this blog is a visual notebook of inspirations for a group of bandit bloggers. we post things we see and like. our lives don’t revolve around singular topics and neither does our blog. sorry! nothing is in-or-out of context here. enjoy xx
rent the oscar nominated national geographics documentary by julian brave noisecat here
canon USA presents behind the scenes sugarcane movie documentary
film review
a stunning tribute to the resilience of native people and their way of life, SUGARCANE, the debut feature documentary from julian brave noisecat and emily kassie, is an epic cinematic portrait of a community during a moment of international reckoning. in 2021, evidence of unmarked graves was discovered on the grounds of an Indian residential school run by the catholic church in canada.
after years of silence, the forced separation, assimilation and abuse many children experienced at these segregated boarding schools was brought to light, sparking a national outcry against a system designed to destroy indigenous communities. set amidst a groundbreaking investigation, SUGARCANE illuminates the beauty of a community breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma and finding the strength to persevere. by ts
gavin mcinnes cover perhaps? it was all in the making…
racist!… must have been gavin’ cover too
terry richardon before cancellation
also see the books on dos and don’t and history of sex just don’t get em on amazon
we loved vice magazine in its early days. it was hilarious and kooky. in new york city, we’d pick em up on the corner on our way to work for free… read em, then chuck em.
some issues were so good we’d photocopy articles and mail to friends who lived in less fortunate cities and countries were vice wasn’t available. the article were about sex, drugs, dos and donts, identity, travel, and just about any random thing in any given category you’d least expect. then suddenly we heard vice is bought by CNN… or that’s what i recall. it turns out it wasn’t CNN it happened to be HBO. same shit. it was one of those corporate-lame legacy outlets.
“make the cool guy feel rich, and the rich guy feel cool and you got em”
– vice is broke
a documentary on vice magazines history by eddie huang
for me and so many other that was the end of vice. i don’t think i followed them after that really. every once-in-a-while we’d see a video on youtube about nuclear wolves in chernobyl, or some country on the african continents civil war funded by the west. we wanted to like them but it wasnt the same. the one memorable video from the later versions of vice was with simon ostrovsky in ukraine, who seemed competent enough. atleast, because by now, vice had surely lost all its cool and without simon ostrovsky’s substance there was nothing much left aside with a bunch fart boys.
have a watch. thoroughly enjoyed the documentary “vice is broke” by eddie huang, granted it is first-and-foremost a dis track to shane smith, non the less its a great dive into the past and meeting some of the great people who worked on it in its earlier days. good watch, see it on mubi.com (don’t have mubi? try 7 day free trial, hey its between mubi and criterion, the rest are crap anyway). by uh
the kennedy brothers: john f. kennedy, robert f. kennedy, and edward m. kennedy. john f. kennedy served as the 35th u.s. president, robert f. kennedy served as attorney general and later as a u.s. senator, and edward m. kennedy served as a u.s. senator
shot by a lone gunman –– JFKs younger brother, robert f. kennedy was assassinated on june 15 1968
shot by a lone gunman –– JFK in dallas
seconds before JFK was assassinated on november 22 1963
LBJ sworn in hours after JFKs assassination
shot by a lone gunman –– lee harvey oswald (an american ex US marine, whom the CIA admitted to monitoring before the act) was arrested nearly two hours after president kennedy’s assassination. he denied all allegations. he was killed by a lone gunman just 2 days after his arrest –– never testifying.
the lone gunman –– jack ruby born jacob leon rubenstein, the son of joseph rubenstein and fannie turek rutkowski (or rokowsky), both polish-born orthodox jews. ruby had ties to the criminal underworld and was very likely compromised, ruby was quoted to say that he thought about “killing oswald two nights earlier, to show the world that jews have guts.”
JFKs son salutes his dead fathers casket 1963
a pensive LBJ in deep thought
a younger “donald rumsfeld‘s” the man who became the US defense secretary and in 2023 was a key proponent behind US iraq war
donald rumsfeld’s letter to RFK back in june of 1963
robert f. kennedy (RFK) was assassinated on june 15 1968 (4 years after JFK)
the lone gunman –– sirhan sirhan (the islamic terrorist) was actually a christian palestinian who had moved to US after his parents were expelled from west jeruselum in 1948 – he was identified as the assassin just 2 hours after the assassination of RFK.
a mature JFK jr. considering running for office
NOT shot by a lone gunman –– but unfortunately JFK jr. dies piloting his own airplane in a crash.
after decades of conspiracies about the assassinations, oliver stones film JFK finally puts all the blame squarely on the CIA, and no one else.
financier and producer of oliver stones film JFK, was arnon milchan –– an israeli billionaire businessman, film producer and former spy. see wiki.
mind bending documentary “the assassination of JFK by laurent guyenot” if video is missing try here or here on youtube.
there has been many speculation on JFK assassination but most likely a lunatic lone gunman killed JFK in 1963… and another killed RFK 1965… and another killed Oswald 1963… and another MLK 1968…
JFK jr. escapes the lone gunman scenario but unfortunately dies in plane crash in 1999. that doesn’t make this theory true, but what a string of suspicious conspiracies…. if nothing they are fun to ponder upon? no?
