Frank van den Engel Movies
- 2010
Filmmaker Astrid Bussink attended an art college in the Dutch city of Enschede, and after completing her studies she moved away on May 13, 2000. The very same day, a fire broke out in a massive fireworks warehouse in Enschede, leading to an explosion that nearly leveled the entire Roombeek neighborhood, destroying 400 homes, claiming 22 lives and injuring almost a thousand more. In the documentary Mijn Enschede (aka My Enschede), Bussink examines the disaster and the physical and emotional toll it claimed on the city she loved. Along with photos and film footage of the explosion and its aftermath, Bussink interviews the family of a man accused of starting the fire (he was exonerated in court), police detectives who are still trying to get to the bottom of the disaster, and conspiracy buffs who have their own ideas about what happened and why. Mijn Enschede was an official selection at the 2010 Rotterdam International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2008
Filmmaker Prosper de Roos asks just what events may transpire should extraterrestrials make contact with the people of planet Earth in this introspective documentary. Every day, a small number of people search the heavens hoping to find proof of extraterrestrial life. But what if they were to actually find something? How would we present ourselves on first contact, and who would shoulder the responsibility of reaching out to another world? By asking these questions and many more, experts hope that mankind will not only be prepared for the future, but also find the wisdom to peacefully advance our own civilization as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- 2008
Astrid Bussink's The Lost Colony documents the attempts of some long-time employees to restore a scientific lab devoted to studying monkeys in order to help cure a variety of diseases. The Abkhazian institute, built in the twenties, stood as a point of pride for decades, but after a war with neighboring Georgia fell into disrepair in the nineties. The film charts the organization's proud history, as well as the bittersweet efforts to restore it to it's glory days. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2007
- R
Veteran sci-fi and action stalwart Mark L. Lester (Commando, Class of 1984) helms this period supernatural horror opus, inspired by one of history's oddest mysteries: the question of what happened to the "Lost Colony" of Roanoke Island in 1587. In Lester's version of the tale, three demonic witches arise from the netherworld to claim the settlers, and attack the soldiers from multiple directions. The spirits include the Witch Wraith, who exerts apocalyptic control over the nearby forest; the Viking Wraith, who slices through the front lines with a broadsword, and the Reaper Wraith, who disembowels victims with a scythe. As devastation erupts and the colonists meet gory ends, hope arises in the form of Ananias Dare, who valiantly attempts to decipher the enigma of the wraiths, exploit their Achilles' Heel, and send the vile spirits back to the fiery cauldron of Hell. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
- 2007
There's been a long tradition of traveling circus performers in the nation of Uzbekistan, and for many years the circus was one of the only forms of professional entertainment available in the small communities that dotted that nation's main roads. Achat Nabiev and Tursun Ali Mamadzhonov were two such performers who came from circus families and devoted themselves to keeping their heritage alive. However, both men were also political activists working with underground groups to win freedom for Uzbekistan as the nation was under the control of the Soviet Union. After the fall of the U.S.S.R., Uzbekistan became a dictatorship, and Mamadzhonov left activism behind after the death of his son in an incident he believes was instigated by the State. Nabiev, however, continues to fight for a free Uzbekistan while traveling the country as a circus artist. Documentary filmmakers Frank van den Engel and Masja Novikova explore the personal, professional and political lives of these two men in Tussen Hemel en Aarde (aka Between Heaven and Earth), which follows Uzbeki circus troupes on the road as Nabiev and Mamadzhonov share the stories of the lives. The film received its world premiere at the 2007 Rotterdam Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Achat Nabiev & Family, Tarsun Mamadzhonov Ali & Family, (more)
- 2006
On December 26, 2003, an earthquake of staggering impact hit the Iranian city of Bam -- 43,000 people were killed, 20,000 sustained injuries, and 60,000 lost their homes. Bam's greatest architectural landmark, a citadel dating back to the medieval era, was leveled, along with most of the city's most important buildings. And though slowly but surely the people began to put their lives back together, the emotional scars left by the tragedy would not quickly heal. Dutch filmmakers Aliona van der Horst and Maasja Ooms traveled to Bam to document the wreckage and how the earthquake had impacted those who remained, and Voices of Bam was the result. Voices of Bam shows a cross section of the city's survivors struggling through their days, with their thoughts on their new lives added as voice-over narration, rather than telling these tales through standard talking-head interviews. Voices of Bam received its North American premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- 2006
Peter De Kock's documentary The Hands of Che Guevara attempts to find out what happened to the hands of the beloved revolutionary, hands that were not on the body of the man when it was finally discovered in 1997. He interviews many people who claim to have at one time been in possession of the body parts, and although many of these people have obviously made some outrageous embellishments to their tales, it is apparent that they were all moved by coming into contact with them. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- 2002
Following a stubbornly ambitious youth dance troupe from the war-torn Chechen capital of Grozny, Dutch filmmaker Jos de Putter documents the lives of these children and their coach as they deal with the chaos surrounding them in his 2002 film Dans, Grozny, Dans (Dance, Grozny, Dance). In the midst of preparing for their upcoming European tour, the traditional dance troupe and their coach Ramzan Akhamadov steadfastly prepare their folk dance routines under the constant threat of violence stemming from the ongoing Chechan-Russian conflict. Fully aware of their duties as Chechan representatives, the children journey forth on their performance tour with the hopes of convincing audiences that not all Chechans are separatist terrorists. Dans, Grozny, Dans earned the Grand Prize award at the first Chicago International Documentary Film Festival in 2002 and screened at a number of other film festivals, including the Tribeca and Rotterdam International Film Festivals. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi
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