New Documentary Movies on Kanopy - Page 166

The Witches of Gambaga

2011

The Witches of Gambaga

2011
7
The Witches Of Gambaga is the extraordinary story of a community of women condemned to live as witches in Northern Ghana. Every year in this part of Ghana, hundreds of women endure communal and domestic violence as a result of traditional religious beliefs that demonize women. These beliefs, combined with decades of poor health and educational standards, mean women inhabit a world where it is believed that nothing – not even illness or death – happens by chance. For over a century, women from all over the northern region have found refuge in a camp in the town of Gambaga, where they live under the protection of the chief, Gambarrana, the custodian of one of four places of sanctuary for women condemned of witchcraft. Made over the course of 5 years, this disturbing expose is the product of a collaboration between members of the 100-strong community of 'witches' and women’s movement activists determined to end abusive practices and improve women’s lives in Africa.
Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World

2011

Seven Wonders of the Buddhist World

2011
5.9
In this fascinating documentary, historian Bettany Hughes travels to the seven wonders of the Buddhist world.Her journey begins at the Mahabodhi Temple in India, where Buddhism was born; here Hughes examines the foundations of the belief system - the three jewels.At Nepal's Boudhanath Stupa, she looks deeper into the concept of dharma - the teaching of Buddha, and at the Temple of the Tooth in Sri Lanka, Bettany explores karma, the idea that our intentional acts will be mirrored in the future.At Wat Pho Temple in Thailand, Hughes explores samsara, the endless cycle of birth and death that Buddhists seek to end by achieving enlightenment, before travelling to Angkor Wat in Cambodia to learn more about the practice of meditation.In Hong Kong, Hughes visits the Giant Buddha and looks more closely at Zen, before arriving at the final wonder, the Hsi Lai temple in Los Angeles, to discover more about the ultimate goal for all Buddhists - nirvana.
Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place

2011

Magic Trip: Ken Kesey's Search for a Kool Place

2011
6.9
A freewheeling portrait of Ken Kesey and the Merry Prankster’s fabled road trip across America in the legendary Magic Bus. In 1964, Ken Kesey, the famed author of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” set off on a legendary, LSD-fuelled cross-country road trip to the New York World’s Fair. He was joined by “The Merry Band of Pranksters,” a renegade group of counterculture truth-seekers, including Neal Cassady, the American icon immortalized in Kerouac’s “On the Road,” and the driver and painter of the psychedelic Magic Bus.
Hi, Neighbor

2011

Hi, Neighbor

2011
This experimental short film is about a little girl who lost her home to urban renewal, and asks her wealthy neighbor, "why?" The film is a prequel to Andrade-Watkins' documentary trilogy about the Cape Verdean community in Fox Point. "Hi, Neighbor" had its world premiere at the 2011 Cape Verdean International Film Festival and was awarded Jury Selection (first prize), in the 2012 Black Maria Film Festival.
My Life as a Turkey

2011

My Life as a Turkey

2011
7
Naturalist Jim Hutto's remarkable experience of being imprinted on by group of wild turkey hatchlings, and raising them to adulthood and beyond, in the remote wilderness of northern Florida.
The Interrupters

2011

The Interrupters

2011
6.9
The Interrupters tells the moving and surprising stories of three Violence Interrupters — former gang members who try to protect their Chicago communities from the violence they once caused.
Mark Zuckerberg: The Real Face Behind Facebook

2011

Mark Zuckerberg: The Real Face Behind Facebook

2011
5
Although everyone knows Facebook, few people know it’s creator’s real life. From his childhood in an upscale New York’s suburb to the day the website was created at Harvard, and it’s dramatic rise in Silicon Valley…
Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film

2011

Free Radicals: A History of Experimental Film

2011
6.7
Experimental filmmaker Pip Chodorov traces the course of experimental film in America, taking the very personal point of view of someone who grew up as part of the experimental film community.
Shepherds of Paradise

2011

Shepherds of Paradise

2011
Seventy five year old Gafoor comes from a long line of shepherds, known as Bakerwals in Kashmir. The nomadic lifestyle is all that he has ever known. His life is very challenging. He has to rebuild his house on the mountains in Kashmir every year because of the damage from hostile weather. Gafoor and his family has to travel from the plains of Jammu to the mountains of Kashmir in summer, covering a distance of almost 300 Kms on foot, and reverse the trip in winter, to graze the herd of 200 animals which include sheep, goats, a cow and a few ponies . He has the huge responsibility of taking the entire caravan safely to Kashmir and then back to Jammu. The journey as always is difficult because of the steep terrain and unpredictable weather. It will take them 27 days to reach Kashmir.
Just Do It: A Tale of Modern-day Outlaws

