Video: The Tables
A look at the powerful connection between a pair of outdoor ping pong tables in the heart of New York City and the unlikely group of people they’ve brought together, from homeless people to investment bankers to gangbangers.
Video: Patti Smith sings “The Tyger” by William Blake
Through song and story, Patti Smith gives us new insight into the transcendent genius of William Blake.
Jose Padua: Notes on the Crepuscular Effects of the Music of Thelonious Monk on the Noise of White Supremacy
the little glimmers
of late autumn light
are more than
enough to take you
where you need
to go
Video: Leonard Cohen — Happens to the Heart
“Happens To The Heart” is the first official single from the folk legend’s last original and unreleased album, Thanks For The Dance, which has been reimagined for film by award-winning director Daniel Askill.
Video: 12 Zloty
Yael and Nofar were inspired by the eclectic and colorful look of a Polish deli they stumbled upon in Scotland. Wanting to create a story within this setting, they came up with 12 Zloty – a love story about a daydreaming butcher and his favorite customer.
Video: Toute la mémoire du monde (All the Memory in the World)
A bibliophile’s paradise: the National Library of France in a classic documentary from 1956.
Video: Entre Ciel Et Terre (Between the Earth and the Sky)
There are only a few regions in the world where the skies meet the Earth with almost no distinction between the two. La Palma in the Canary islands is one of them.
Abby Zimet: People Have The Power
For a break from the madness and slime, here’s ever-cool Patti Smith joining the fabulous Choir! Choir! Choir! who transform crowds of strangers into a joyful, impromptu, powerful community in the name of “leveraging music as a global language.”
Will Kaufman: Woody Guthrie, ‘Old Man Trump’ and a real estate empire’s racist foundations
In 1950, Woody Guthrie moved to an apartment building in Brooklyn. His landlord: Fred Trump, father of Donald. And yes, Woody wrote a song about it.
Video: Daybreak Express
D A Pennebaker, who died recently, transformed documentary filmmaking. This is his first film. [running time: 5 minutes]
Video: The HU
The HU is a band from Mongolia that blends heavy metal and traditional Mongolian throat singing. Some of the band’s lyrics include old Mongolian war cries and poetry.
John Samuel Tieman: Variations
I heard the history
of the Huberman Stradivarius
how it was stolen and painted
with shoe polish to hide it
Video: The Mauritania Railway — Backbone of the Sahara
The Mauritania Railway: Backbone of the Sahara follows the journey of Malick, a 27 year-old merchant who relies on the train for his livelihood, even as he risks death each time he climbs aboard. Despite the danger, the train is a lifeline for Malick and the families that live along the railway’s path.
Video: Nora Brown plays two old-time banjo tunes
In a mesmerizing set, musician Nora Brown breathes new life into two old-time banjo tunes: “East Virginia” and “John Brown’s Dream.” An evocative performance paired with a quick history of the banjo’s evolution.
