be sharing his life with her and male stork partner—who faithfully returns every year—and with dozens of baby storks. A heartwarmingly beautiful story about one man and two lovebirds.

Taming the Garden

A capricious billionaire demands to uproot giant century-old trees and transplant them to his mansion's garden. The complex engineering feat is about to change the Georgian landscape and the lives of its villagers. This human ecological drama tells the story with uniquely stunning cinematography.

The Truffle Hunters

Deep in the forests of Italy's north-western Piedmont region, a group of eccentrics follows keen-nosed dogs in search of treasure: rare and expensive truffles. A humorous film about refined tastes, culinary traditions, and true indulgence.

Walk the Tideline

When the tide recedes, passionate beachcombers in the UK, the Netherlands, and Japan, go treasure hunting. They find colorful and enticing objects, mysterious messages from other times and other places. These objects are a fraction of the mountains of plastic we cast into the ocean. For some, they are enchanting.