Your search by 'History' identified 36 films

14 Blades
Hong Kong, 2010, 114 min.
During the Ming Dynasty, the Emperor of China possessed one weapon greater than all others, the Jinyiwei, an elite force of assassins. When evil eunuch Jia takes over the Imperial Court, Qinglong, the best of the Jinyiwei, must rally loyalists to restore the Emperor to power in this martial arts act... more

All That I Love
Poland, 2009, 95 min.
In this warm and energetic film, four small town teenagers form a punk rock band. Their transition from boys to men takes place during the 1981 political turmoil and rise of the Solidarity movement. The emergence of censorship and repression forces them to face the ruthless reality of the communist ... more

Apart Together
China, 2010, 95 min.
After nearly 60 years, a former Nationalist soldier returns to Shanghai and the woman (now with an extended family and a common-law husband) he was forced to abandon. A subtle, beautifully written work that contrasts traditional ways with the modernity of contemporary Shanghai. Winner, Best Screenpl... more

Black Field
Greece, 2010, 104 min.
This gorgeous, delicately crafted period piece chronicles a forbidden love story, set in 1654, when Greece was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. When a wounded Janissary and novice nun take refuge in a forest, some surprises are in store.... more

The Border
Slovakia, 2009, 72 min.
On August 30, 1946, the Soviet army divided the eastern European village of Slemence into two parts. One part remained in Slovakia while the other part became Ukrainian property. This fascinating documentary shows how political decisions made on paper can have disastrous consequences on the ground. ... more

Cirkus Columbia
Bosnia-Herzegovina, 2010, 113 min.
Oscar-winner Tanovic here revisits the milieu of his first film, No Man's Land, using the absurdist tale of a man returning to his native Herzegovinian village in 1991 to illustrate the beginnings of the bloody internecine strife in Bosnia. Winner, Audience Award, Sarajevo Film Festival.... more

An Earthy Paradise for the Eyes
Czech Republic, 2010, 114 min.
This wry comedy chronicles the adventures of a Czech mother and her two daughters in the wake of the 1968 Russian invasion. It captures the euphoria of the liberalized Prague Spring that Soviet tanks were dispatched to repress as well as the solidarity in absurdity that persisted in the dark days fo... more

The Edge
Russia, 2010, 119 min.
The arrival of a decorated war hero takes a Siberian gulag by storm in this spectacular thriller. After assuming control of the camp’s steam engine, he investigates rumors of an abandoned engine on a nearby island and discovers a rusted beauty and a feral German girl with a railway obsession. ... more

Even the Rain
Spain, 2010, 104 min.
An idealistic young director has to move production of his period piece to Bolivia so as to save on labor costs. There he encounters a population in civic upheaval. This powerful and layered film lays bare the hypocrisies of a post-colonial world where injustices to the dispossessed continue uncheck... more

Farewell
Netherlands, 2009, 90 min.
A tender love story compiled from breathtaking footage of the 1929 Graf Zeppelin trip around the world, and the diaries of the only female reporter on board. Her reports are front-page news, but her private diaries reveal her futile struggle with feelings for a past lover who is now shipmate, superv... more

The First Grader
United Kingdom, 2010, 98 min.
Eighty-four-year-old Kimani, a former Mau Mau freedom fighter, takes advantage of a new Kenyan law and goes to school…. Justin Chadwick’s emotionally uplifting drama cuts between Kimani’s education and flashbacks to his harsh treatment at the hands of the British. Winner, Audience Award, Tribeca Doh... more

Garbo: The Spy
Spain, 2009, 89 min.
A fascinating account of an extraordinary Spanish double agent who helped change the course of history during WWII. The peak of “Garbo”’s career came in 1944, when he succeeded in diverting German defense forces to Calais while the Allied landings were taking place in Normandy. After this, he retire... more

Goethe
Germany, 2010, 102 min.
A lovingly made biography of the early years of Germany’s literary genius, when his romantic travails served as inspiration for his classic writings. A fine lead performance, sparkling cinematography, and gorgeous costumes and sets make this an engaging story of star-crossed love.... more

Habermann
Germany, 2010, 100 min.
A gripping story of a Sudetenland village transformed through extraordinary events, vividly illustrating the ways in which the best and worst of human nature emerge in the face of war and its aftermath.... more

Henry of Navarre
Germany, 2010, 153 min.
Protestants and Catholics at war in 16th-century France serve as the backdrop for this rousing epic—replete with bloody battles, bawdy sex, and delicious royal-court duplicity—tracing the rise of the protestant Henry, who went on to become the country’s beloved King Henry IV. ... more

How to Live Forever
USA, 2009, 94 min.
Director Mark Wexler embarks on a worldwide exploration of what it means to grow old or even live forever. Could a chain-smoking, beer-drinking centenarian marathoner have the answers? An elder porn star? Wexler also includes the insights of health, fitness and life-extension experts in this engagin... more

Kawasaki’s Rose
Czech Republic, 2010, 100 min.
From the director of Divided We Fall, another masterfully balanced comedic drama about the hard choices faced by Czech citizens during a time of historic duress. When a respected university professor, known for his youthful anti-communist stance is selected for a prestigious award, his past comes in... more

