Off Beat Journey

The far-right political movement known as QAnon has taken off around the world, mobilising a committed band of believers dedicated to fighting what they claim is an 'online war' against corrupt, child abusing elites. In the United States, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has declared QAnon a potential domestic terrorism threat. For one family, QAnon has caused division so severe that they had to report their relative - Tim Stewart, a QAnon conspiracy theorist - to Australia's national security hotline. In a concerning twist, it emerged that Stewart has had a longstanding friendship with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison - leading to speculation about QAnon and Australia's highest ranks of political power. A look at the alarming movement which has caused ripples through the world, through the eyes of one family.

In the cobalt mining areas of Katanga in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), babies are being born with horrific birth defects. Scientists and doctors are finding increasing evidence of environmental pollution from industrial mining which, they believe, may be the cause of a range of malformations from cleft palate to some so serious the baby is stillborn. More than 60% of the world’s reserves of cobalt are in the DRC and this mineral is essential for the production of electric car batteries, which may be the key to reducing carbon emissions and to slowing climate change. In The Cost of Cobalt we meet the doctors treating the children affected and the scientists who are measuring the pollution. Cobalt may be part of the global solution to climate change, but is it right that Congo’s next generation pay the price with their health? Many are hoping that the more the world understands their plight, the more pressure will be put on the industry here to clean up its act.

Christine’s father died when she was still a small child, and she remained in the care of her sadistic mother, who beat her and abused her psychologically. Christine is still convinced that her mother hid a farewell letter from her beloved father. Jean’s father committed suicide several years ago, and left behind a lengthy letter, but Jean never found the courage to read it. Together, Christine and Jean embark on a unique road trip across the French countryside to visit Christine’s mother, and try to confront the past.

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After emigrating from his hometown in search of a better life, Chef Gaudencio Ruiz Mateo, defying all possibilities, found success at the highest level of his craft while longing to return home.

In 1995, the Saint Paul de Mausole nursing home in Saint Rémy de Provence opened an art therapy workshop as part of the Valetudo association. A Dutch painter and the nursing staff of Saint Paul accompany women who discover and reveal themselves in the shadow of a certain Vincent van Gogh.

A burlesque tribute to Troma Entertainment featuring new performances based on previous Troma releases.

Rory Blank is a cartoonist based out of Austin, Texas. He also sells t-shirts.

Composed of songs and memories, this powerful musical film traces the traumatic experience of young survivors from different parts of Africa. In the village of Conques in France, they found a therapeutic space where they learn to overcome their past and, through song, to imagine a new future.

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Asta and Søren are not a couple. They're not friends with benefits either, and they’re definitely not pen pals with benefits. So, at the end of the day, what are they? With a single camera setup, the viewer is given access to a private space.

Uncovering the haunted secrets at one of America's largest Train Museums with a Team of Paranormal Investigators, Museum employees and Historians.

A close-up look at the New Yorkers who took to the streets during the 2024 Presidential Election.

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Hallstätter Ballade refers to a celebrated 1961 Austrian documentary short film directed by István Szőts. The film is best known for poetically capturing the unique, centuries-old Alpine tradition of skull painting (Totenkult) in the village of Hallstatt.

On April 30, 1945, while the Russian Army surrounded Berlin, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker. His body was discovered a few days later by the Soviets. He would be positively identified after a top secret inquest in which Hitler's personal dentist would play a central role. And yet, at the same time, Stalin publicly declared that his army was unable to find the Führer's body, choosing to let the wildest rumors develop and going so far as to accuse some of his Allies of having aided the monster's probable escape. What secrets were hidden behind this dissimulation? What happened then to the two ladies involved in the identification of Hitler’s body?

The brilliant self-taught pianist Erroll Garner left his mark on jazz forever. His song Misty, which he allegedly composed between two concerts on an aeroplane, immediately became one of the great jazz standards and is still one of the most covered ballads in the world today. Who was the man behind the ever-friendly smile from the ghettos of Pittsburgh, whose talent brought him to the biggest international stages?

Most of us think of death as something clear-cut, and that medical science has it neatly figured out. This feature documentary explodes such assumptions through its exploration of a phenomenon that blurs life and death to an unprecedented degree. In what Tibetan Buddhists call tukdam, advanced meditators die in a consciously controlled manner. Though dead according to our biomedical standards, they often stay sitting upright in meditation; remarkably, their bodies remain fresh and lifelike, without signs of decay for days, sometimes weeks after clinical death. Following ground-breaking scientific research into tukdam and taking us into intimate death stories of Tibetan meditators, the film juxtaposes scientific and Tibetan perspectives as it tries to unravel the mystery of tukdam.

A look at the unrecognized work of the talented artists and craftsmen who've maintained the tradition of Japanese special-effects. Highlighted is Yasuyuki Inoue along with various crew members who crafted meticulously detailed miniatures and risked life and limb as suit actors. All done to bring to life some of film's most iconic monsters through a distinct Japanese artform.

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