2011

Just Do It: A Tale of Modern-day Outlaws

2011
5.9
The world of environmental direct action has been a secretive one, until now. With unprecedented access, Emily James spent over a year embedded in activist groups such as Climate Camp and Plane Stupid, documenting their clandestine activities. Torpedoing the tired cliches of the environmental movement, Just Do It introduces you to a powerful cast of mischievous and inspiring characters who put their bodies in the way. They super-glue themselves to bank trading floors, blockade factories and attack coal power stations en-masse all despite the very real threat of arrest. Their adventures will entertain, illuminate and inspire.
The Law in These Parts

2011

The Law in These Parts

2011
6.8
Can justice truly be served in the occupied territories given the current system of law administered by Israel for Palestinians? This documentary explores the history of Israel's military legal system in the Occupied Palestinian Territories of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Project Nim

2011

Project Nim

2011
6.8
From the team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who in the 1970s became the focus of a landmark experiment which aimed to show that an ape could learn to communicate with language if raised and nurtured like a human child. Following Nim's extraordinary journey through human society, and the enduring impact he makes on the people he meets along the way, the film is an unflinching and unsentimental biography of an animal we tried to make human. What we learn about his true nature - and indeed our own - is comic, revealing and profoundly unsettling.
From the Back of the Room

2011

From the Back of the Room

2011
5.5
Although it is often credited with spurring the "third wave" of feminism, Riot Grrrl seemed to many to be a blip in the media. Riot Grrrl paved the way for the more mainstream "girl power" phenomenon, but was ultimately forgotten until recently. This film tackles the past thirty years of female involvement in Do It Yourself music, and aims to give a more complete picture of how women have participated in the D.I.Y. community, and how it affects their daily lives.
Beijing Taxi

2011

Beijing Taxi

2011
10
BEIJING TAXI is a timely, uncensored and richly cinematic portrait of China’s ancient capital as it undergoes a profound transformation. The film takes an intimate and compelling look at the lives of three cab drivers as they confront modern issues and changing values against the backdrop of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Through their daily struggles infused with humor and quiet determination, BEIJING TAXI reveals the complexity and contradictions of China’s shifting paradigm.
Cafeteria Man

2011

Cafeteria Man

2011
8
Cafeteria Man is the true story of rebel chef Tony Geraci and his mission to radically reform Baltimore's public school food system with a recipe for change.
I Can Be President: A Kid's-Eye View

2011

I Can Be President: A Kid's-Eye View

2011
6
What do our future leaders think? Find out in this enlightening documentary that brings kids' ideas about the presidency to life via animation. Sweet and charming, yet with observations as sharp as tacks, these elementary-school youngsters opine on such issues as: the rules about becoming president; whether they could handle the job, now or in the future; and more.
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front

2011

If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front

2011
6.5
Filmmaker Marshall Curry explores the inner workings of the Earth Liberation Front, a revolutionary movement devoted to crippling facilities involved in deforestation, while simultaneously offering a profile of Oregon ELF member Daniel McGowan, who was brought up on terrorism charges for his involvement with the radical group.
Raw Faith

2011

Raw Faith

2011
This surprisingly open and revealing documentary follows two years in the private life of a minister. Marilyn Sewell is successful and beloved in the pulpit, but behind the scenes she is lonely and yearning for change. As she considers leaving the ministry, she realizes she will be leaving her only social network. Yet when she falls in love for the first time, she realizes she does not trust intimacy. A study in contrasts, Marilyn must rely on raw faith as she questions her future, her difficult past, her God, and most importantly... her ability to love.
Battle for Brooklyn

2011

Battle for Brooklyn

2011
5
An intimate look at the very public and passionate fight waged by residents and business owners of Brooklyn’s historic Prospect Heights neighborhood facing condemnation of their property to make way for the polarizing Atlantic Yards project, a massive plan to build 16 skyscrapers and a basketball arena for the New Jersey Nets.
Buck

2011

Buck

2011
7.3
An examination of the life of acclaimed 'horse whisperer' Buck Brannaman, who recovered from years of child abuse to become a well-known expert in the interactions between horses and people.