
Jolly Roger
Documentary · Music
Overview
"Jolly Roger" could mean Roger Schawinski. But by definition, a "Jolly Roger" is the classic black pirate flag with skull and crossbones. This documentary tells the unvarnished story of the Swiss radio pirates who emerged in the 1970s. The focus is on Radio 24 in its wild years, when Schawinski's team broadcast from Italy, with the strongest FM station in the world at the time, straight down from Pizzo Groppera, 130 kilometers all the way to the Zurich area. Supported by numerous original documents from private filmmakers and from the SRG archives, the viewer relives the absurd radio war between David and Goliath that lasted almost four years, 24 years after this war between the radio pirates and the state power began on November 13, 1979. The many known and unknown fighters, who rallied behind their Radio Winkelried Schawinski in 1979 to help usher Switzerland into a new media age, remember the good and bad times, the demonstrations and the numerous threatened and actual closures.
Top Cast


Roger Schawinski
Roger Schawinski
himself
Roger Schawinski
himself
Frank Baumann
Frank Baumann
himself
Frank Baumann
himself
Ursi Spaltenstein
Ursi Spaltenstein
herself
Ursi Spaltenstein
herself
Röbi Koller
Röbi Koller
himself
Röbi Koller
himself
Dani Wyler
Dani Wyler
himself
Dani Wyler
himself
Markus Gilli
Markus Gilli
himself
Markus Gilli
himself
Christian Heeb
Christian Heeb
himself
Christian Heeb
himself
Similar Movies

Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, two rebellious teenagers from Southern California, become the frontwomen for The Runaways -- the now-legendary group that paved the way for future generations of female rockers. Under the Svengali-like influence of impresario Kim Fowley, the band becomes a huge success.

Titled after the first-ever song to play on their airwaves, Kick Out the Jams follows the development of XFM from its rebellious pirate radio roots in the early 90’s, through to its official FM radio launch in 1997 as a major platform for launching alternative talent into the mainstream. The doc deep-dives into the struggles and influence of the station which gave rise to the likes of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, whose global hits The Office and The Ricky Gervais Show were originally developed while working at the radio station.

For 40 years, the community-organizing group ACORN advocated for America’s poorest communities, while its detractors accused it of promoting the worst of liberal policies. Riding high on the momentum of Barack Obama’s presidential victory in 2008, ACORN was at its political zenith when a hidden-camera video sparked a national scandal and brought it crashing down. The story involves voter fraud, a fake prostitute, and the rise of Breitbart.com.

Las Vegas, 1972. In a decade drenched in blood, confusion, and paranoia, a new serial killer lurks beneath the neon shadows, ripping bodies apart. And what was once America’s glittering playground has now become a neon-lit graveyard, paralyzed with horror. But this isn’t your average homicidal psychopath. This one walks, talks, and sings like an angel... but behind his mask lies an unholy hunger that is nowhere near being fulfilled. VAMPIRE ELVIS is a vile, carnal, grim, and seductive grindhouse relic, coming from the darkest corner of hypnagogic nightmares. A bizarre love letter to cult cinema, where rock 'n' roll rots, icons collapse, and desire outweighs reason. You’ve never seen a vampire film like this. And you sure as hell ain’t seen HIM like this. So turn the lights low. Lock the door. And whatever you do... don’t let HIM in!

This raw, gutsy portrait of New York's Chinatown captures the early days of an emerging consciousness in the community. We see a Chinatown rarely depicted, a vibrant community whose young and old join forces to protest police brutality and hostile real estate developers. With bold strokes, it paints an overview of the community and its history, from the early laborers driving spikes into the transcontinental railroad to the garment workers of today.

The Big One is an investigative documentary from director Michael Moore who goes around the country asking why big American corporations produce their product abroad where labor is cheaper while so many Americans are unemployed, losing their jobs, and would happily be hired by such companies as Nike.

On August 7th 1974, French tightrope walker Philippe Petit stepped out on a high wire, illegally rigged between New York's World Trade Center twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings. After nearly an hour of performing on the wire, 1,350 feet above the sidewalks of Manhattan, he was arrested. This fun and spellbinding documentary chronicles Philippe Petit's "highest" achievement.