Little Rose
Poland, 2010, 118 min.
Inspired by real events in mid-1960s Poland, this film à clef is a riveting exposé of how government agents infiltrated and informed on groups of writers and artists. Becoming progressively more gripping, it’s ultimately about the price one is willing to pay for love.... more

Lope
Brazil, 2010, 106 min.
Lope de Vega was a bright star in the literary field of Baroque Spain. In this entertaining and romantic look at his early struggles to establish himself, we encounter a Lope ruled by his passions, and mired in intrigue.... more

Love, Lust & Lies
Australia, 2009, 87 min.
The latest entry in a series that began in 1976 examining the lives of three working-class Adelaide women who were 14 when it began. Armstrong’s (My Brilliant Career) nonjudgmental style coupled with the subjects’ innately fascinating lives make for a marvelous film.... more

Lula, The Son of Brazil
Brazil, 2009, 128 min.
Based on the novel of the same name written by Denise Parana, this portrait of Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva's early years, chronicles his family's immigration from Northeast Brazil to Sao Paulo, his years as a shoe-shine boy and his brother's arrest which drove him into trade union activism.... more

The Man Who Will Come
Italy, 2009, 117 min.
The Marzabotto massacre of 1944 marks one of the darkest moments of Italian history. Through the eyes of a little child and her rural family, World War II takes on a new perspective, and the tale of the infamous event is permeated with hope, despite much brutal suffering.... more

Mozart’s Sister
France, 2010, 115 min.
A treat for classical music lovers and cinephiles alike, this lively, fascinating costume drama rescues Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s talented older sister Nannerl from the dustbins of history. Beginning in 1763, it follows the Mozart family’s exhausting life on the road, traveling by coach from one roy... more

My Life with Carlos
Chile, 2010, 82 min.
The director was only a year old when his father was brutally killed under the Pinochet regime. In this arresting documentary he revisits the legacy of the man he never knew and the regime that devastated the country.... more

My So-Called Enemy
USA, 2010, 89 min.
When six Palestinian and Israeli teenagers travel to the United States to participate in a women's leadership program called Building Bridges for Peace, they find the experience complicates the next seven years of their lives. An ideal companion piece to Precious Life. Winner, Best Conflict and Reso... more

Noy
Philippines, 2010, 104 min.
Forced to find a job to support his family, Noy (Coco Martin) fakes his credentials and is commissioned to make a documentary on the 2010 electoral campaign of his namesake, Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III--the top contender for the presidential elections.... more

Of Gods and Men
France, 2010, 120 min.
Rising fundamentalist violence in Algeria forces a band of French monks to decide whether to flee or remain at the monastery where they have been for many years. A compassionate plea for understanding between cultures in a violent world. Winner, Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival.... more

Of Love and Other Demons
Costa Rica, 2009, 97 min.
Masterful cinematography and a powerful script draw us into this tale of passion between a young noblewoman and a passionate priest bound by the confines of social mores and the smothering restraints of the Spanish inquisition. Based on Gabriel García Márquez’s novel.... more

Paper Birds
Spain, 2010, 115 min.
This touching tale of the bonds of friendship amongst the members of a traveling entertainment troupe in a post-civil war Spain celebrates the lost art of vaudeville and features superb performances from Spanish acting royalty: Imanol Arias, Lluis Homar and Carmen Machi. Winner, Audience Award, Mont... more

The Poll Diaries
Germany, 2010, 134 min.
On the eve of World War I, a 14-year-old German girl returns to her home on the Baltic coast, a place uneasily shared by Germans, Russians and Estonians. While her morbid scientist father controls the family with a cruel hand, the passionate teen secretly nurses a wounded Estonian anarchist back to ... more

Precious Life
Israel, 2010, 90 min.
Set against the backdrop of Israel's 2008-09 blockade of Gaza and its military offensive there, Israeli television correspondent Shlomi Eldar's personal, provocative documentary offers a feast for debate and was named to the long list of potential documentary Academy Award nominees.... more

The Princess of Montpensier
France, 2010, 135 min.
A lavish, swashbuckling drama set in war-torn 16th century France. To satisfy her father’s political ambitions, the titular princess is forced to marry a man she has never met rather than her true love, her dashing cousin Henri de Guise.... more

Reconciliation: Mandela's Miracle
USA, 2010, 88 min.
An artful and inspiring documentary about how Nelson Mandela chose the wise path of reconciliation over revenge when he became president of South Africa. Director Wilson’s wide-ranging amalgam of historical footage and contemporary interviews shows how the “miracle” became a reality.... more

Rise
USA, 2010, 77 min.
February marks the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that killed the 1961 U.S. Figure Skating Team on its way to the World Championships. Through personal remembrances of those who knew them, Rise tells the fascinating--and largely forgotten--stories of these remarkable athletes and coaches.... more

Solemn Promise
Serbia, 2010, 108 min.
When a Serbian school principal is called away to serve in the First World War, his Albanian servant swears a solemn oath to protect the master’s pretty, young Slovenian wife. Their ensuing relationship provides a paradigm of the profound ethnic and class divisions of early 20th century Europe.... more

The Sons of Tennessee Williams
USA, 2010, 75 min.
Mardi Gras, drag balls and politics–-where else could these elements come together but in New Orleans? This lively documentary charts the evolution of the gay Mardi Gras krewe scene over the decades, illuminating the ways in which its emergence was a seminal factor in the cause of gay liberation in... more