but who is laurent guyenot: a PHD grad from the sorbonne. after earning an engineering degree (national school of advanced technology, 1982), laurent guyénot pursued his interests in the history and anthropology of religions, earning his doctorate in medieval studies (PhD in medieval studies at paris IV-sorbonne, 2009). he has authored numerous books on the subject. his current research focuses on the religious and civilizational backgrounds of zionist geostrategy. books available on amazon. by dd
rene burri photograph of ernesto che-guevara 1963 havana
lisa howard and fidel castro first meeting havana riviera hotel april 21 1963. in the early 1960s, lisa howard became ABC news’s first woman reporter, and was the first woman to have her own national network television news show (insert: mole). howard developed a relationship with cuba’s fidel castro, whom she met to interview, and was a go-between for a time between castro and the american white house.
blue bird production “the faces of che” and the cuban revolution
a very good and rare documentary (watch it before this bootleg is taken down) on cuba and its revolution with some details about the relationship of che and castro that i didn’t know. worth a watch for any history buff. by xy
the chateau marmont on sunset frequented by morrison and where john belushi was found dead. whole nother story, but very similar, to come.
above image at the roundhouse london photo by ethan russell
jim morrison in less “better days”
stranger days… arrested at the doors concert for “lewd behavior” banned from performing for 2 years
jim morrison and girlfriend, pamela courson, who played a role in his death
paris is always a good idea
1- the end of jim morrison if unavailable try HERE
“1971. when jim morrison was at the height of his career, the doors seemed unstoppable. six years of intensive career, 6 albums, 200 concerts. jim morrison had become a music legend…until a tragic end. full documentary on the life of this rock icon, from the beginning… until the end.” – director: michaelle gagnet
“july 2, 1971. jim morrison is one of the most famous rock singers in the world. but morrison is at war with his own dark demons. In 24 hours his darkness will consume him and he’ll be dead. using archive footage, dramatic reenactment and interviews with his closest companions, final 24 details the last 24 hours of morrison’s life.”– directed by mike parkinson”
2 good documentaries, i preferred the 1st one (the end of jim morrison) to some extent… but both are worth a watch. a good outline on a story, i had heard and read, but never knew the tiny details off. bit sensational, but filled with great people like french directors alain renais, and agnes varda, on top jaques demy…. all friends of jim morrison apparently. by uh
also see this great new film “soundtrack to a coup d’etat”
soundtrack to a coup d’etat premiered at the sundance film festival on 22 january 2024.
it won the andré cavens award for best film from the belgian film critics association. it has been nominated for best documentary feature film at the 97th academy awards.
soundtrack to a coup d’etat is a documentary film directed by johan grimonprez about the cold war episode that led american musicians abbey lincoln and max roach to crash the un security council in protest against the murder of congolese leader patrice lumumba. one february morning in 1961, singer abbey lincoln and drummer max roach crash the un security council to protest the murder of prime minister patrice lumumba of the newly independent congo. sixty yelling protesters throw punches, slam their stilettos and provoke a skirmish with unprepared guards as diplomats look on in shock.
six months earlier, sixteen newly independent african countries are admitted to the united nations, shifting the majority vote away from the old colonial powers. soviet leader nikita khrushchev speaks in opposition to the neo-colonial power grab unfolding in the republic of the congo (léopoldville) (modern dr congo). denouncing america’s color bar and un complicity in the overthrow of lumumba, he demands immediate decolonization worldwide.
to retain control over the riches of what used to be the belgian congo, king baudouin of belgium finds an ally in the eisenhower administration, which fears losing access to one of the world’s biggest known reserves of uranium, a metal vital for the creation of atomic bombs. congo-léopoldville takes center stage to both the cold war and the scheme for control of the un. the US state department swings into action: jazz ambassador louis armstrong is dispatched to win the hearts and minds of africa. unwittingly, armstrong becomes a smokescreen to divert attention from africa’s first post-colonial coup, leading to the assassination of congo’s first democratically elected leader. malcolm x stands up in open support of lumumba and his efforts to create a united states of africa while also reframing the freedom struggle of african americans as one not for civil rights but for human rights, aiming to bring his case before the UN.
as black jazz ambassadors are performing unaware amidst covert cia operatives, the likes of armstrong, nina simone, duke ellington, dizzy gillespie and melba liston face a painful dilemma: how to represent a country where segregation is still the law of the land.
jazz and decolonization are entwined in this forgotten episode of the cold war, where the greatest musicians stepped onto the political stage, and downtrodden politicians lent their voices as inadvertent lead singers. this story of the undermining of african self-determination is told from the perspective of central african republic women’s rights activist and politician andrée blouin, irish diplomat and enfant terrible conor cruise o’brien, belgian-congolese writer in koli jean bofane, and nikita khrushchev himself. by dd
israelism is a 2023 american documentary, made before the october 7th war, about the portrayal of the israeli–palestinian conflict in american jewish institutions.
the film focuses on the perspectives of simone zimmerman and another jewish american, a former IDF soldier eitan, following them as they learn more about the treatment of palestinians and come to revise their views on israel.
winner of best feature documentary, and top audience award at the san francisco jewish film festival
winner of spirit award at brooklyn international film festival
directed by erin axelman and sam eilertsen, it has screened at various film festivals in the united states and won a brooklyn film festival spirit award. the film is critical of israel’s treatment of palestinians, and of the american jewish community’s education on the israeli–palestinian conflict.
it follows two american jews as they learn about the conflict and come to revise their views. the film also includes interviews with academics and political activists. by dd
journalist ronan farrow investigates the growing commercial spyware industry – and the ethical dilemmas of 21st century cyberespionage.
