Documentary
Varanasi is the Indian city where Hindus go to die. Stretching along the Ganges, Varanasi holds great spiritual significance because Hindu scriptutres say that anyone who dies there will attain moksha—liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Berlin-based director Dan Braga Ulvestad captures life and death in India’s heartland in this moving documentary filled with exquisite cinematic moments. By the River starts its narrative journey with the city’s “death hotels,” dedicated apartments where people wait to die, sometimes for decades, so they can be cremated on the banks of the Ganges.
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
The Satanic Verses Affair
Voodoo
6X-Day
Fredens port
The Immortal City
Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn
The Zone
Sound of the Soul
Countdown to Eternity
Rumi: The Wings of Love
The Circles of Remembrance
maɬni—towards the ocean, towards the shore
Adrienne
Luther: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer
Believer
Lighthouse
India: Spreading Hate
Playing Hide and Seek
Guru Nanak: The Founder of Sikhism - Life and Legacy
stop
SIMILAR MOVIES
The Satanic Verses Affair
IMDB 0 | Mar , 2009
Twenty years ago, novelist Salman Rushdie was a wanted man with a million pound bounty on his head. His novel, The Satanic Verses, had sparked riots across the Muslim world. The ailing religious leader of Iran, the Ayatollah Khomeini, had invoked a little-known religious opinion - a fatwa - and effectively sentenced Rushdie to death. This film looks back on the extraordinary events which followed the publication of the book and the ten year campaign to get the fatwa lifted. Interviews with Rushdie's friends and family and testimony from leaders of Britain's Muslim community and the Government reveal the inside story of the affair.Voodoo
IMDB 0 | Jan , 2005
The slave ships during the XVII and XVIII century transported millions of colored people from Africa to America carried within it the seed of a religious cult that would help the slaves in the Confederacy for their freedom. This is the story of the formation of African roots syncretic cults that worship spirits of two faces: black continent mystical entities hidden behind Catholic imagery.6X-Day
IMDB 0 | Jan , 2003
Exactly like an Hour of Slack X-Day radio show, except that you can see it. Shot mostly in DV by Rev. Ivan Stang, Dr. Philo Drummond, Rev. Steve Chekey & Princess Wei "R." Doe at Brushwood; edited mercilessly by Stang. Heavy use of identifying subtitles and nudity, with Rev. Susie the Floozy, Jesus and Magdalen, Rev. Nickie Deathchick, Sister Decadence, Rev. Carter LeBlanc, Rev. Ivan Stang, Rev. Alex, Rev. Pee Kitty, Dr. Philo Drummond, Dr. G. Gordon Gordon, Sifu and Legume's butts, Rabbi's chest, the Hell Bonfire, the Alien Ball, the horror of 7 a.m., Insane Clown Bat Pussy, teabagging, and Lonesome Cowboy Dave. THE AMINO ACIDS in concert plus musical tracks by Cozmodiar, Gary G'broagfran, The Great Groovy Neptune.Fredens port
IMDB 0 | Dec , 1996
In a culture where cremation is unusual, cemeteries fill up rapidly. In Latin America and in some other places, to solve the problem, remains are frequently exhumed. In Cuba, two year after interment. Relatives are invited to observe the little ritual. The music of the film is drawn from requiems from different periods. Twelve pieces by seven different composers are quoted. Together, they make up a traditional requiem, although only a few passages from the "dies irae" have been included, and other sections are slightly abbreviated.The Immortal City
IMDB 0 | Dec , 1954
From the legendary times of Romulus and Remus to the present day, the compelling story of the eternal city's twenty-five centuries of civilization traces the rise of Christianity over paganism through studies of Vatican art treasures.Tasmanian Devil: The Fast and Furious Life of Errol Flynn
IMDB 9 | Oct , 2007
The story of Tasmanian-born actor Errol Flynn whose short & flamboyant life, full of scandals, adventures, loves and excess was largely played out in front of the camera - either making movies or filling the newsreels and gossip magazines. Tragically he was dead from the effects of drugs and alcohol by the time he was only 50 & the myths live on. But there is another side of Flynn that is less well known - his ambitions to be a serious writer and newspaper correspondent, his documentary films and his interest in the Spanish Civil War and Castro's CubaThe Zone
IMDB 10 | Mar , 2025
In times of conflict, a companion can be the final thread linking one to human connection. In Call of Duty: Warzone, communication is fractured, making it even harder to truly know those you play with. Dialogue is just a series of terse exchanges of orders and instructions; everything revolves around the game, everything is subsumed by war. Forming a meaningful connection with an anonymous player seems nearly impossible. In The Zone, the protagonists confront this challenge, pushing beyond the fleeting interactions dictated by random matchmaking. They seek to reclaim their humanity, engaging with pressing themes — religion, terrorism, and representation — subtly embedded in the game’s mechanics and geography.Sound of the Soul
IMDB 0 | Oct , 2005
SOUND OF THE SOUL is a compelling portrait of an Arab country where Muslims, Christians, and Jews have lived together in relative peace for centuries. Beautifully photographed during the Fez Festival of World Sacred Music, the film presents unforgettable performances from groups from Morocco, Ireland, Russia, Afghanistan, Mauritania, the USA, Portugal and France, which carry viewers into what the film's Moroccan sufi guide calls "the hearing of the heart": the essential Oneness at the core of all religions and faiths.Countdown to Eternity
IMDB 10 | Jan , 1999
