Literature

An intimate and nuanced investigation into the life of one of the most influential and provocative thinkers of the 20th century. Endlessly curious, passionate and gracefully outspoken throughout her career, Susan Sontag became one of the most important literary, political…

Based on Amelie Nothomb's bestselling novel, Tokyo Fiancee is an entertaining romantic comedy that will appeal to fans of Jean-Pierre Jeunet's Amelie and Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation. The young, pixie-like Amelie is in love with all things Japanese, which…

A revealing journey into the heart of erotic comic strips, SEX IN THE COMIX examines the colorful history of a unique and risque art form. With New York comic artist and burlesque performer Molly Crabapple as our guide, this documentary…

Poet Emily Dickinson, pigeonholed as the strange recluse since her death, takes you on a journey through the seasons of her life amid 1800s New England. Narrated by Cynthia Nixon and featuring behind-the-scenes clips from the biopic A Quiet Passion…

This genre-defying film introduces the radical Chicano lawyer, author and counter-cultural icon, Oscar Zeta Acosta. Acosta was the basis for Dr. Gonzo in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," written by his friend, the Hunter S. Thompson. Channeling the psychedelic…

During the post-war boom period of the late '40s, Willy Loman is an aging, traveling salesman, who despairs that his life his been lived in vain. Facing dispensability and insignificance in a heated, youthful economy, Willy is not ready to…

This production is part of a famous series produced by BBC of all of William Shakespeare's plays. The resulting films, renowned for their loyalty to the text, utilized the best theatrical and television directors and brought highly praised performances from…

Made up of intimate, revelatory footage of the singular author and poet filmed over the course of five years, Howard Brookner's 1983 documentary about William S. Burroughs was for decades mainly the stuff of legend; that changed when Aaron Brookner,…

A fast-moving thriller about a struggle for democracy, William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is also a love story between two men united by an explosive act of political violence. Based on the Royal Shakespeare Company's acclaimed stage production, Gregory Doran's film…

This Academy Award nominated documentary is the first authorized film look at the life and work of the controversial Russian-born author Ayn Rand. The writer of such renowned novels as The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged is the subject of Michael…

Peter Elbow talks directly to students about the process of writing. Beginning with his own early difficulties with writing as a college student, Elbow provides insights into how one can work through writing problems. Full of detailed instruction and specific…

Comic Book Confidential is a feature-length documentary that profiles twenty-two of the most significant artists and writers working in comic books, graphic novels and strip-art in North America today. In an entertaining and informative combination of interviews, historical footage and…

Iago (Frank Finlay), an officer in the Venetian army and ensign to the Moorish general Othello (Laurence Olivier), bitterly resents the appointment of a younger soldier Cassio (Derek Jacobi) as Othello's lieutenant. He and his friend Roderigo (Robert Lang) maliciously…

Most notable for his vast poem, The Divine Comedy, Dante's work continues to resonate with audiences today. Filmmaker Malcolm Hossick uncovers the Italian poet's background and his influential work from the Renaissance period.

Shakespearean Drama of the Highest Quality Performed at an authentic recreation of The Globe. With performances by world famous award winning Shakespearean actors this series has recaptured the Elizabethan flavor of Shakespeare's own Globe productions by staging them just as…

Ernest Hemingway: Writer, war correspondent, international adventurer, lover, drinker, brawler. The tabloid reputation -- filled with truths, half-truths and flat-out untruths -- grows ever wider. If you made up a character like Ernest Hemingway, how many would believe it? The…

True-to-the life history of San Francisco's Beat Era--The Beach recreates its vibrant atmosphere with a mix of jazz, poetry, art and first-hand accounts from that spirited time in North Beach.

This production is part of a famous series produced by BBC of all of William Shakespeare's plays. The resulting films, renowned for their loyalty to the text, utilized the best theatrical and television directors and brought highly praised performances from…

First, learn what the essay is--and what it is not. See how the practice of writing essays has evolved over centuries yet has remained versatile, and examine the many uses of essays across the ages. Numerous essayists find starting out…

This production is part of a famous series produced by BBC of all of William Shakespeare's plays. The resulting films, renowned for their loyalty to the text, utilized the best theatrical and television directors and brought highly praised performances from…