Magic Skies: A History of the Art of Fireworks

In the beginning, there was the dream of a better and fairer society. For millions of people; however, the Soviet dream became a nightmare. After all these years since its collapse, what still remains of the Soviet Union? How can one approach the complex history of the mighty Soviet empire today? Henrike Sandner (*1971 in Dresden) answers these questions in a very personal film. Her film episodically follows the history of the Soviet Union and the Soviet myths of greatness, heroes, new people and a new Soviet culture, based on her own story. The film lasts 52 minutes and spans the years 1917 to 1991 - a story of contrasts that juxtaposes different perspectives and realities. Private archive footage and photos contrast with "official" news, Soviet film material or DEFA film classics. A "short" and personal history of the Soviet Union.

An unparalleled portrait of Arthur Miller (1915-2005), a major writer who left an indelible mark on the world. Miller's life is intimately connected with the great themes that marked the 20th century. Glamour, fame, social criticism and Marilyn Monroe.

From his juvenile, tormented, heroic roles, which made him a global phenomenon, to his darker mature roles, a portrait of American actor Leonardo DiCaprio, a consummate performer and probably the most successful film star of his generation.

Snoop Dogg is an icon. A gangster rapper who can be dangerous one moment and endearing the next. The documentary reveals him to be an American phenomenon through and through. Three decades of Snoop Dogg, filled with music, violence, movies, drugs, advertising, prostitution, and social activism. Snoop Dogg resolves all contradictions—casually and with a wink. Yet he remains the authentic, big kid from the troubled neighborhood who always just wanted to save himself. He turns this life journey into his own art form: Snoop Dogg – The Doggfather.

This documentary drama series tells the story of the Thirty Years War from the perspective of the people who experienced it: like the soldier Peter Hagendorf, the "Winter Queen" Elisabeth Stuart, the famous artist Peter Paul Rubens and the "Grey Eminence" Father Joseph. This visual memory of the 17th century forms the 'archive footage' in the series. Combined with vivid drama and contributions from international experts, the series builds a bridge between "now" and "then" enabling viewers to experience what it was like to live through the Thirty Years' War.

1913 is the last peaceful year before the First World War. However, the artists already suspect the dark times in their works: authors write desperate texts, painters destroy perspectives. Igor Stravinsky's 'Le Sacre du Printemps' is the aggressive soundtrack of the cultural revolution.

He calls them his demons—these fears and neuroses that keep him awake at night in his house on the island of Fårö. Ingmar Bergman is under observation. Swedish theater and film director Ingmar Bergman had a decisive influence on cinema. By the end of his life, he had made over 40 films and directed countless theater productions. He would have turned 100 in 2018. To mark this occasion, Henrike Sandner’s documentary “Ingmar Bergman – Master of Demons” features interviews with the filmmaker’s closest colleagues and friends, including actress Liv Ullmann.

2024 is likely to be a decisive year for Sahra Wagenknecht's political future. In the arena of power, she might assume a role that she is already very familiar with. In the early years following the fall of the Berlin Wall, Sahra Wagenknecht became the "most famous face" of the PDS, the successor party to the SED. Yet, even as the youngest member of the party's executive board, she was considered a "disruptive factor." She is unyielding and swims against the tide. Sahra Wagenknecht does not distance herself from Stalinism, nor from the Berlin Wall, and wishes for a reformed GDR.

The opening of the Berlin Wall on the evening of November 9, 1989 came as a complete surprise to East and West Germans as it probably did to the whole world. How has this historic moment come about?