Bible expert Bill Gallatin explores biblical prophecies from the Book of Revelation that have transpired, with a discussion of whether these events signify that we are now living in the End Times preceding the return of Jesus Christ. Gallatin touches on events such as the increasingly acute difficulties in the Middle East, numerous environmental catastrophes, earthquakes and more, explaining how they connect to scriptural writings.Rumi: The Wings of Love
IMDB 0 | Jul , 2005
Creened in several international film festivals, as well as the Musée de L’Homme in Paris, this film takes viewers into a secret world rarely seen by outsiders. Nearly eight centuries after his death, Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi, Sufi master and mystical poet, is ever-present in the whirling ceremony of today’s Mevlevi dervishes. The Halveti zikr, Mevlevi semas, and the Gharib, or secret, sema-not seen for over 100 years-were filmed in Cairo, Istanbul, and the Garden of Rumi in Konya. This unique footage set to Mevlevi music is enhanced by interviews with Sheikh Abu Bakr Siraj ad-Din (Martin Lings), Islamic philosopher and author Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Sheikh Omer Tugrel Inancer, who reveals the hidden meaning of the reed flute.The Circles of Remembrance
IMDB 0 | Nov , 2008
The Circles of Remembrance is an 82 minute journey into what is usually a hidden world of Sufism. This documentary explores "zikr" ceremonies in Cairo, Istanbul, Morocco, and the U.S., along with interviews with some of the most prominent Sufi scholars and musicians, on the outer and secret meaning of the remembrance of God. Martin Lings, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Gai Eaton, Sheikh Ali Gomma, T.J. Winter,and Tosun Bayrak are among those interviewed.maɬni—towards the ocean, towards the shore
IMDB 5 | Jan , 2020
An experimental look at the origin of the death myth of the Chinookan people in the Pacific Northwest, following two people as they navigate their own relationships to the spirit world and a place in between life and death.Adrienne
IMDB 6.5 | Nov , 2021
As the muse of Hal Hartley’s indie classics and as writer/director of the critically acclaimed Waitress, Adrienne Shelly was a shining star in the indie film firmament. A devoted young mother, her life was right on track until her husband found her dead. Filmmaker Andy Ostroy has been fighting to discover the truth about his wife’s death ever since.Luther: The Life and Legacy of the German Reformer
IMDB 0 | Apr , 2017
Discover the story behind the man who sparked the Protestant Reformation. Told through a seamless combination of live-action storytelling and artistic animation, Martin Luther's daring life is presented in extensive detail while still making the film relevant, provocative, and accessible.Believer
IMDB 6.7 | Jan , 2017
Imagine Dragons’ Mormon frontman Dan Reynolds is taking on a new mission to explore how the church treats its LGBTQ members. With the rising suicide rate amongst teens in the state of Utah, his concern with the church’s policies sends him on an unexpected path for acceptance and change.Lighthouse
IMDB 10 | Apr , 2024
After the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004, widowed women struggled to receive aid due to their social status. Following the story of Mrs. Manjula along with many other women from Tamil Nadu, the challenges faced by millions of widows across the country are illuminated. From being ostracized to denied basic rights and economic opportunities, widows in India endure a cycle of discrimination and marginalization. “Kalangarai” meaning "lighthouse" in Tamil, is an organization dedicated to empowering women through initiatives such as self-help groups and educational programs. Throughout the film, "Lighthouse" illustrates the emotional journeys and resilience of these women, as well as the active change that Kalangarai strives to achieve. This documentary urges global awareness and support for widowed women’s rights, as the women’s struggles depict the intersectionality of gender, poverty, and social injustice.India: Spreading Hate
IMDB 7.8 | May , 2024
Since the rise to power of Hindu nationalists in 2014, India has been gradually moving away from democracy towards a regime where ethnic identity prevails. This transition is driven by Hindutva, a Hindu supremacist ideology embodied by Narendra Modi. For the past 10 years, Prime Minister Modi has relentlessly pursued his fascist policy based on Hindu supremacy. This ideology of hatred towards other religions in the country, particularly Islam, has also spread globally. Those who follow this belief want India to be only for Hindus, treating people of other religions, like Muslims or Sikhs as second-class citizens. Attacks against Christians have surged by 400% since Modi's election, accompanied by discriminatory laws targeting Muslims and widespread lynching incidents. Hindutva's influence permeates all levels of Indian society. This documentary thus unveils a darker side of India, far from its portrayal as the world's largest democracy and Gandhi's dream of peace among communities.Playing Hide and Seek
IMDB 7.2 | Mar , 2020
The documentary follows the story of two brothers who were sexually abused by the same priest of Polish Catholic Church.Guru Nanak: The Founder of Sikhism - Life and Legacy
IMDB 6.5 | Feb , 2020
Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was a 15th-century teacher, poet, and activist whose universal message of justice and equality for all, women’s empowerment, service to others, and devotion to nature and the environment was ahead of his time. However, his story is virtually unknown to much of the Western world. Filmed on location in India, Pakistan, and throughout the U.S., this documentary interweaves the story of Guru Nanak’s life with a look at how his spiritual legacy continues to influence prominent American Sikh men and women, including Mayor Ravi Bhalla of Hoboken, N.J., Grammy Award nominee Snatam Kaur, and others.stop
IMDB 0 | Jan , 2025
An ode to stillness, in the form of an experimental documentary miniature, inspired by Vitosha mountain and Sofia