In the Cold War years of the 1970s, an American patrol boat meets a Soviet ship off the east coast of the United States for talks about fishing rights in the Atlantic. In the midst of this, while Russian commanders are aboard the U.S. Coast Guard vessel where the talks are being held, a Lithuanian sailor jumps across the ten feet of icy water separating the boats. Crash-landing on the deck of the American ship, he desperately begs for asylum. Though they try, the Americans ultimately fail to provide protection and the Soviets are allowed to capture him and brutally return him to their vessel. Thus begins a stranger-than-fiction story of imprisonment, discovery, fame, and freedom. Through rare archival footage and a dramatic first-person re-enactment of that fateful day by Simas Kudirka, the would-be defector himself, this tale of one of the biggest Cold War muddles takes us on a journey of uncanny twists of fate, and the emotional sacrifices of becoming a universal symbol of freedom.
Robolove is a documentary that explores the interaction between humans and humanoid robots. The filmmaker visits various technology research centers in Japan, Korea, China, USA and Europe as researchers share the challenges of injecting human emotions into these robots.
In the early days of solar vehicle racing, one of the most unlikely competitors was a Turkish nuclear physicist living in Australia named Ugur Ortabasi. He designed a four-seated solar powered tandem bicycle only a mother could love but in true underdog fashion it would go on to win the 1986 World Championships of Solar Vehicles. The story behind this unlikely victory was anything but sunshine and smooth sailing.
In the aftermath of Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake, grappling with PTSD, filmmaker Luke A. Renner set out on a healing journey. In his pursuit, Luke would eventually uncover an older, deeper, childhood trauma he had lost in time, the insidious reality of psychological damage, and a public health crisis that’s been quietly wreaking havoc on humanity.
A road movie with music. A song-soaked, foot-stomping trip straight to the heart of what it means to be Mexican, and to be American, and the complex joy of being both at the same time.
Five women experience traumatic blows to their self-image after unexpectedly losing their hair. Through the subsequent mental health, relationship, financial, and social impacts, they cope with these challenges in dramatically different ways. The Director also grapples with her own identity and what it means to be authentic.
In Case of Emergency paints a startling picture of our ERs stretched to the breaking point and exposes the extent of our nation’s broken safety net. All of our country’s biggest public health challenges—from COVID-19 to the opioid crisis to gun violence to lack of insurance—collide in emergency departments. Nearly half of all medical care in the U.S. is delivered in ERs and nurses are on the frontlines, addressing our physical and emotional needs before sending us back out into the world. In Case of Emergency follows emergency nurses across the U.S, shedding light on their efforts to help break a sometimes-vicious cycle for patients under their care.
From “Dreamer” to living the American dream, this documentary chronicles a young boy's miraculous journey to becoming a U.S. citizen after fleeing his war-torn home of El Salvador, how he came to realize the challenges of present-day immigration, and his mission to humanize immigrants and reform U.S. immigration policy for the benefit of all.
Pedro Opeka declined an opportunity to play professional soccer in his native Buenos Aires and realize his childhood dream. He chose instead to become a missionary and live in one of the poorest countries in the world. The son of a bricklayer, he convinced destitute families living in Madagascar’s largest landfill that he could teach them how to build their own houses and, in the process, build their dignity. After 30 years of construction, fighting increasing poverty and political instability, Father Pedro has created a highly functional city within this dysfunctional island nation. His mission is to prepare the children he saves to one day save their own country.
Donald J. Trump's fervent supporters and scared opponents were affected by Trump's rhetoric and the media's interpretation, increasing a dangerous political division. Now, It's time for them to stop and listen to each other or push harder until they crash America's democracy.
The first of two Latinas to represent Texas in Congress, Veronica Escobar, and the only African-American woman to run for city council in Austin in 2018, Natasha Harper-Madison, lead a diverse group of progressive voices across Texas as they fight decades of institutional racism and policies of discrimination along the border. The battle over immigrant rights, land seizures to build the border wall, and the troubled racial history of the state form the backdrop to a film that explores how a place once known for its reactionary politics is becoming more liberal, more diverse—and more at risk for violent conflict.
UFO Conspiracies : The Hidden Truth charts the US government's involvement with UFO phenomenon from 1947 to the present day. Featuring rare classified footage, expert interviews, images and recordings it uncovers the investigations, cover-ups and the recent astonishing revelation of a secret 20 million dollar UFO research program.
After 40 years, Tom Cruise continues to push the envelope in film. Exposing one's heart to the world through their work is not only risky business, as far as Cruise is concerned, it is the only way to achieve an end that feels complete.
A documentary studying the archetype of the witch in Hollywood cinema from the 1930s to the present and shows, between the lines, how it is linked to the social history of female power.
From the success of Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, through the founding of A&M Records, to giving away more than $150 million to arts and education programs across the country, we’ll witness the humanity and the humility inherent in everything he does, as well as come to understand the power of creativity to entertain, inspire, heal and transform.
This film follows (a then eight-year-old) Bowen through his third major open-heart surgery, as his parents struggle with the hope that the surgery could make his life better and the knowledge that it could make things much worse.
Israel and Palestine: time to call time on the conflict? This Doc Feature is an extraordinary, balanced and heart-wrenching examination of the Isreali-Palestinian conflict - never before presented. Ancient and recent history, geopolitical issues, psychology and a deeply personal journey challenge what we think we know.
The River is a documentary about how communication and purpose play into the success and failures of managing the homeless encampment in Aberdeen, Washington.