“surveilled” movie trailer
interview with journalist ronan farrow
tracking the new yorker journalist ronan farrow as he investigates the growing business of commercial spyware, following the story from new york city to tel aviv, israel, a thriving center of espionage cybertechnology (including the NSO group, and black cube). once a target of covert surveillance himself, (while investigating harvey weinstein who had hired black cube to intimidate farrow) farrow explores the multibillion-dollar industry, addressing the twofold uses and implications of phone hacking, the ability to monitor criminal activity and the attendant threats to civil liberties. most important now more than ever. by dd
you can watch the full film on PBS website – link in copy below
the film, which is a part of american history seldom displayed, tells the little-known story of a deadly race massacre and carefully orchestrated insurrection in north carolina’s largest city (wilmington) in 1898 — the only successful coup d’état in the history of the united states to date. stoking fears of “negro rule,” self-described white supremacists used intimidation and violence to destroy black political and economic power and overthrow wilmington’s democratically-elected, multi-racial government. black residents were murdered and thousands were banished.
the story of what happened in wilmington was suppressed for decades until descendants and scholars began to investigate. today, many of those descendants — black and white — seek the truth about this intentionally buried history. the film is available on pbs website for viewing,
“…most people learn to deal with life and relationships… the artists doesn’t, because he is unable to spend the time to do that…”
“my personal life tends to remain in a state of chaos – and i never seems to have the time to put it all together…”
“i understand people more, before i was incredibly naive, i would fall in love at the drop of a hat, or give myself fully to people… i now know the way of the world these days”
this was the first ever authorized nick cave documentary directed by nanni jacobson
nick cave with iggy pop
above – nick cave and anita lane. the film spans nick caves career from birthday party onwards.
above – a young brad pitt and nick cave in and early film : johnny suede
nick in berlin
this docu was broadcasted on tv stations in various countries (germany, australia, israel, switzerland, austria, italy)
nick cave straight to you documentary – if not available here click here
the macabre crooner documented here with his favorite outfits and gorgeous lyrics, the highs and lows of life are all captured here… some nice insights on an intimate level with nick cave. nick reveals how he has finally aged and knows the world a bit better, burned by love, still unable to manage his personal life, and disappointed by the outcome of his rehab, he still finds himself in his depths of darkness, but he feel he has now a good grasp on life and is finally a well-adjusted citizen of sorts. the footage is not beautifully shot but the substance and insights are all there. recommended for any nick cave fan. by xy
stars ralph fiennes, walter murch, and winston churchill amongst others
ralph fiennes reads the transcripts of norman darbyshire who was a british spy who worked for the SOE and the MI6. he played a key role in the 1953 coup d’état that overthrew mohammed mossadegh, the democratically-elected prime minister of iran.
the cia is quoted acknowledging the coup was carried out “under cia direction” and “as an act of u.s. foreign policy, conceived and approved at the highest levels of government”.
watch how the MOSAD worked with iran in helping the shah to remain in and grip to power.
coup 53 documentary directed by taghi amirani – if unavailable click here
must watch… riveting, provocative and revelatory, coup 53 plays out like one of john le carré’s spy thrillers and is one of the most important and relevant documentaries of our time. 10 years in the making, the film – a meta textual account – seeks to uncover the past and expose the underhandedness that went into staging a coup d’état, by british and american forces, in 1953 iran- overthrowing the democratically elected government of prime minister mossadegh, reinstating the shah as head of the state, and ultimately leading to the revolution.
through a series of video interviews and transcripts – some aired as part of a documentary-series ‘end of empire’ and some that never saw the light of day, but were carefully preserved – the film’s director – taghi amirani – stitches together an intricate yarn that is gripping, powerful and extremely detailed in both its analysis and its cinematic scope. this is what documentaries need to be. riveting, provocative and revelatory, coup 53 plays out like one of john le carré’s spy thrillers and is one of the most important and relevant documentaries of our time.
10 years in the making, the film – a meta textual account – seeks to uncover the past and expose the underhandedness that went into staging a coup d’état, by british and american forces, in 1953 iran- overthrowing the democratically elected government of prime minister mossadegh, reinstating the shah as head of the state, and ultimately leading to the revolution.
through a series of video interviews and transcripts – some aired as part of a documentary-series ‘end of empire’ and some that never saw the light of day, but were carefully preserved – the film’s director – taghi amirani – stitches together an intricate yarn that is gripping, powerful and extremely detailed in both its analysis and its cinematic scope. this is what documentaries need to be. by nw
a visual collective outlet of inspiration
