John Woodward

Absolute Surrender

This is the fictional story of a young Japanese American man called Frank Sugiyama who, after Pearl Harbor, is separated from his white American girlfriend Grace Williams. He has always dreamed of a future with Grace, to buy a house together and to start a family. He is sent to an incarceration camp and, on the way, meets Japanese American Mai Ikeda, who is with her mother, auntie and two young children. Mai's husband, Sam Ikeda, has been taken to a higher security camp because of his work running a bookshop that sells goods imported from Japan. In camp, Frank and Mai make friends and Frank becomes a sort of surrogate father to her children. This friendship deepens into something more complicated and romantic, but both are promised to other people...

The Power of the Dog

A domineering but charismatic rancher wages a war of intimidation on his brother's new wife and her teen son, until long-hidden secrets come to light.

Hermitage Revealed

To celebrate its 250th anniversary, this documentary tells the story of one of the world’s greatest museums, from its foundation by Catherine the Great, though to its status today as a breathtakingly beautiful complex which includes the Winter Palace. Showcasing a vast collection of the world’s greatest artworks together with contemporary art galleries and exhibitions, it holds over 3 million treasures and world class masterpieces in stunning architectural settings. This is its journey from Imperial Palace to State Museum, encompassing a sometimes troubled past, surviving both the Revolution in 1916 and the siege of Leningrad by the Nazis in 1941-44.

The Island

A couple decides to turn their backs on civilization to build their private paradise on a desert island. However, a millionaire passing through the island makes them a sensation, making a European countess want to take over their island.