A milestone in feminist literature, this marvelous European romance, narrated by a woman, is considered the first psychological novel in a modern language and a precursor of stream-of-consciousness fiction. Written by Giovanni Boccaccio between 1343 and 1345, The Elegy has never before been available in a complete or accurate English translation.
Lady Fiammetta, the first-person narrator and protagonist, recounts how, although a married woman, she falls in love with a handsome young foreigner named Panfilo and, driven by irresistible passion, becomes his lover. Panfilo subsequently abandons Fiammetta and returns to his native land, where his elderly father is said to be dying. When he fails to keep his promise to return, Fiammetta, in what is the heart of the narrative, describes her longings, her anguish, and her despair. A host of contradictory sentiments drive her to desperation and to an unsuccessful suicide attempt. After a time, Fiammetta resumes her futile wait for Panfilo. She finally resolves to seek him out in his native land. Disguising her true intent from her husband, she secures his promise to help her in this undertaking. Addressing an exclusively female audience, Fiammetta warns them about the vicious ways of men. Her whole narrative, in fact, adds up to an indictment of men as both readers and lovers. Eliciting a remarkably wide range of responses from readers and critics, Fiammetta has been variously described as a pathetic victim of male cruelty; an irresponsible fool of a girl; a sophisticated, cunning, and wholly disingenuous female; and, finally, a genuinely modern woman. Whatever judgment we make of her, Fiammetta stands out among medieval women as an ardent and outspoken feminist.

Collection of 18 films and documentaries from acclaimed German director Werner Herzog, famed for his blending of documentary realism with heightened stylisation. In 'Aguirre, Wrath of God' (1972), a Spanish expedition led by Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) aims to cross the Peruvian Sierras in search of the legendary Inca city of El Dorado. 'The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser' (1974) stars Bruno Schleinstein as the title character, telling the true story of the German boy who spent the first two decades of his life chained up in a cellar. Set in 18th Century Bolivia, 'Heart of Glass' (1976) stars Josef Bierbichler as Hias, a man with supernatural foresight who predicts a fire that will destroy the town's glassblowing factory. 'Stroszek' (1977) stars Schleinstein as a Berlin street performer recently released from prison who tries to get his life back on track with the help of his prostitute friend Eva (Eva Mattes). 'Nosferatu, the Vampyre' (1979) stars Kinski as the infamous Count Dracula, a peculiarly pale man with a penchant for vampirism. 'Woyzeck' (1979) is a film adaptation of the play by George Büchner telling the story of a lowly soldier who works all the hours he can to provide for his illegitimate child. In 'Fitzcarraldo' (1982), a budding rubber baron sets about trying to transport a steamship over a hill that hides access to an area rich in rubber. The film is based on true events. 'Cobra Verde' (1987) is a drama based on the novel 'The Viceroy of Ouidah' by Bruce Chatwin which sees a dissolute Brazilian rancher who has resulted to working on a gold mine after his land was destroyed by a drought. Short films and documentaries also featured in this collection include 'The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz' (1967), 'Last Words' (1968), 'Precautions Against Fanatics' (1969), 'Handicapped Future' (1970), 'Fata Morgana' (1971), 'Land of Silence and Darkness' (1971), 'The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner' (1975), 'How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck' (1976), 'Huie's Sermon' (1980) and 'God's Angry Man' (1980).

Drama written and directed by Werner Herzog. Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald (Klaus Kinski) is an opera-loving entrepreneur who dreams of building an opera house in the middle of the Peruvian jungle. To finance his project he attempts to persuade the rubber business to extend into the jungle, and concocts a plan which involves moving his steamship over a mountain to a parallel waterway. In making his film of the visionary's adventures, Herzog famously refused to use special effects and insisted instead on actually transporting a steamship over the mountains.

German filmmaker Edgar Reitz directs this 1960s tragic drama. When the attractive and beguiling Elisabeth (Heidi Stroh) falls pregnant, her boyfriend, medical student Rolf (Georg Hauke), gives up his future career to wed her. As their family grows, Rolf becomes increasingly depressed and contemplates suicide.

Werner Herzog directs this study of megalomania, set in 16th Century Peru. In the year 1560, a Spanish expedition crosses the Peruvian Sierras in search of the legendary Inca city of El Dorado. A power struggle within the group leads to its deputy (Klaus Kinski) seizing control in bloody fashion, his desire to set up his own kingdom threatening to destroy them all. Cast and crew apparently endured hardships comparable to those suffered by the screen explorers.

Collection of 18 films and documentaries from acclaimed German director Werner Herzog, famed for his blending of documentary realism with heightened stylisation. In 'Aguirre, Wrath of God' (1972), a Spanish expedition led by Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) aims to cross the Peruvian Sierras in search of the legendary Inca city of El Dorado. 'The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser' (1974) stars Bruno Schleinstein as the title character, telling the true story of the German boy who spent the first two decades of his life chained up in a cellar. Set in 18th Century Bolivia, 'Heart of Glass' (1976) stars Josef Bierbichler as Hias, a man with supernatural foresight who predicts a fire that will destroy the town's glassblowing factory. 'Stroszek' (1977) stars Schleinstein as a Berlin street performer recently released from prison who tries to get his life back on track with the help of his prostitute friend Eva (Eva Mattes). 'Nosferatu, the Vampyre' (1979) stars Kinski as the infamous Count Dracula, a peculiarly pale man with a penchant for vampirism. 'Woyzeck' (1979) is a film adaptation of the play by George Büchner telling the story of a lowly soldier who works all the hours he can to provide for his illegitimate child. In 'Fitzcarraldo' (1982), a budding rubber baron sets about trying to transport a steamship over a hill that hides access to an area rich in rubber. The film is based on true events. 'Cobra Verde' (1987) is a drama based on the novel 'The Viceroy of Ouidah' by Bruce Chatwin which sees a dissolute Brazilian rancher who has resulted to working on a gold mine after his land was destroyed by a drought. Short films and documentaries also featured in this collection include 'The Unprecedented Defence of the Fortress Deutschkreuz' (1967), 'Last Words' (1968), 'Precautions Against Fanatics' (1969), 'Handicapped Future' (1970), 'Fata Morgana' (1971), 'Land of Silence and Darkness' (1971), 'The Great Ecstasy of Woodcarver Steiner' (1975), 'How Much Wood Would a Woodchuck Chuck' (1976), 'Huie's Sermon' (1980) and 'God's Angry Man' (1980).